Leaving luggage unlocked.

dmg24

soco1 wrote: »

Technically no because until you've been 'landed' by immigration you have not entered the country. By staying airside you are effectively in no mans land.
As an immigration officer I grant permission for people to enter the UK and until I have stamped their passports and they have gone past me they have not entered.

Also I know they won't call you, though there is no real reason why they couldn't, and that they can and do break the case open, that is why I am asking what others have experienced as I'm not comfortable leaving my case unlocked.

Sorry, but you have to go through immigration when entering the US!

javajim

debs66 wrote: »

hi,

when we go to the states we 'lock' our case with plastic tie wraps, cut off close to the small loop. that way if the authorities want to get in to the case, and if they want to they will, they don't break a lock, they can just cut the tie wrap. we carry a small set of clippers and extra tie wraps in the front pocket of the case for coming home. as the cases go in the hold, we can take the clippers.

I think that this is a good idea as last year we flew from Toronto to Grand Rapids with AA. Our cases had TSA locks on them. When we got to our destination one of the locks was missing. There was no note in the case. As they have master keys, I think that someone wanted a lock and decide to take one of ours. So I will be using plastic tie wraps in future.

soco1

dmg24 wrote: »

Sorry, but you have to go through immigration when entering the US!

There are immigration controls of varying levels that you have to go through when entering all countries (except when in Schengen where you only pass immigration on 1st entry to the schengen area).

My understanding of through ticketting is that you remain airside whilst in transit and therefore you do not officially enter the country where the airport is. Because of this process many (but not all, some still need visas) people who would normally need visas to enter the UK do not need them for transitting as they do not actually enter the UK. It's called TWOV - transit without visa.

You may have to go through a security/immigration process in the US but you do not enter the country and have access to the US beyond the transit area therefore you have not technically entered the US.
Unless of course you are saying you could jump in a cab and go into town, in which case you would have reclaimed your bags as they wouldn't let a bag get a connecting flight without the owner and you would therefore have broken your journey. You would then need to go through the whole check in process again too.

McAzrael

soco1 wrote: »

There are immigration controls of varying levels that you have to go through when entering all countries (except when in Schengen where you only pass immigration on 1st entry to the schengen area).

My understanding of through ticketting is that you remain airside whilst in transit and therefore you do not officially enter the country where the airport is. Because of this process many (but not all, some still need visas) people who would normally need visas to enter the UK do not need them for transitting as they do not actually enter the UK. It's called TWOV - transit without visa.

You may have to go through a security/immigration process in the US but you do not enter the country and have access to the US beyond the transit area therefore you have not technically entered the US.
Unless of course you are saying you could jump in a cab and go into town, in which case you would have reclaimed your bags as they wouldn't let a bag get a connecting flight without the owner and you would therefore have broken your journey. You would then need to go through the whole check in process again too.

When you land at a US airport, even if you are only transiting, you have to clear immigration, collect your luggage, clear customs and then hand your luggage back to the baggage handlers (assuming it has been checked right through). There are no special arrangements for transitting passengers. You can, if you want, then jump in a cab and go into town.

Unless, of course, you go via Dublin or Shannon, in which case you clear immigration before boarding the plane.

soco1

"When you land at a US airport, even if you are only transiting, you have to clear immigration, collect your luggage, clear customs and then hand your luggage back to the baggage handlers (assuming it has been checked right through)."

That sounds a truly bizarre, time-consuming, and pointless practice that if anything reduces security because if someone had bomb components in a case they could easily retrieve and reassemble them and then use them whereas if the cases were moved from plane to plane there is less security risk.
I also think allowing people to leave the airside area when there is no need is crazy as that just allows people to disappear - great to get in under false pretences!
Presumably if you've gone through immigration you then walk into the public area of the airport. Does that mean that you then have to turn straight round and then go through check in & embarkation controls before going to the gate? If so then that really is a farce.

AA sold the through ticket with only 65 mins at JFK. It'll be interesting to see if luggage can be reclaimed and all the un-necessary processes can be done in that time. So much simpler to merely change gates and bimble around the shops for half an hour or so while the bags are routed to the new plane.
Why do the Yanks have to over-complicate everything so needlessly?

luci

I know exactly what you mean abou the hard bodied cases as ours are the same, there is nowhere to attache cable ties.

We have travelled to the US several times and never lock our cases. If they were locked and it was decided to inspect them the TSA would just burst them open rendering them useless.

We try to carry anything of value in hand luggage such as cameras and jewellery.

We have never encountered a problem, but there is the concern not just that something could be removed from the case, but that something such as drugs could be added.

My brother locked his cases the first time he went to the US and when he arrived at his destination there was a leaflet inside saying the case had been inspected, even though it was still locked. It was either a Delsey or Samsonite case.

dmg24

McAzrael wrote: »

When you land at a US airport, even if you are only transiting, you have to clear immigration, collect your luggage, clear customs and then hand your luggage back to the baggage handlers (assuming it has been checked right through). There are no special arrangements for transitting passengers. You can, if you want, then jump in a cab and go into town.

Unless, of course, you go via Dublin or Shannon, in which case you clear immigration before boarding the plane.

Thank you!

Seems that the OP is not the immigration expert they thought they were! :rolleyes:

soco1

Been having a look today at TSA approved locks as all I had seen on their site was padlocks but today I've found some straps with combinations on them. Some also have an indicator that says if they've been opened.

Just hope don't have the problem Javajim had where their lock was missing on arrival and no note left in the case.

Does anyone know if TSA search all bags transported on American aeroplanes as opposed to all planes heading for the US itself?

i.e would my bag be likely to get the rigourous TSA searching when travelling with AA but not going to the US?

soco1

dmg24 wrote: »

Thank you!

Seems that the OP is not the immigration expert they thought they were! :rolleyes:

No need to be snide.
I am a UK Immigration Officer and as such have a wider understanding than many. The fact I have not experienced transitting in the US is hardly a reason for the put down.
That is the purpose of these forums so people can expand their knowledge.

Can't help it if the Yanks have a stupid, illogical and backward way of doing things!

dmg24

soco1 wrote: »

"When you land at a US airport, even if you are only transiting, you have to clear immigration, collect your luggage, clear customs and then hand your luggage back to the baggage handlers (assuming it has been checked right through)."

That sounds a truly bizarre, time-consuming, and pointless practice that if anything reduces security because if someone had bomb components in a case they could easily retrieve and reassemble them and then use them whereas if the cases were moved from plane to plane there is less security risk.
I also think allowing people to leave the airside area when there is no need is crazy as that just allows people to disappear - great to get in under false pretences!
Presumably if you've gone through immigration you then walk into the public area of the airport. Does that mean that you then have to turn straight round and then go through check in & embarkation controls before going to the gate? If so then that really is a farce.

AA sold the through ticket with only 65 mins at JFK. It'll be interesting to see if luggage can be reclaimed and all the un-necessary processes can be done in that time. So much simpler to merely change gates and bimble around the shops for half an hour or so while the bags are routed to the new plane.
Why do the Yanks have to over-complicate everything so needlessly?

If you were on my flight last month you would not have made it in 65 mins, and that was not out of the ordinary. If you are delayed they'll just stick you on the next flight to your destination.

In the Delta terminal transit passengers went as far as the door to the public area, but turned left rather than right (although they could have turned right, and from what I could see those that did got back through more quickly). Those that turned left towards the transfers desks just joined another (very long) queue!