Airport Security ~ LAX Style
So ~ after a brief stopover in Tokyo at Narita, it is off once again to the good ole' United States. I am seated in the penthouse of a Boeing 747, and having introduced myself to my new seatmate, I settle in to enjoy the remaining luxury that I am growing accustomed to in "Raffles Class". Eleven more hours and it is time for wheels down in Las Angeles.
We are first informed that our luggage will not be transferred to the domestic airline that we will take from LAX to our final destination..... For me, that is Phoenix AZ. We disembark from the airplane and wound our way around the various hallways and passages until we arrived at customs where we are officially greeted back into the USA, our Passports are stamped, and we are directed to the International baggage claim where I waited 45 minutes for my luggage to come sliding down the chute and onto the carrousel.
I picked up my suitcase and exit baggage claim with a final check from customs ~ then told to go stand in line and re-check my luggage for my domestic flight. This stage of the arrival is total chaos as there are no signs present to indicate where you should go and what you need to do. I find an airport security lady who tells me to go to a doorway and drop my bags then go to the gate for my next flight. I ask her how I get there and am informed that I will have to take the inter-terminal bus...... which translates to, (You have to go outside of the security area, stand on a curb, wait for the bus, take the bus to the terminal for your airline, exit, go stand in line at security, etc.) Now, normally this is easily taken in stride, but after being awake and in a travel mode for the last 24 hours.....this seems like more than just a minor annoyance.
The security line had no less than 200 people in it and the line handlers (what a great job huh?) were directing everyone to split off, walk to another terminal, and go through the security gate there.... as the line was shorter. I elected to stay where I was and soon after they discovered that there was another scanner line that they had forgotten about in which the 6 or 7 airport TSA employees were all standing around because they had no customers. The line tended to speed up a bit once they started doing their jobs.
Once through security I walk about another half mile to the United "TED" terminal and sit for another 2 hours until my connecting flight leaves. The waiting area is filthy, the chairs are ripped, torn, dirty, and half broken. This is quite a contrast to what I had just experienced for the prior 11 days in Asia.
All's well that ends well though ~ I made it home safe and believe it or not....... so did my luggage. The only thing I will do different on my next trip to Asia is I will by-pass LAX and fly through San Francisco.
Been there - Done that ~ and San Francisco is a much nicer experience than Las Angeles.......
We are first informed that our luggage will not be transferred to the domestic airline that we will take from LAX to our final destination..... For me, that is Phoenix AZ. We disembark from the airplane and wound our way around the various hallways and passages until we arrived at customs where we are officially greeted back into the USA, our Passports are stamped, and we are directed to the International baggage claim where I waited 45 minutes for my luggage to come sliding down the chute and onto the carrousel.
I picked up my suitcase and exit baggage claim with a final check from customs ~ then told to go stand in line and re-check my luggage for my domestic flight. This stage of the arrival is total chaos as there are no signs present to indicate where you should go and what you need to do. I find an airport security lady who tells me to go to a doorway and drop my bags then go to the gate for my next flight. I ask her how I get there and am informed that I will have to take the inter-terminal bus...... which translates to, (You have to go outside of the security area, stand on a curb, wait for the bus, take the bus to the terminal for your airline, exit, go stand in line at security, etc.) Now, normally this is easily taken in stride, but after being awake and in a travel mode for the last 24 hours.....this seems like more than just a minor annoyance.
The security line had no less than 200 people in it and the line handlers (what a great job huh?) were directing everyone to split off, walk to another terminal, and go through the security gate there.... as the line was shorter. I elected to stay where I was and soon after they discovered that there was another scanner line that they had forgotten about in which the 6 or 7 airport TSA employees were all standing around because they had no customers. The line tended to speed up a bit once they started doing their jobs.
Once through security I walk about another half mile to the United "TED" terminal and sit for another 2 hours until my connecting flight leaves. The waiting area is filthy, the chairs are ripped, torn, dirty, and half broken. This is quite a contrast to what I had just experienced for the prior 11 days in Asia.
All's well that ends well though ~ I made it home safe and believe it or not....... so did my luggage. The only thing I will do different on my next trip to Asia is I will by-pass LAX and fly through San Francisco.
Been there - Done that ~ and San Francisco is a much nicer experience than Las Angeles.......
posted by Project Man | 10:36 AM
2 Comments:
Whew.....I'm tired just reading this. I have only flown three times and never to that big of a city. I think I am too old to start that kind of travel now!! Glad that you made it home safe and sound.
That story sort of reminds me of our return from Rome. When we landed at JFK in NY, we were led in and out of the airport and security areas and there never seemed a clear answer for what was going to happen or what we should be doing.
Post a Comment
<< Home