Domestic Flight Connecting to an International Flight (airlines, airport, passport)
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I'm going to be taking a flight from NYC to San Francisco that connects to Seoul, South Korea.
How early should I arrive at the airport for the JFK-SFO flight? Usually you're supposed to be there earlier for international flights, but this wouldn't be considered "international", right? Or is it because it's one fare for two planes?
Might be a dumb question but I'm wondering because they have to transfer my luggage, etc.
Check the airline's website and/or call them, More then likely they will need to see your passport/visa's @ JFK (and prob SFO) again. They might check them at Check-in (Landside) or at the gate. If they do it at Check-in plan extra time to get thru the process. The lines @ JFK Lines Move VERY slow. At SFO if you are connecting on same airline, it will normaly be in the same terminal. But going from airline to airline you may have to change terminals. and re-clear secuity.
If you are ticketed all the way thru then when you first check-in for your first flight in NYC they will check your passport. You are checking your luggage all the way thru, correct. That means that you will not be claiming your luggage in SFO and then re-checking it. So they WILL be making sure that you are clear to travel international when you first check-in and check your luggage in NYC. So you do need to arrive the required time alloted for international flights when you get to the airport in NYC.
You don't always have to clear security at the airport w/ a change in terminals. This is why they check your passport when you FIRST arrive for your first flight of your trip. It depends on how the airport is set up, though. You can call the airline and ask them and they should be able to tell you. You still want to allow for enough time to change planes and all in SFO though just in case anything comes up.
JFK-SFO is considered domestic and you don't have to get there early
WRONG!
If all flights are on one ticket then it IS considered an international flight and they DO need to get there early. They are most likely checking their bags all the way thru to Seoul (if not they really should). Therefore, the airline WILL be checking their passport for the first leg of their trip.
WRONG!
If all flights are on one ticket then it IS considered an international flight and they DO need to get there early. They are most likely checking their bags all the way thru to Seoul (if not they really should). Therefore, the airline WILL be checking their passport for the first leg of their trip.
Technically I'm not wrong, but I do admit my information COULD be wrong now that I think about it. It just depends if he changes airlines or not.
If the OP flies JFK-SFO via delta and then takes Korean Air to ICN, then he would be considered a domestic flight. If he gets on Korean Air in JFK then it would be considered an international flight if its the same ticket.
If the flight is ticketed on 1 ticket with a connection @ SFO to a code/share or one that the airline interchanges baggage to, then the flight out of JFK would be international for check-in. In my above post i was think LAX for some reason. At SFO you will stay inside secure area so you will not have to re-clear security as long as are on 1 ticket. , you may have to change 'arms' terminals.
If the flight is ticketed on 1 ticket with a connection @ SFO to a code/share or one that the airline interchanges baggage to, then the flight out of JFK would be international for check-in. In my above post i was think LAX for some reason. At SFO you will stay inside secure area so you will not have to re-clear security as long as are on 1 ticket. , you may have to change 'arms' terminals.
I have never flown using a code share airline, but why would it still be an international check in? Wouldn't it just be boarded like a typical domestic flight?
Because the bags are check stright thru, They need to know you are allow on the international flight. If they take you all the way to International destanation, and you dont have a passport and/or visa needed to get into that country. The Airline has to transport you back on there dime, Also If they didn't check when you 1st check in and did the check-in when you are about to get onto the international flight and you dont have the correct paperwork, they would have to pull your bags off the plane. That takes time, and is alot of work to find the bags and pull them off. On long hual inthernationa most of the bags are containerized. Make pulling bags out a little easyer but they might have to pull out many can's to find the one your bag(s) are in.
Unless you buy two separate tickets the whole trip would be considered an international flight and for those you usually have to check in three hours ahead of the first flight, domestic or not. Even if you're flying two different airlines. Flyonpa is absolutely right about the bags being checked all the way thro to your final destination. A couple of years ago I flew to New Zealand via San Francisco. The first part of the flight was on United and domestic, the second part on Air New Zealand and the flight was International and I didn't see my suitcase between checking it and when I landed in Auckland 18 hours later.
If you bought two entirely separate tickets then when you land at your first airport, you'd probably have to collect your suitcase, go out to the departures hall and then stand in line to check in for your second flight (the international leg).
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