Many international air travelers will soon be able to shorten the amount of time spent going through U.S. customs - and some will be able to bypass it entirely.
Under new procedures scheduled to go into effect in May at Tom Bradley International Terminal in Los Angeles, O'Hare International Airport in Chicago and San Francisco International Airport, most passengers with no items to declare will be able to present their passports to an immigration inspector and leave as soon as they claim their baggage.It's anticipated by customs officials that people who have goods to declare will get through customs in less than half an hour.
Eventually the agency hopes to introduce the procedures to all international airports in the United States; so far the schedule does not include New York area airports.