less than an hour connection at LAX to SFO, originating in Toronto
My flight is this coming Saturday, 27th of October 2018. This is my first time travelling to the US. I've got a tourist visa. My itinerary says that my flight here in Toronto leaves at 6:15 pm to LAX, arriving at 8:43 pm. I have a connecting flight from LAX to SFO which leaves at 9:30 pm.
The flights are on the same airline.
I've searched on google on how layover works in an international flight. I've read that you have to go through customs and immigration and need to claim and recheck your baggage. When I saw that I was sort of confused because I have less than an hour of layover. Can someone help me what to do? I'm worried sick because I might miss my next flight. I appreciate your quick response to whomever is reading this.
Best Answer
US border preclearance in Toronto is performed by US Customs officers in the terminal of departure and all formal US entry procedures will happen there. Once cleared, your luggage and yourself are effectively domestic passengers and will deplane in LAX at a domestic gate. There are US Customs preclearance facilities in both Terminal 1 and Terminal 3. There is no need to claim your bags in LAX, they will have cleared customs in Toronto and will be checked through to SFO. Pearson says be at the airport 3 hours before departure for morning flight, and as long as you make it to the airport on time, you'll be fine.
According to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_border_preclearance American Airlines asked for this service to be established in 1952 in Toronto.
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Is 1 hour enough for connecting flights in Toronto?
If you are connecting from one Canadian city to another at the Toronto Pearson International Airport, and you're not changing airlines, 1 hour or less is enough (most of the time).Is 1 hour enough for connecting international flights?
Some international airports have a minimum connecting time as low as 30 minutes. But usually, when traveling internationally, the MCT is at least an hour. It can go up to 2 hours in large airports requiring a change of terminal.Is 1 hour 30 minutes enough for connecting flights?
The recommended layover time for international flights is generally longer, as you will have to go through customs and immigration before boarding your next flight. In most cases, a 30-minute layover for domestic flights and an hour for international flights is considered a minimum, or short, layover.Is a 1 hour layover enough time?
The amount of time you need will vary depending on a variety of factors, including your own comfort level. In general, I try to avoid layovers with less than an hour for domestic flights and layovers with less than two hours for international flights. But remember, even that might not be enough time.Flying Alone for the First Time | Connecting Flight Procedure | How to Catch a Connecting Flight
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
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