I have a question that hopefully someone can answer. I have a friend who was born & raised in Mexico City but has lived in Italy for the last 10 years as she married an Italian man. She is now in Mexico City seeing her family etc.

She called me last night as she wants to fly to Sacramento to spend a week with me which is wonderful. This would be around the end of August.

But this is my concern. The least expensive airline for her to take is United.
The flight would be from Mexico City to LAX. She would have two hours before her next United flight would depart from LAX to Sacramento.

She would have to go through immigration and customs as this would be her first stop in the US. I am sure I am correct on this. BTW, she has an Italian passport.

I am assuming that she would arrive at the international terminal and that she would then have to get to Uniteds domestic terminal and go through the security line to get her flight from LAX to Sacramento.

Again there is only two hours between the arrival time at LAX and the departure plane from LAX.

She recently found out she has Diabeties 2. She consequently has to eat on time and be careful with her diet.

I know that CA does not allow fruits, veggies into our state. I am not sure what else can not be brought in. I say this because I do not see how she will have time to pick up some food at the domestic terminal inside the secure area with having to go through immigration and customs, get to the domestic terminal, get through through security etc. Actually I am not even sure if she will have her boarding pass for her LAX to Sacramento flight or not. She didn't know either.

She will have to have food after she arrives in LAX.

I have not used LAX for years but understand that is is rather a mess compared to some airports.

She called me last night about this to get my thinking. She does speak English but she has never been in the US before and although she is a highly educated woman she is a nervous traveller in some ways.

So I told her to not pay for her ticket and I would ask here what someone with more knowledge than I have would think.

Any thoughts, advice etc would be so welcomed. Thanks.

While LAX is far the best airport to enter the US, it's not a torture chamber where nobody can eat.

She can bring some pre-packaged biscuits, cookies, peanuts, etc with her. She can't bring fruits and fresh meat, but she can bring SOME food and consume it while waiting in line for immigration.

And UA should be able to give her the boarding pass for the LAX-SMF flight.

BTW, UA's international flight to LAX arrives at UA's Teminal 7, not the Tom Bradley International Terminal. So, she probably will have time to eat properly during her connection, after clearing immigration/customs. Her LAX-SMF flight leaves from the connected Terminals 6/7/8.

Another option - It might be cheaper if she broke it into two legs. Book Mexico city to LAX on the cheapest airline she can find and then fly Southwest LAX to SMF. If she sched. approx 3 hours ± between flights she would have enough time to change terminals and have a real meal.

Just another possibility . . . . .

Hi, thank you rkkwan for your information regarding the terminals. That was something I was worried about. Unfortunatly cookies, biscuits etc. would not be an option for her with her diet restrictions. Now about the boarding pass for the flight from LAX to Sacramento (SMF). Did you mean that she could receive that boarding pass in Mexico City?

And Janis, your thought about her taking S/W from LAX to SMF is a very interesting thought. Originally we were thinking of her flying Mexicana which would take her from Mexico City to SMF but they are over $250.00 more as are all the other airlines are except for United.

About Southwest, I would imagine she could not book the flight from Mexico City. I will call S/W and ask then about this.

Thank you to both of you for your good information and thoughts. It is truly appreciated.

My son and his wife fly in and out of LAX to Mexico seveal times a year. If they go direct on Aero California, they use the Tom Bradley Terminal. There are many food choices there from the food court in TB.
If they fly American Air, in and out of Mexico they go through customs in the American Air Terminal. Again, there are places to buy food. I don't use United Air, but I imagine they are set up the same as AA.
I feel she will have time to pick up something to eat.

Honestly I would go on Mexicana on a nonstop flight and pay the extra $$. In this situation it seems money well spent.

As for her diet OK it can't be cookies or biscuits but how about mixed nuts, low carb energy bars, pnut butter and crackers, cheese, those kinds of snacks. Especially with her situation I would *always* travel with my own food in my purse. It's just fresh fruits vegetables meats that can't go in/out of Mexico, I'm pretty sure.

Hi suze, again you and I are thinking along the same lines!!! That always seems to happen.

She could take Mexicana from MC to SMF with ease but doesn't want to because the ticket would cost about $250.00 more.

Personally I would take Mexicana, sometimes spending more and making a trip easier is worth the money.

I did not know that cheese was allowed into CA.

She is on the east coast of Mexico right now. She will call me in about a week.

I have decided to not get into a fuss about this. If it works out that is great and if it doesn't so be it. I have had enough stress this summer and so don't want more.

Thanks for your thoughts Suze.

Hi LoveItaly !
Have you considered America West ?
We use them alot. (I was just over there looking at fares to Cancun for a trip to Akumal.) They show a fare of $363 RT from Mx City to Sacto with the stop being PHX. Your friend might have an easier time at customs, plus no switching terminals, just concourses.
She'll arrive at the B Concourse Terminal 4, Go downstairs for luggage and customs. Then she can re-check her luggage in the same terminal and be directed to either the A or B councourse for the Sacramento flight.

Glad to read you are feeling better.
R5

Hi R5, America West-no dear one, she didn't know about that airline. I will check that out for her as your idea sounds so much better than the United flights. Thank you so much!!

All help is truly appreciated as I would love to have her come here but I don't want her to have tons of stress.

I am feeling 100% back to normal as is my daughter, thank goodness. Thanks for your good thoughts and thank you so much for your good information, it is truly appreciated. Take care.