It's strange that it has never occurred to me to give my friends from outside the US some tips on how to make traveling to the US a little easier. There are some hurdles to take and knowing what they are beforehand might not make them go away but it will make it easier to deal with them. First of all if you're traveling from Holland and you are Dutch you don't need a visum, just a valid passport. Secondly, there is only one airline that flies directly from Amsterdam to Philly and that, unfortunately, is US Airways. I know that everybody who travels on a regular basis has their travel horror stories and in most cases a least favorite airline. In my case US Airways is that airline. Their planes are old which I can understand given the economic hardships for the airlines nowadays but what I can't understand is why each and every flight attendant (stewards and stewardesses for the older readers) is grumpy. Okay, let's not linger on this since it's not really a travel tip. What is useful to know is that you will have to pay for head phones on the plane so bring your own. It's also useful to know that passengers on trans atlantic flights get preferential treatment. 2 bags or suit cases of 23 kg's each are free of charge and non alcoholic drinks are complimentary as well (that means free in airline speak). Just so you know how good you have it, when flying in the US water is $2. Oh, the meal is free for you as well and with any luck they will even have enough meals to feed all the passengers (again a luxury compared to US flights).
Aside from the movie on the big screen or on the twist-your-neck-in-impossible-angles small monitors the US government will provide some entertainment as well. With your boarding pass you will receive 2 forms. The Customs Declaration Forms just wants to know how much merchandise you're bring into the country and how much mad cow disease you're bringing as gifts to your friends. The Arrival Departure Record Form is the real kicker. This form wants to know whether you want to kidnap any kids, whether you are bringing illegal substances and even the question shown below.
Seriously though, it is important that you fill out an address where you will be staying in the US. I've been in the situation once where someone was picking me up but I didn't have an address. The immigration officer (I know you're not immigrating, but that's what it's called) was not amused and wouldn't let me pass. A helpful stewardess pointed out that each city has an Oak Lane and very probably a house with number 1 on that street. Luckily I did not have to resort to that since I managed to get in touch with the friend who was picking me up but it was interesting to see that the immigration officer was perfectly happy not to let me into the country. This brings me to my next tip. These officers are not picked for their sense of humor. In fact I get the feeling they're picked for their lack thereof. Don't try jokes on them. Just be polite and friendly.
And as a final final note keep in mind that although there are tons and tons of counters for immigration waiting time can easily be half an hour to an hour. The shorter, faster lines are the ones for US citizens and US residents. Just listen to the town criers who are posted at regular intervals to instill a sense of guilt into you as much as providing some guidance to the poor, lost sheep that just stumbled off the planes.
