Glad to have helped flanner.

Perhaps the lady at BA didn't know the info to explain to you. When I did the international connection at LAX I was also concerned and when I checked in at London, I asked the agent what I was supposed to do at LAX (This was not BA/oneworld but United/Star Alliance). She said to me "they will tell you what to do". Well, whoever they is, no-one told me anything, but somehow I managed to work it out! We did nearly miss the bag drop as it was basically a conveyor belt into the unknown, right before the customs exit. I have to say that we were slightly amazed and relieved to find the luggage at baggage claim at our final destination!

Mind you, if they just did what the rest of world did, and had direct airside international connections, there wouldn't be a problem.

But foreigners do that, so it must be wrong, mustn't it?

explain to me how it's that much different?

Lets say I'm flying Chicago to Paris and connecting to Barcelona.

I still have to go through immigration and security again in Paris.

The only difference is Customs as that will be done in Barcelona, so no need to pick up luggage and drop it off right outside customs door.

I never saw an international to internation transfer done any different anywhere.

C'mon, AAFF. You're twisting the argument. CDG-BCN is an inside Schengen flight. If one's flying JFK-CDG-HKG, you won't have to go through French immigration.

USA has no airside transit, which is a fact. It never has, but before 9/11 there was a waiver program, so people can transit without visa. Funny that nobody complained back then.

The US should allow airport and airlines to set up sterile international transit. It is hurting US's international image, and it's hurting business of many airlines. DFW, MIA, IAH etc can all benefit from Latin America-Europe traffic. The US is losing because of bureaucratic idiocracy.

But US is not the only country without airside transit. China and Canada don't either.

Yeah, but then Flanner would have one less thing to complain about the U.s.
;)

There is actually a limited form of airside transit in Canada, at least at the new T1 in Toronto. US bound passengers arriving from international flights can skip Canadian customs and immigration. Instead such passengers go immediately through US customs and immigration on arrival in Toronto.