If you’ve had to connect from an international to a domestic flight in the USA, it can be a… challenging process, especially after a long flight. Well, there is some good news as United Airlines has launched a new service – US Customs and Border Patrol’s International Remote Baggage Screening.
Initially, United Airlines is offering this for passengers travelling on the airline’s daily service from Sydney, Australia, to San Francisco, California, with a connecting flight to a final destination.
The programme eliminates the need to re-check bags on select international routes, making the connecting experience even easier and reducing potential missed connections.
Since launching the initiative, more than 160 passengers on each flight have used the new process. These customers saved up to 45 minutes in their connection journey, relieving the stress of making their connecting flights to their final destinations.
United Airlines has documented the process for the curious:
- Check baggage at Sydney – Travellers drop off checked bags as usual with an agent at the check-in counter in the lobby.
- Arrive at San Francisco International – Passengers connecting on a flight to another destination go to CBP for customs, immigration and agriculture inspections and then head directly to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) for security screening – removing the step for these travellers to pick up checked bags at baggage claim and re-check them to their final destinations, unless specifically referred by CBP for further inspection.
- As the flight is heading to the United States from Sydney, United, CBP and TSA work together to screen checked bags, and once the flight arrives, the bags are loaded onto connecting flights.
- Pick-up baggage at final destination – Travellers simply pick up their baggage at baggage claim at their final destination and head on their way.
Unlike the American Airlines trial at Dallas-Fort Worth, passengers need to undergo security clearance processes again, rather than being immigration cleared at the gate.
To deploy this solution, United is partnering with Sydney Airport, BagCheck and Brock Solutions, leading baggage solution providers, to launch this initiative, streamline the connecting experience for customers and improve the efficiency of the bag inspection process.
In Quotes
Jennifer Schwierzke, United’s Vice President of Customer Operations Strategy and Execution, said:
“We’re streamlining the international arrival process by eliminating extra steps for travelers to pick-up and re-check their bags on connecting flights,” said
“Together with CBP, we’re testing this new process on routes between Sydney and San Francisco and plan to expand to additional international routes in the months ahead.”
Scott Charlton, Sydney Airport CEO, added:
“It’s great to see United Airlines trialing bag re-check elimination on the Sydney – Francisco route, one of our busiest long-haul services,”
“It’s a win for passengers – saving valuable time, making connections easier, and showing how Sydney Airport and our airline partners are working together to deliver smoother, more seamless journeys.”
Cutting down waiting time
Arriving as a connecting passenger where you have to pick up your luggage, recheck your luggage and go through the security rigmarole to head onto another flight is never fun, especially after a long flight.
Even if it’s cutting out the step of having to collect your bags, it will help, as we’ve all spent time at the luggage belt after a long flight, only to lug it all over to the recheck counter, whilst keeping an eye on when the next flight is departing.
And yes, whilst some people can travel just with hand luggage, there are a lot of people who need to check baggage, be it carrying clothes, liquids, large items or stuff that won’t be carried in the cabin.
More of this would be helpful.
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