Congratulations LAX

I have always preferred travelling to and from New Zealand through Hong Kong's friendly and superb airport with it's showers and excellent facilities for transit passengers.  However it is often not possible for many reasons and this time despite travelling out via HK and being booked to travel back the same way, the flight had to be changed via Los Angeles. because of connection time problems onwards to Glasgow.

After my seven years' experience of travelling through the dreaded transit lounge at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) the Airport's management  has managed to remove one of the things that has always had it on any New Zealand traveller's (and presumably any other transit passenger's) list of the worst airports imaginable:  the queue through Border Control into the lounge.  The procedure has always been to get off your 12 hour flight from Auckland or your 10 hour flight from London and then stand in a queue in a corridor whilst one, or more recently two, Homeland Security staff fingerprinted you and took iris photos etc and processed you into the lounge.  (As an aside, several years ago they were obviously told to be less unfriendly and downright objectionable on occasion and now seem to be chosen for an ability to appear welcoming).  This often meant that the two hours was spent in the queue and that the plane was boarding whilst you were still waiting to get into the lounge.  It also meant no toilet facilities until you were processed.

This time it was straight into the lounge after being given a number and then you were processed in small batches which meant that you had the facilities and the relative comfort of the lounge from the start.

Well done LAX!  I hope I don't sound ungrateful by asking why it took you so long.