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Hey guys. I was wondering how much time to allow for my connecting flight back in the US from CR. The reason I'm asking is I was a bad boy about 8 years ago and have a disturbing the peace misdemeanor (yes, reduced from solicitation) back in the good old USA and was hassled once at Denver airport a few years ago at immigration....delayed me...went through my bags etc...

If I'd have had only maybe a 1.5 hr connection time back to SFO I'd have probably missed it! On the other hand, two years later, I had no delay at Miami airport at all. So, any advice? I'll be flying out of San Francisco airport. I certainly don't want to miss my connecting flight once back on US soil.

Red

In my pre- glob@l entry days, I was subject to multiple "secondary inspections" at IAH upon returning. I recommend 2hrs minimum to connect. I never entered through SFO, but I hear there are trans-Pacific arrivals "peak hours". I would try to avoid those hours.

First thing: misdemeanor should not be on your record after 8 years, also a felony conviction is on your record for 7 years.
I fly from SFO to SJO through IAH and you need 1 hour usually to clear immigration/customs. Security lines are long to get back into your boarding gate which is usually a 20 minute brisk walk away. So 1 hour 30 minutes should do.
Once I did miss my connecting flight and I asked them to put me on a flight to Oakland that was leaving later. They did that rather than have to pay for my stay at a hotel overnight. You may have to pick up your bag from SFO later.
I try to fly TACA out of SFO so that immigration/customs is at SFO. Much better than United/Continental.

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Softbob

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HAMLET

I think you are confusing a criminal record with a credit report.

I can't tell if you were joking.

I had 2 hours in between connecting flights at Miami. Getting thru passport control-customs-tsa again and then walking 2 miles to the next gate, I barely made it with 2 hours. Now I have Global Entry which helps a bit, but I always allow at least 2.5 hours.

Are you talking about a connecting flight as part of one ticket with the same airline? If so, most will wait because they have other customers needing to make the same connecting flight.

Yeah Orange, I was thinking the same thing

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"In a nation ruled by swine, all pigs are upwardly mobile, and the rest of us are phucked until we can put our acts together; not necessarily to win, but mainly to keep from losing completely"...Hunter S. Thompson (RIP)

Thanks guys...ago I was delayed I think about three hours in Denver flying back to SFO. Gave me the business, etc...I'm sure because of the misdemeanor (disturbing the peace). Just certainly don't want to miss a connecting flight if they are still wanting to screw w me..and I see some of the connecting flights are like 1.5 hrs...yes, same airline....it seems it's either like a 1.5 hr connecting time or th nit jumps to 5-6 hrs. Just don't wanna miss it if I can avoid..

I am talking about a connecting flight on the same airline but because of my misdemeanor I don't want a long secondary screening delay that would cause me to miss my flight. It seems a lot of the stops back into the US allow only 1.5 or 2 hrs to connect. If immigration delays me a long time, I'm assuming the airline ain't gonna foot the bill to connect me later, right? Flying out of SFO to San Jose....

Redfield, a disturbing the peace misdemeanor from 8 years ago WILL NOT cause you any delay. If you are delayed or hassled, it will be for some other reason. The TSA pricks we deal with at the airport entry/exit points don't have access to past arrest info. The ICE guys can access past arrest info but aren't went you come through the airport. They are relying on the info received once they swipe your passport such as flagged on a No Fly list, passport matching individual presenting document, INTERPOL hits for wanted persons, etc. Hope this answers your question.

Mitchy...I guarantee you that the Immigration Folks had some kind of red flag and it could have only been the disturbing the peace because they snickered when they scanned the passport and he said"follow me." Then they kept me in a secondary room for maybe an hour and a half with all sorts of other folks...questioned the hell out of me and went through all my stuff. Worst experience I ever had w the screening pricks.

Brother Redfield, you were there & obviously know more than I do about what happened. If the ICE guy mentioned the 8 year old misdemeanor then that's what it was I suppose. I deal with ICE guys in Houston on a professional level almost weekly & the guys here are screening for "issues of interest" which is a long list that doesn't include an 8 year old disorderly charge. Unfortunately, political correctness causes many of us perfectly legal folks to sometimes be harassed at airports which I'm totally against. It's a civil liberties issue with me. I was harassed by a prick ICE agent when I returned from CR last March & for no reason at all other than he had a chip on his shoulder because he couldn't get relieved for a lunch break. There are a**holes everywhere I guess.

For the most part, not anymore. It is more important for them to have an on-time departure record rather than wait for a passenger or two, or nine.

Airlines now severely overbook, counting on missed flights, delays and cancellations. We aren't treated like customers anymore, planes are just flying cattle cars.