With US travel currently under scrutiny due to a potential Trump slump, tougher immigration and even anti-American sentiment, there is finally some good news for prospective US-bound travellers.
American Airlines and the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) have teamed up with Sydney Airport to trial an US-first program that allows passengers travelling on AA’s daily Sydney-Los Angeles service to check their baggage through to their onward American destination without the need to claim their bags and recheck them with the carrier for their connecting flight.
Sydney Airport was selected as the pilot partner for the International Remote Baggage Screening (IRBS) program, which will eventually be available at “select international airports”, according to AA.
Now, after clearing CBP immigration, ex-Sydney passengers flying American can simply head to the US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) security check for their next flight.
The new system removes one of the pain points of travelling to the US, and according to AA, provides an enhanced experience for inbound international travellers without compromising security.
The test run follows American Airlines‘ ‘One Stop Security’ system trial that lets Dallas-Fort Worth–London Heathrow passengers skip re-screening when connecting to international flights, making travel faster and easier on that route.
“We are excited to collaborate with CBP on this innovative initiative,” American Airlines Vice President of Global Corporate Security Gary Tomasulo said.
“By leveraging advanced technology and working with Sydney Airport and our vendor partners BagCheck and Brock Solutions, we are enhancing safety and security while streamlining the CBP baggage inspection process to make global travel smoother and more convenient for our customers.”
On a broader scale, CBP Acting Executive Assistant Commissioner Office of Field Operations Diane J. Sabatino said IRBS is a “significant step forward in modernising our processes and providing a secure and seamless experience for international travellers”.
“Significant shift” for US travel
Meanwhile, Sydney Airport Head of Security Graham White lauded the pilot program, “which represents a significant, positive shift in terms of the experience for passengers transiting through US ports”.
“Our top priorities are safety, efficiency and service, and through this collaboration we can achieve all three,” he remarked.
“We look forward to successfully launching this pilot which is a great example of how technology can modernise and streamline customs and border processing.”
News of the trial comes just days after US President Donald Trump announced broad 10% tariffs on numerous nations including Australia. Read about the potential impacts of those tariffs on US travel here.
