I'm lost and need help

>>1168492
>Now I have a few questions, what checkpoints do I have to go trough when arriving in LAX? do I Have to get my bag?
Yep. Since LAX international is your first point of entry into the US, you'll be going through immigration/passport control and customs there.
>go trough immigration?
This happens first. There will probably be a specific line for ESTA people; look for it and get in it.
>customs?
This is typically second--you'll go to a baggage claim area, hand in a form, and walk your bags past a customs person.
>and then change terminal and go trough it all, and check in my bag again?
This depends. If your flights (both the flight to LAX and your connection) are on the same ticket (either all on the same airline or on a codeshare), you will probably be able to re-check your bags directly from the place you picked them up for customs, or somewhere nearby, so it'll be before you change terminals. Look for your airline's logo near a conveyor belt.

If it's on a different airline, on a flight for which you are not already checked in (holding boarding pass, etc.), you will have to go to the check in counter in your new terminal, check your bags in again there, and go through security again to board your new flight. But in most cases you should be able to stay airside the whole time.
>What will they ask for in immigration/customs? will they check my luggage?
Immigration will ask where you're from, where you're going, the purpose of your trip, and when you're leaving. Customs will ask you if you have anything to declare (large amounts of cash, anything you might theoretically be in the US to sell), and whether you're here on business. Most people have nothing to declare, hand in their forms, and get waved through without a search. Some people do get searched more or less at random, or if the agents are suspicious of you for some reason, but it's quite rare. You may be required to pass your bags through an x-ray machine.

>>1168597
Oh, and customs will also ask if you've been on a farm, and if you have any food, soil, or agricultural products (seeds, etc.). These are actually not customs questions but California Department of Agriculture questions, looking to keep out pests and invasive species.

They don't care about processed food, so you don't need to declare a chocolate bar or a bag of peanuts or crisps or something. They care about things like potted plants, clippings, shoots, etc.--they are looking out for things that could spread plant (and theoretically human) disease. Meat is also questionable--I once came back from China with a moon cake that, to my ignorance, contained ham, and they grabbed it and tossed it.

But in general, you won't have anything they're looking for, so just check 'no' in all the relevant boxes and move along.

Ok, thank you so much for all theese answers! It helps a lot knowing what will happen in what order.

TSA might open your bag, by force if it's locked and you aren't present, so you should carry a spare lock.
Happened to me on the flight back to Europe that I checked in my bag at the airport in America, they took it to another room, opened it by force, and then didn't put any kind of lock back on it. So when my bag arrived in Europe, it wasn't locked and it was actually opened by like a crack. Luckily nothing fell out.

They often recommend these special TSA locks that they can open and re-lock, but honestly I don't see the point of the lock then, because I wouldn't know if anyone opened it or not.

When you go to the US, you need a credit card for certain things like booking a hotel room. But generally speaking, you can get by just fine paying for stuff in cash. Just remember that not every ATM will accept international cards. I have found Wells Fargo to work with my European debit card, but they charge a 5 dollars withdrawal fee, so I always withdrew like 200 dollars at a time to diminish the effect of the fee.

>>1168492
If you're gonna be a cool IATA codes only guy at least make sure you get them right.

>>1168767
Good info mate. Could it be worth it to convert a bigger sum of money in Finland before starting? (I was thinking like 1500€ into dollars)

>>1168807
I'm sorry if I offended you, I simply didn't remember correctly. ARN*
I'll make sure not to mess that up again so you won't get confused.