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How to Avoid Hassles When Flying Internationally at LAX (but it'll cost you). [1]

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Date: 2025-05-13

Yesterday, my wife and I flew into LA after a month long vacation in the Philippines. While I am a US citizen, my wife is Filipina, in the US these past dozen years on a green card.

To complicate matters, almost 10 years ago, my wife and her then boyfriend got into a loud and physical public fight, and she ended up being arrested. She pled no contest to an infraction (less than a misdemeanor) for fighting and using offensive language in public, and was given a fine and time served as punishment. In 2019, she hired a lawyer to have the case dismissed. Nevertheless, in the past, this incident has regularly caused her to have to go through secondary screening at US Customs when flying back from the Philippines, which resulted in hours of delay each time ( she visits there once or twice a year to see family and friends, and to manage her business concerns). With the current administration 's anti-immigrant policies now in place, I have read and seen many recent reports on the severe harassment of many international visitors to the US, including green card holders and even some US citizens by Customs agents, justifying their harassment with the slightest of excuses (if any justification is given at all). A number of green card holders, including Filipinos, have been detained, had their green cards revoked, then imprisoned and deported. I was, of course, concerned that something like this might happen to my wife, since she often (but not always) faced secondary screening even during the Biden Presidency.

I then read about a company, called PS, that offers a private terminal experience for people flying commercial airlines into or out of LAX. They also have a private terminal now open in Atlanta, and are planning others.The company started up few few years ago to help rich & famous people (the movie, TV and music stars based in the LA area) who flew commercial airlines rather than private planes at private airports. The LAX airport authority was concerned about potential crowds forming around the stars at the airport, and the disruptions this caused, and so cooperated with PS to form a private terminal. PS, then called Private Suites, offered the rich and famous their own private suite, for like $10,000. PS then decided they could make more money offering a Saloon experience for the moderately well-to-do, much like the lounges airlines offer first class customers at the airport, with all the other amenities offered for private suite customers, but with a charge of "only" about $1k each. With a big gulp, we decided to splurge and try PS's Saloon experience. The following is my report on how this went for us.

Our Philippines Airlines plane landed early, at 8:45 am. I immediately called PS, but they monitored our flight and were aware of the early arrival, so this wasn't a concern. We exited the plane and were greeted by a PS driver. She escorted us down an adjacent keyed elevator to her waiting car. She then drove us across the airport, weaving around airplanes (which was kind of cool) to the non-discript but heavily secured PS building. We were escorted inside where we met a smiling US Customs agent. There was no one in line in front of us. He checked our passports and my wife's green card, took our pictures, and that was that (!!!) He mentioned my wife's Global Entry application (which we completed online the other week) was conditionally approved. He asked, if we had the time, he could do her GE interview then. Sure, we agreed. We went over her application and briefly discussed her arrest from 10 years ago. I had the paperwork for that, which he glanced at. He said that since it was such a minor incident, and so old, he didn't see it as a problem. He said the Customs person who did the final review might want certified copies of some of the court papers, and that my wife would get an email if so. Otherwise, she should get her card in the mail in a few weeks. We mentioned her next step was her citizenship application, which he encouraged her to do. He then wished us a good day, and waived us on our way.

With a big sigh of relief, we were then escorted into the Saloon to enjoy complimentary french champagne and caviar, while waiting for my stepson to come get us. Everything was great and went as smooth as pie.

So was it worth it? If you're a US citizen and not rich & famous, unless you just want to be pampered to the nth degree (such as on your honeymoon), probably not. However, if you're a foreign visitor, or here on a green card but with a small issue like my wife has, and you can afford the money charged, then definitely yes. It's a shame you have to pay to get a friendly Customs agent with no hassles involved, but as my wife says (and she says as a Filipina she knows), money talks.

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