How much time to allow at LAX to connect to another international flight?

[aussiedom]

We will be arriving at LAX on QF17 at 1405 on Saturday October 10. We then need to connect to a flight to Mexico City, where we will have a few days before proceeding on to our ultimate destination of Havana, Cuba.

We had been looking at not having a night in LA on the way to Mexico, but taking the Aeromexico/Delta codeshare which leaves LAX at 1645 and gets to MEX at 2237. I'm now thinking this probably leaves nowhere near enough margin for arriving in LAX, going through immigration etc then checking in for another international flight. We haven't gone through immigration at LAX in ages, as we have done it at HNL on the more recent US trips. So I am not familiar with how long it usually takes these days.

Looks like the only other option is to take the 2330 Aeromexico/Delta codeshare (gets to MEX at 0519 so we either pay for a night in a hotel that we hardly use or wait for checkin time the next day) or else stop for a night in LA and fly down to MEX the next day.

Would it be completely crazy of us to book the 1645 Aeromexico/Delta flight, having (hopefully) arrived from Sydney at 1405? Many thanks for your thoughts!

 

[serfty]

Yes ... crazy ... not completely ... but even if you did catch the 1/4 to 5pm MEX flight that day you would still be arriving quite late at night.

Have a nice dinner along with an easy overnight rest and get an early start in the morning ...

 

[RooFlyer]

With the improvements at LAX and the immigration etc there, I'd say your connection was just do-able but I wouldn't do it. As serfty says, take a night at a LAX hotel and a flight the next day; its a holiday after all - no need to add stress or coughpy red eye flights.

BTW, any chance of a Trip Report on Cuba ?

 

[aussiedom]

Thank you very much Serfty and RooFlyer! I guess we had more or less come to a similar conclusion. Also my wife and I will be travelling this time with my mum and her friend (early 80s) so I am very mindful of the need to not put them through ridiculously arduous connections after a 14 hr flight to LA. Looks like there are some decent 'LAX Hotel' options with 24 hr shuttles etc.

I guess if we'd waited just a little longer it would probably have been practical to fly direct from the USA to Cuba - things are moving very rapidly with 'normalization' of relations and I think JetBlue now flies from NYC and Miami to Havana, although technically these may still be charter flights. Supposedly there will be a ferry service from Miami to Havana this (northern) summer, for the first time in over 50 years.

And yes, I will most definitely do a blog type thing on the Cuba trip and will post it here - pretty sure I've done that before for some of our earlier trips...

 

[serfty]

... Also my wife and I will be travelling this time with my mum and her friend (early 80s) ...

Can I remove the "not completely" from my prior post?

There are options I would schedule while traveling solo that I would not even contemplate when accompanied by SWMBO let alone other family/friends.

You have come to the most appropriate decision IMHO.

 

[get me outta here]

Looking forward to that blog, and any info on that ferry service please.

..... Supposedly there will be a ferry service from Miami to Havana this (northern) summer, for the first time in over 50 years.

And yes, I will most definitely do a blog type thing on the Cuba trip and will post it here - pretty sure I've done that before for some of our earlier trips...

 

[Quickstatus]

2hr and 45 minutes is usually enough. LAX has sped up arrivals processing with automatic kiosks at immigration.

if QF17 is late then you will have a problem because your onward flight is not on the same ticket and therefore QF will have no liability unless the onward carrier has a relationship with Qantas - eg qAntas and American Airlines


If the flights were all on the same ticket then you will be rebooked without cost and maybe a hotel room FOC.

Even if you booked a later flight or a flight the next morning you might still miss your connection especially if QF17 is delayed till the next day.

Whatever you choose, just bear in mind without a single ticket for your flights there is a small chance you may have to rebook at further cost.

 

[Milboo]

I came in on VA1 which was around 7am arrival and connected to the 1.30pm flight down to MEX (7pmish arrival) and overnighted there. There is a Hilton in one of the terminals - different from the one I arrived into but the same terminal as my flight to HAV (on Interjet).

You only have 2 hours from scheduled arrival until boarding - I would not do it. Bearing in mind you have get through immigration then to change terminals and check in - I stood in a line for a good 20 mins despite being in Priority Lane. Was quite odd - you just left your bag on the terminal floor! Then security lines etc

There is a lot of walking involved.

 

[russ]

I hope your passengers in their early 80s are pretty mobile because there's at usually 45 minutes of walking/queuing involved. It might be worth considering getting wheelchairs for them. That might speed things up too!

 

[aussiedom]

I hope your passengers in their early 80s are pretty mobile because there's at usually 45 minutes of walking/queuing involved....

Russ - thanks, I think they'll be OK though. Actually, one of them (my mum) climbed Diamond Head with us and our teenage kids only a few years back!

 

[aussiedom]

Thanks everyone for your assistance.

 

[aussiedom]

BTW, any chance of a Trip Report on Cuba ?

Just posted one and links ot photos.