I read with trepidation a reader's letter about the rigmarole of transiting in the USA. My husband and I are planning a trip to New Zealand in October and will be refuelling in LA. Will we face any problems? Mary Whittard, by email

Sunday Times travel expert, Richard Green, responds: There was a time when Los Angeles International Airport, or LAX as it's popularly known, had a glamorous image. Remember the iconic flying saucer style building on arched legs that seemed to flash onto the screen every time a film or TV series featured LA? Now it's just known as one of the worst and rudest airports in America.

That said; if you are flying on an Air New Zealand to or from Auckland (which stops in LA in each direction), you should get off pretty lightly.

That's because the airline has a special immigration facility located near to the aircraft departure gates, and also your bags will stay onboard the plane. There's no way of completely avoiding US immigration's officiousness, but at least you won't have a long walk, and shouldn't face too long a queue either.

However, anyone else transiting LA - including onto other Air New Zealand flights into the Pacific islands - you'll need to traipse to the main immigration area, collect your bags from the carousels and then hand them onto the transit baggage area where the bags will be transferred to their connecting flight. If you have been checked through, you won't need to re check-in, but you will have to clear your way through the main departure area and clear security.

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