Non Red Eye Flights back to the UK
#31
Re: Non Red Eye Flights back to the UK
I recall one time at JFK there was a very obnoxious CBP officer shouting loudly at the people in the USC line "this is for US citizens ONLY!" As I was in the dedicated LPR line with just one person ahead of me I found this amusing as I was getting through faster than the USCs.
#32
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Joined: Feb 2010
Location: Temecula, CA
Posts: 4,759
Re: Non Red Eye Flights back to the UK
To save me starting a new thread, and to save countless people taking the piss out of me, I'll ask my stupid question here. I'm pooping back to the homeland end of April for 10 days. Wife unfortunately can't make it out. Traveling back, I assume I can use the American line at immigration and just hand over my passport and green card to the helpful and friendly immigration nazi?
[ETA] Ought to hit refresh before replying!
Last edited by GeoffM; Apr 6th 2014 at 6:13 pm. Reason: Beat me to it
#33
Re: Non Red Eye Flights back to the UK
[QUOTE=rpjs;11207103]I recall one time at JFK there was a very obnoxious CBP officer shouting loudly at the people in the USC line "this is for US citizens ONLY!"[QUOTE]
Right, so they can shout at you and humiliate you, but it's not as if they are going to arrest you or deport you.
I came through CLT once, before I immigrated here, and there were about eight desks open for US citizens and four for non citizens. ..... But there were only about ten non-citizens on the plane! .... And as I walked through to customs, I could hear them directing USCs to the four non-citizen desks.
Right, so they can shout at you and humiliate you, but it's not as if they are going to arrest you or deport you.
As I was in the dedicated LPR line with just one person ahead of me I found this amusing as I was getting through faster than the USCs.
Last edited by Pulaski; Apr 6th 2014 at 6:26 pm.
#35
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 41,518
Re: Non Red Eye Flights back to the UK
The signs at LAX are not the same at the end of the line and the desk. However, it pales beside the customs labyrinthe.
#36
Re: Non Red Eye Flights back to the UK
Do you drink (much) coffee, or lots of tea, or other caffeinated drinks? Caffeine is a remarkably powerful stimulant, and once I realised what it was doing to me, I weened myself off it and I sleep much better. If you can stay off the caffeine for a few days before hand it might help you sleep even without a sleeping pill. I will warn you though, going cold-turkey on caffeine might give you mind-crushing headaches, but you'd know that after 2-3 days of giving up the caffeine.
If I have a regular coffee now I will not sleep at all the first night, and find it difficult to sleep the second night. ..... 3-4 cups of tea, or two 20oz caffeinated sodas also severally disrupt my sleep on the first night.
If I have a regular coffee now I will not sleep at all the first night, and find it difficult to sleep the second night. ..... 3-4 cups of tea, or two 20oz caffeinated sodas also severally disrupt my sleep on the first night.
#37
Re: Non Red Eye Flights back to the UK
To save me starting a new thread, and to save countless people taking the piss out of me, I'll ask my stupid question here. I'm pooping back to the homeland end of April for 10 days. Wife unfortunately can't make it out. Traveling back, I assume I can use the American line at immigration and just hand over my passport and green card to the helpful and friendly immigration nazi?
#38
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Joined: Feb 2010
Location: Temecula, CA
Posts: 4,759
Re: Non Red Eye Flights back to the UK
Yeah you'll probably be fine. But check the immigration line signposts, JFK has a specific line just for green card holders. If you've been through whatever airport you're going out of before, you'll know what they're like in regards to immigration and stuff. The aforementioned JFK are an absolute bloody nightmare and I'd rather headbutt the wall than travel through there. But you're in CA so maybe they're more chill.
The international terminal at LAX was quick both times I used it in 2012 though. Miserable monster for an immigration officer the first time; reasonable bloke the second time.
#39
Re: Non Red Eye Flights back to the UK
I think it depends on the terminal too. Last year I went through Delta's "new" terminal at JFK (is it T4?) and the immigration queues were ridiculous. The rectangular hall had booths arranged in a U shape along 3 sort of walls with everybody queuing in 4 lines (self-service machines, USC, GC, foreigners) in the middle. But the lines were so long that they were queuing people in the corridors to get to the central area! However, once I got to the GC desk it was pretty smooth and straightforward.
The international terminal at LAX was quick both times I used it in 2012 though. Miserable monster for an immigration officer the first time; reasonable bloke the second time.
The international terminal at LAX was quick both times I used it in 2012 though. Miserable monster for an immigration officer the first time; reasonable bloke the second time.
The biggest international travel hub into New York and it's apparently run by stoned teenagers.
I was 2 months pregnant the last time I was there and the wait to go through immigration was over 2 hours. Being stood up for that length of time while preggers was about as much fun as I imagine being kicked in the nuts by your mother is.
I'd pay extra to go through the other, slightly less shitty airport, La Guardia.
#40
Forum Regular
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 76
Re: Non Red Eye Flights back to the UK
Trying in vain to find flights back to the UK that aren't red eyes.
I'm departing from the east coast (NY to be exact) I don't want to be overly picky but red eye flights seriously mess me up. I'm a bad sleeper anyway but it's taken me close to the entire time I've spent in the UK to get the right way round again. Spoiled a couple of trips this way, don't want to do it again.
Also traveling with a 2 year old this time (God help me) and don't want to take her on a red eye in case she screams the entire time the rest of the plane is trying to sleep.
Anyone else not particularly partial to red eye flights?
Any tips on which airlines fly to the UK and offer normal flights?
I'm departing from the east coast (NY to be exact) I don't want to be overly picky but red eye flights seriously mess me up. I'm a bad sleeper anyway but it's taken me close to the entire time I've spent in the UK to get the right way round again. Spoiled a couple of trips this way, don't want to do it again.
Also traveling with a 2 year old this time (God help me) and don't want to take her on a red eye in case she screams the entire time the rest of the plane is trying to sleep.
Anyone else not particularly partial to red eye flights?
Any tips on which airlines fly to the UK and offer normal flights?
Unfortunately I have all my status with United and the thought of having to wait in line, not get on the plane first and no TSA Pre just puts me off switching airline! I do prefer Virgin however both internationally and domestically.