Enough of a layover time? Customs question
 

Hello!

This December I will be embarking on my first overseas trip. My fiance and I are traveling to Japan to get married, so I'm very excited, but also exacerbated by Delta's constant switching of my flights. It makes me quite nervous.

I'm traveling from Atlanta to Haneda, Japan with a layover in LAX. After having had it switched for the third time, our flight is now scheduled as such:

Atlanta-LAX 1:40-3:42
LAX-HAN 3:34-5:10 <-- This gives us a 1 hour 28 min layover.

So... The question is, when exactly do we go through customs/immigration? Because I can handle an hour and a half layover if we just switch planes. But as I have never flown abroad before, I am not sure what will happen when I get to LAX and try to depart for Japan. Do we go through customs and immigration in Japan? Or do we have to run the circuit before we are allowed to go through to Japan. If this is the case, I highly doubt a hour and a half layover will work.

Also, Delta WILL NOT let me change flights. The first time we had an ample 6 hours layover. They changed it to a 3 hour layover, and we were OK with that./ Then they changed it to 2 hours, and said any flight changes within 90 min is not covered by them, and we'd have to pay penalties. Now, It's down to an hour and a half, and there's nothing we can do about it.


Thank you SO much for the information!

As long as you are a U.S. citizen, there are no exit formalities for the United States, so you just switch planes at LAX. You won't go through immigration and customs until you get to Japan.

You will pass through Japan immigration and customs upon arrival in Japan.

The airline will check your passport at check-in at ATL to ensure it is valid, but there is no emigration control leaving the US.

At LAX you will pass through TSA security just like a domestic flight, or if your departure flight is the same terminal as you arrival flight you'll just walk from one gate to the next.

A few comments:

1. As of this moment, there is no exit immigration control for the US for any citizens of the world. The test for "US Visit" exit procedures have completed and no procedure right now. All foreign visitors with a I-94 need to do is give it back to the airline when checking in.

2. For DL-DL connection at LAX, definitely just walk to new gate.

3. 1.5 hours is plenty of time. If the OP is really worried, they can do a same-day confirmed change ($50/passenger) within 3-hours of the new departure time. It works if you live close enough to ATL. Here is how it works:

You're now scheduled to depart ATL at 1:39p on DL637 (I believe). Not sure which date you're traveling in December, but usually, there are 3 earlier non-stops, some days 4. The previous flight is DL1554, a larger Airbus 330 departing at 11:00a.

What you can do is call DL at 8:00a (3 hours before DL1554 departs) and ask for same day confirmed change. If they have room, they can confirm you on that flight for $50 each. Then you can go to airport right then. If not, then stay home and depart as scheduled.

Looks like you must be on DL flight 637 to LAX and the same flight number from LAX to HND.

Today's DL 637 arrived at LAX gate 52a and departed from gate 68b. There is a tunnel between terminals 5 and 6, so those passengers would not have to go out and back through security.