4 hour stopover in US, help please ?

portygirl

I am going to Fiji via LAX & no longer have a stopover as there are no flights on a Friday from the US to Fiji. I am travelling with Air New Zealand & wonder if anyone knows the procedure for a 4 hour stop. Do we collect bags & get through security & have to recheck them as I think they will be ticketed right through from Aberdeen. Will 4 hours be adequate time ? Not looking forward to 2 X 11 hour consecutive flghts.

M4RKM

hang on.. you no longer have a stopover, but you have a 4 hour stopover.

you mean you don't stay in LAX for a day, you just connect flights..
4 hours should be enough. it will fly by though.. takes probably around an hour to get thru immigration, pick up luggage, go thru customs, drop off luggage,

and then you'll have to find where your next flight is departing from.. also international flights in the US normally start boarding 45 mins before... so theoretically you only have 3 hours 15 mins, and then take off an hour, 2 hours 15 mins to kill time and stretch your legs... if you're lucky..

M

portygirl

Thanks Markymoo,
I knew someone would pick up on the stopover gaff as soon as I posted it. As we no longer have the much needed overnight stop it is imprinted on my brain. I have a lovely week long stopover on the return so plenty time to deal with airport stuff. My last LAX experience was not a good one so hears hoping this one will be fine.

hammy_the_hammer

the relevant info is somewhere in here

http://www.airnewzealand.co.uk/before-you-fly/international-travel/transiting-via-la.htm

hope this helps

portygirl

Thanks Hammy,
I had viewed the details at some point but could not remember where ? It will be a whirlwind tour of LAX on the way out- maybe thats a bonus!

Blue264

portygirl wrote: »

I am going to Fiji via LAX & no longer have a stopover as there are no flights on a Friday from the US to Fiji. I am travelling with Air New Zealand & wonder if anyone knows the procedure for a 4 hour stop. Do we collect bags & get through security & have to recheck them as I think they will be ticketed right through from Aberdeen. Will 4 hours be adequate time ? Not looking forward to 2 X 11 hour consecutive flghts.

I did the same route (but from Gatwick) with Air New Zealand but prior to 9/11 and a lot changed since then regarding baggage.

Being brutally honest, it took 1.5hrs to leave the plane and reach the transit lounge, an hour to chill out and then we had to go back for the connecting flight to Honolulu. I honestly don't think you will be expected to collect your bags and check in again because you're not staying in the U.S.

We had a 4hr turnaround at LAX and 3.5 hrs turnaround in Honolulu which was very frustrating because it was dawn and it looked gorgeous outside.

Have you been to Fiji before? And where are you staying there?
Personally, I'll never forget the intense scent of sandalwood when the plane doors open in Nadi and the instant sweat that you break out into.

Would you please be so kind as to do me a huge favour?
If Air New Zealand still play a track called 'Into The Blue Pacific' on the headsets, please ask a steward who performs that track? I've hassled their reps for a copy of that track everytime they've called into my office but they have yet to provide me with the artist and it's a gorgeous song.

p.s. I rate Air new Zealand as the best airline I've flown with.
I know that there are better airlines out there, but they're my personal favourite. I had a great experience with them.

portygirl

Hi Blue,
I've been to Fiji once before as my husband was born there & we did a RTW trip including Fiji in 2006. I am staying at Matangi Island resort for one week & the Radisson Denarau for the second week followed by a week at the Intercontinental in LA - all booked before the credit crunch otherwise it would have been our usual 2-3 weeks in Crete ! The second week is just a base to travel to my husbands roots & take a few trips but the Radisson gets great reviews on Tripadvisor.I'll try & remember to ask about the track !

pavs_3

Hi, I fly to the States regularly. Anytime I have a connecting flight from the hub I land at, I do have to collect my bags and redeposit them. This is at least true in the three hubs I have flown to - LAX, IAH and JFK. Also, we were always warned half an hour before landing that if we had a connecting flight that we would have to collect bags - so it will not come as a surprise. Four hours will be plenty of time:-)

Blue264

portygirl wrote: »

Hi Blue,
I've been to Fiji once before as my husband was born there & we did a RTW trip including Fiji in 2006.

Thank you!
That sounds like a cool break for you.
I was lucky enough to travel to Nadi, Suva, Latoka and all around the Mamanucas for free and loved it. The people are so special there.

M4RKM

Blue264 wrote: »

I honestly don't think you will be expected to collect your bags and check in again because you're not staying in the U.S.

you are sadly mistaken.
When landing in the US, even if the plane is only refilling, or you are connecting, you have to disembark the plane, go through immigration, wait at the luggage carousel, collect luggage, go through customs, go into the flight connections area, drop off your luggage and then go to your next, or in some cases original plane!

M