Getting to the U.S.

Airline Discounts -- The smart traveler can find innumerable ways to reduce the price of a plane ticket simply by taking time to shop around. For example, overseas visitors can take advantage of the APEX (advance purchase excursion) reductions offered by all major U.S. and European carriers. For the best rates, compare fares and be flexible with the dates and times of travel.

A number of international carriers serve the Bay Area airports. They include Aer Lingus (tel. 01/0818/365000 in Dublin; www.aerlingus.ie), Air Canada (tel. 888-247-2262; www.aircanada.ca), British Airways (tel. 0845/773-3377 in the U.K.; www.british-airways.com), Japan Airlines (tel. 0120-25-5971 in Tokyo; www.jal.co.jp), Qantas (tel. 13-13-13 in Australia; www.qantas.com.au), and Virgin Atlantic (tel. 870/380-2007 in the U.K.; www.virgin-atlantic.com). British Airways and Virgin Atlantic offer direct flights to San Francisco from London. Air New Zealand (tel. 0800/352-266 in New Zealand; www.airnewzealand.co.nz) flies to Los Angeles and will book you through to San Francisco on a partner airline.

Major U.S. carriers, such as Continental (tel. 01293/776-464 in the U.K.; www.continental.com), United (tel. 084/584-44777 in the U.K.; www.ual.com), American (tel. 207-365-0777 in London, or 8457-789-789 outside London in the U.K.; www.aa.com), and Delta (tel. 0800/414-767 in the U.K.; www.delta.com), have service from Europe to the United States. United (tel. 61/2/9251-3211 in Australia) flies from Sydney to San Francisco.

Immigration & Customs Clearance -- Visitors arriving by air, no matter what the port of entry, should cultivate patience and resignation before setting foot on U.S. soil. Getting through immigration control can take as long as 2 hours on some days, especially on summer weekends, so be sure to carry this guidebook or something else to read. This is especially true in the aftermath of the World Trade Center attacks, when security clearances have been considerably beefed up at U.S. airports.

People traveling by air from Canada, Bermuda, and certain countries in the Caribbean can sometimes clear Customs and Immigration at the point of departure, which is much quicker.