Enough lax transit time?

[BARNABY]

Am flying with VA, Melb. to LAX, then LAX-Las Vegas with South West on 1st November.
We land in LAX @ 1800hrs. Will we have enough time to connect to the 2040hrs flight to LAS, or should we wait for the next flight @ 2135hrs?
Thanks in anticipation...

 

[Mal]

I'd say catch the later plane.

If there are Immigration queues, then you could be waiting there a while. Then you have to collect bags, recheck them (not sure if you can at T3, but presume you need to go and check them with SouthWest) get to Terminal 1 (From Terminal 3), deal with TSA etc.

SW also want bags checked in by 45 mins before the flight (although there's a chance you'd still get it onboard if checked in after that). So plenty of areas where you could have dramas.

Then again, your plane could be early, immigration queue non-existent, bags turn up quickly etc and have no dramas with the earlier flight...

 

[straitman]

I would take the later flight also. All you need is for your first flight to be an hour or so late and your stress levels will be through the roof, even if you still have enough time to make the connection.

 

[Maca44]

Don't rely on LAX to be expedient. Sometimes you have no problems, but other times it seems to take forever. I guess its Murphy's law. Take the later flight.

 

[harvyk]

I'm going to echo what the others have said.

In all honesty you'll probably make the 2040hrs flight, and you'll be sitting around at T1 complaining that you could have been on that flight, but as others have said, LAX is one of those "unknown" airports where all it would take is a longer line somewhere, or a delay with arriving at the airport.

Ofcourse you could always get my personal favourite, plane arrives an hour late, and then you sit on the tarmac for 45 minutes waiting for a gate, I can tell you, my stress levels where up a little bit on that date, only just made my connecting flight, but that was via good luck rather than good planning...

 

[mole]

We had the same dilemma at the end of December last year, did the exact same thing as you flew to LAX with VAustralia and then onwards to Vegas with Southwest. Originally I booked the later flight with one of south wests cheaps 'go' fares just in case V was late etc. However, I then noticed a $49 fare for the earlier flight as well so we hedged our bets and booked on that as well,
As it turned out we had plently of time to catch the earlier flight and South West are an airline who allow you to have a credit applied to your 'rapid rewards' account (free to join) for the flight you did not use, this can then be used towards the cost of another flight within the next 12 months. We travel to the US 2-3 times a year so I knew we would use it.
I know it can be hit and miss on the day but we found LAX at that time in the evening a lot quieter than when we land at 7 am with Qantas.

 

[BAM1748]

The security queue on the domestic side can be very long, take the second option and give yourself extra time.

 

[High Horse]

We had a similar situation last year, I decided to book the later flight, but booked a slightly dearer fare that was changeable. So when we flew through customs, walked up to SWA and changed to the earlier flight no dramas at all.

Ooh - have checked the changeable fares are no longer just slightly dearer now are they!

 

[BARNABY]

The security queue on the domestic side can be very long, take the second option and give yourself extra time.

Many thanks to Mal, Straitman, Maca44, Harvyk, Mole, Bam1748 & High Horse for your assistance.
I have booked the later flight...

 

[straitman]

Many thanks to Mal, Straitman, Maca44, Harvyk, Mole, Bam1748 & High Horse for your assistance.
I have booked the later flight...

You realise that Murphy's Law now dictates that your MEL-LAX flight will be early and your onward flight will be late :!: :mrgreen: