Connecting flight at LAX?

Hi Guys

I have recently booked a holiday with virgin to Hawaii, and as Virgin dont do direct flights i have to change to Hawaiian airlines at LAX. I have a few questions:

(I have never had to change planes before so please forgive my lack of knowledge in this area)

1) How does the immigration process work when im connecting to an internal flight? Do i go through immigration in LA or when i arrive in hawaii?

2) Do i have to reclaim my luggage and then check it back in again or will my bags be automatically forwarded to the Hawaiian airlines flight?

3) There is a 3 1/2 hour gap between the virgin flight landing, and the Hawaiian flight leaving. Im hoping that will be enough time assuming the flight isnt delayed. Does anyone know if the flights to LA are subject to delay?

Many thanks

1) In LA - US immigration always process folks at their initial point of entry

2) Need to reclaim - US customs likewise deal with you at your point of entry

3) LA is not as bad as San Francisco for weather delays, and VS seems to do OK on flights to the west coast - most weather delays happen with morning flights coming in and getting hosed with Pacific fog. The most typical cause of delays tends to be the time it takes to get our of LHR. Schedules are clearly padded for this, and presumably you are ticketed so that if it gets really bad they will rearrange for you. Usually, the delay is no longer than 30 minutes at most.

I've disembarked with VS at SFO and gotten home in less than 45 minutes before, so 3 & 1/2 will be ample under normal to slightly delayed circumstances. You have about an hour and a half of margin and will still be OK. If you start getting to the point of less than two hours for customs and immigration clearing, it could get tricky. The biggest issue is typically that you have clusters of flights showing up from Europe to either SF or LA all around the same time, and the lines for non-residents getting profiled can get brutal.

That's a tough scenario. Quite likely, you'll be spending time in a beer-dispensing hostelry. Alas, LAX is not the best place for this - but I should imagine you will be pleasantly surprised by the prices in the US right now ...

[Scrooge]

As MM says time should not be an issue, see if VS can check you right through when checking in at LHR.

As both VS and HA use T-2 at LAX you don't even need to leave the building.

Thanks for the info!

Once you clear immigration, then customs, there is also a bag drop desk to the right, before you walk up the slop to exit the arrivals hall.

Check to see if you can drop your bags here. If you can, make sure to do this before walking up the slight slope, in absent mindedness I once started up the slope and was not allowed to walk back.

I have no problem with this security measure, of course it is better to eb safe than sorry, however the bag drop is not very clear if you do not know it is there.

[ChuckC]

That last point is very important! It will save you time.

Chuck-