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A new pilot program is promising to streamline the baggage handling process for travellers from Australia to the United States.
Daily United Airlines flights from Sydney to San Francisco have been selected for the trial of US Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) International Remote Baggage Screening (IRBS), which removes the need to recheck baggage onto connecting flights in the US.
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“We’re streamlining the international arrival process by eliminating extra steps for travelers to pick up and recheck their bags on connecting flights,” said Jennifer Schwierzke, United’s vice president of customer operations strategy and execution.
“Together with CBP, we’re testing this new process on routes between Sydney and San Francisco and plan to expand to additional international routes in the months ahead.”
Currently, travellers into the United States must pass through customs and immigration, retrieve their bags, then recheck them and go back through security for their connecting flights.
Under the IRBS program, CBP and the Transportation Security Administration will screen bags behind the scenes, allowing them to be checked onto connecting flights without passengers needing to retrieve them first provided they are not required for extra screening.
“We’re excited to see this trial on one of our busiest long-haul routes and look forward to more improvements soon,” Sydney Airport said on LinkedIn.
According to Sydney Airport CEO Scott Charlton, IRBS can save passengers up to 45 minutes at San Francisco, allowing for faster and easier connections.
“It’s great to see United Airlines trialling bag recheck elimination on the Sydney–San Francisco route, one of our busiest long-haul services,” he said.
“It’s a win for passengers – saving valuable time, making connections easier and showing how Sydney Airport and our airline partners are working together to deliver smoother, more seamless journeys.”
While the service is currently only available on United’s Sydney–San Francisco services, the airline has signalled expanding it to other routes over time.
Four airlines – United, Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, and Qantas – currently operate flights from Sydney to the US, entering through San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Dallas–Fort Worth.
