Is 2 hours enough transit time at LAX?

[aboutfivebucks]

Hi all,

Thank you all for the replies to my previous post.

I'm flying Y QF15 to LAX midyear 2014 arrives at 6:40am
My connection options are a 2 hour transit or a 5 hour transit at LAX (domestic connection departs T3)

Am I cutting it fine with the 2 hour transit that early in the day? (Will have wife and kids in tow)

 

[TomVexille]

Is this on 2 tickets? If so, and the connecting airline isn't AA (and I assume it's not since you said T3) 2 hours is not a viable connection.

 

[erkpod]

Would the connection be on the same ticket & with a QF partner/alliance member?

Even if it was me going solo, I'd say 2 hrs at LAX would be extremely tight. Moreso with luggage, moreso with kids.

I can see why you'd be waiting to get on the 2 hr connection but if it was me, I'd take the 5 hr connection. I'd try to freshen up & have a meal before the connection.

Other people's mileage may vary.

 

[docjames]

So it depends who you are connecting to, and whether the tickets are separate or on the one pnr.

Same pnr (ie. one through ticket) - 2hrs is bare minimum but you are protected (ie. their cost to get you on another flight). The risk being there's no seats and you get an even longer wait for the flight with first available seats.

Other: go for the 5hr connection.

 

[cove]

Five hours allows you time to get to look at the beaches or get some exercise to get your body and blood supply moving.
Three hours is the start of the safety margin at getting your next flight.

 

[RooFlyer]

I endorse what the others have said.

Have you travelled through LAX or entered the US before? You actually have only about 1.5 hours 'transit', considering that you have to be at the departure gate about 30 mins before departure. If you have to check in, that's at least 45 mins before departure.

Assume your flight is on time; in a bit over an hour you and family have to:

* Deplane and walk probably long distance to immigration, at a time when many large planes arrive;

* Join the zoo which is arrivals immigration at LAX. People have experienced an hour here alone;

* Pick up bags and join the customs queue to exit;

* If you have a 1 world connecting flight, drop bags off, walk to T3; hopefully you have onward BPs, but if not:

* Join the queues to check in at AA, either on a kiosk or very long queue for a person to check you in;

* Join the queue for security. Can be long;

* Make it to the boarding gate.


I suggest that even if you have onward BPs, its not worth the stress, especially with family in tow.

If you have 5 hours transit, you should leave the airport and either cab it to one of the nearby beaches or malls. There are several threads here that cover things to do with a LAX stop-over.

 

[Princess Fiona]

LAX is worse than LHR

No way I would do a 2 hour transit at LHR

 

[BAM1748]

No, not enough.

I have missed connections with 3 and 4 hour layovers.

 

[erkpod]

LAX is worse than LHR

No way I would do a 2 hour transit at LHR

Interesting you say that! I am planning a trip to London via AUH in June & I am actively looking to avoid LHR. I'm looking at EY to FRA, a weekend there then ICE/Eurostar to London.

I have flown both QF (heavy construction at TBIT) & VA (T5) into LAX. This time next week, I'll be flying into TBIT with VA & a 5 hr connection with DL to LAS. I haven't had the dramas others have had with 60-90 minutes on average plane to kerb.

Too bad there's only one way into the US via VA, LAX.

 

[serfty]

T3? I suspect VX ...

No way known would I book a two hour connection on separate tickets - even if all on *O.

 

[amaroo]

Took us about 1.5 hours to clear C&I on the 15th Dec. Arrived on QF11 and was one of the first dozen off the plane.....the place is a black hole for time.

 

[civinod]

I have had two trips last year with tight connections in LAX

Went from VA to AA.

Both times had less than 2 hours connection. Made both and even had time in the AA lounge on the second. Mind you it was in J. So didn't have to que up for immigration.

I wouldn't try it in Y as immigration is a Zoo.

 

[straitman]

T3? I suspect VX ...

No way known would I book a two hour connection on separate tickets - even if all on *O.

I have had two trips last year with tight connections in LAX

Went from VA to AA.

Both times had less than 2 hours connection. Made both and even had time in the AA lounge on the second. Mind you it was in J. So didn't have to que up for immigration.

I wouldn't try it in Y as immigration is a Zoo.

Two hours is really to tight unless everything works and is really impossible if even a couple of things that could go wrong do go wrong.

 

[legroom]

Just a thought bubble

This is a recurrent topic of enquiry as many Aussie stops at LAX for transfer onwards.

Maybe it is worth a sticky by itself somewhere in (?) Your Questions section.

Cheers

 

[erkpod]

Just a thought bubble

This is a recurrent topic of enquiry as many Aussie stops at LAX for transfer onwards.

Maybe it is worth a sticky by itself somewhere in (?) Your Questions section.

Cheers

Good idea. Something like a locked sticky topic from admin or a mod entitled something like:

Transiting LAX? Read this....

???

 

[aboutfivebucks]

Thanks all for your replies. Its looking unanimous - 5 hour transit is the winner. We're familiar with LA so getting out of the airport is a good option.
I'm limited for connections, its either AS or AA codeshare on AS. I've checked with AA and codeshare wont get me into their lounge. Also I'm *R which wont help in the AS lounge either.
Thanx again.

 

[DC3]

... Its looking unanimous - 5 hour transit is the winner ...

Congratulations on a wise choice.

 

[file51]

Thanks all for your replies. Its looking unanimous - 5 hour transit is the winner. We're familiar with LA so getting out of the airport is a good option.
I'm limited for connections, its either AS or AA codeshare on AS. I've checked with AA and codeshare wont get me into their lounge. Also I'm *R which wont help in the AS lounge either.
Thanx again.

Are you sure the connecting flight is from T3?

If it is with AS it will be from T6 which adds to the lack of time issue a 2hr connection would provide (only a few minutes, but still, more time needed)

 

[RooFlyer]

Just a thought bubble

This is a recurrent topic of enquiry as many Aussie stops at LAX for transfer onwards.

Maybe it is worth a sticky by itself somewhere in (?) Your Questions section.

Cheers

Suggested this before

 

[giantkingsquid]

I'm in the same dilemma as AS cancelled the flight we were meant to go on from LAX-YVR. So Qantas put us on a flight that made for an 8.5 hour layover and a very late arrival into YVR and a further two hours drive after that which is unacceptable.

So we're booked to do a very painful (or impossible???) two hour transfer from TBIT to T6 for a flight to SEA, then another short flight to YVR. The phone agent assured me that this was very doable when I quizzed him... The one saving grace is that its all on one PNR (all QF code shares actually) and there's plenty of flights between LAX & YVR if we miss it, just not ones that are favourable to Qantas I imagine.

If someone has time, could you please write up a quick numbered list of the transfer process at LAX so that I can waste no time faffing about reading signs? The LAX website is terrible compared to the LHR one when it comes to transfer details.

Looks fun hey? :-|