Duty Free & Connecting Flight

http://www.lawa.org/AirOps/pdf/Appendix_1-LAX_Desingated_Smoking_Areas.pdf (Looks like a joke) but it's on the LAX official website so I presume it's for real!
 
LAX is not a "smoker friendly" airport (and we here at iFlyLAX.com highly recommend that you quit smoking -- cold turkey -- immediately!), and there are no designated smoking areas. However, tobacco using airport employees and travelers do manage to get in a few drags outside the terminal buildings in some of the more open areas; and there is a "Smoking Pen" in the United terminal.

Clubman, you got my hopes up there until I saw the pics .....perhaps these are some of the "more open areas"
 
Just back from NZ. We came back the opposite to your outbound.
Flew from Auckland to LAX and then flight from San Francisco to Heathrow and then aother onto Dublin.
Do not buy any major liquids (spirist, large perfume bottles etc) until last leg of flight. You will not be able to take them as hand luggage.


If going through Heathrow you can only have one carry on bag and that includes handbags.
Just hope your flight is not delayed in Auckland, the airport is poor and you will be only allowed back off aircraft to gate and not through security screen.
That sounds ok until you realise that there are only two toilets for 350+ people on baord 747 and there is not food or drinks bar a vending machine.
Oh and they hit you with a $25 airport fee for development purposes ( we all reckoned it was for new toilets).

As far as I know Christchruch does not handle 747s which are what Quantas and Air New Zealanad use on the trans Pacific flights so you would probably have to change aircraft in Auckland.

Now if land in Auckland for change over, you have problem because you may have go back through security screens just before entry to gate and then may lose liquids. And if flying from Auckland to Christchurch you cannot buy duty free since internal flight.
Don't worry they do have bottle shops over there and loads of steinlager on tap.

Also pre-book your accomodation in Christchurch if anywhere near tourist season.
 
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EvilDoctorK said:
You'll change planes and you'll have to clear US Immigration (even though you're only staying 4 hours and not going landside) .. I don't think you'll need to retrieve your baggage - that should be through checked all the way as you don't need to clear US Customs
Click to expand...
Why is this the case if you are not entering the country? I say it must cause problems for those with US immigration problems/history?

I wonder what the questions are like?
 
bond-007 said:
Why is this the case if you are not entering the country? I say it must cause problems for those with US immigration problems/history?

I wonder what the questions are like?
Click to expand...

Agreed it's fairly crazy - It's been the case since shortly after 9-11 I believe ... those with potential US visa problems should find somewhere else to connect through would I think be the best advice. (Also if you're not from a country like Ireland that is part of the Visa Waiver program you'd have to apply for a visa in advance of connecting through a US Airport)

http://www.airnewzealand.co.uk/travelinfo/planning_your_trip/transiting_via_la.htm

This is one of the Reasons that Air NZ has started flights from London to Auckland via Hong Kong as well as those it has always offered via LA as the transit "experience" in LA isn't the best - especially compared with somewhere like HK with a brand new airport and no immigration requirements during transit.
 
I remember meeting a Brazilian flying between Vancouver and Rio via Toronto a few years back. The reason they did not fly from Vancouver direct to Rio/Sao Paulo was the flights stop in USA. That meant they needed a transit visa which cost couple of hundred dollars. So not alone do you need a transit visa if not from VISA waivered country, it means queing at a US embassy for few hours and paying the cost.
I actually found US immigration to be fine this last time.
Maybe it's because I had been used to spenting hour and half getting through NZ immigration/customs/livestock control/fruit and veg control, etc in NZ.
It is a bit like shutting the stable door after the horse has trully bolted and run around the paddock a few times. The country is already well and truly infested with deer/possums/rats/foxes/stoats etc.
Beware make sure your hiking boots and golf shoes are clean before arriving in NZ. Otherwise they can take them off you and dump them.
 
Travelled back frome Cape Town with herself 2 days ago with KLM via Schipol in Amsterdam. Browsed the duty free as normal and selected the usual aftershave / perfume , chocolates and two bottles of cream Liquor. The lady at the cash register when she looked at boarding card asked "is Amsterdam your final destination". When we informed her it wasn't she indicated that we would not be allowed to take the 2 bottles of Cream Liquor on board the Amsterdam to Dublin leg of the journey.

While it was disappointing to have to leave them back it was still better than having to lose them at security in Amsterdam.
 
To avail of duty free anywhere you have to be leaving the jurisdiction. So if you next destination is within same country, or in this case within EU, then you cannot avail of duty free. Now of course there are exceptions. The Åland Islands in the Baltic, even though belonging to Finland (part of EU), offer duty free because they got an exception, so if you stop off there you can get duty free booze. I am not sure if Isle of Man or Channel Island got same protection or not?
 
The channel Islands and the Canary Islands got the same protection. They are not in the EU to begin with.
 
I just got the following email from BAA - regarding flights to Australia...


As a valued WorldPoints member we thought it important to update you
on the latest change in industry regulations regarding the carriage
of liquids.

While cabin baggage restrictions introduced back in November of last
year remain a long term solution, Australian legislation changes have
affected many transfer passengers departing from the European Union.

From 31 March 2007, European Union airports will be unable to sell any
liquid purchases to passengers travelling to Australia. All liquids
will be screened at the last point of call and quantities over 100ml
will be confiscated.

For the latest updates on security information please check
www.baa.com before travelling. In the meantime we wish you a pleasant
trip next time you travel.

Best wishes


Samantha Varriale

WorldPoints Programme Manager
 
Hi Folks, just back. Must say LAX was the worst airport I've even been in. Nearly missed my connecting flight with all their security & immigration
( including fingerprinting ) delays. I had to collect my bag & go through the whole checking palava again.
Everywhere else was fine.
Bought my duty free in Auckland on way to Australia & no prob. Didn't bother with df on way home.
Everything did go more or less to plan though & I got an upgrade on flight from Hong Kong to Heathrow which was nice.
It's worth it all ....New Zealand is absolutely fabulous & I'd go through it all again if I could afford it
 
Sorry....hit reply before reading the last page....ignore...must be a Friday thing !
 
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