LAX Airside Shuttle or Walk

[ozscot]

Hi Guys,

I'm connecting to QF94 from LAS on American Eagle with about a 5 hour layover.

Is the consensus now to immediately transfer to the new F Lounge in TBIT, or stay in the T4 flagship lounge until closer to departure time? I've not passed through LAX since the new lounges opened.

For transferring terminals, would you use the airside shuttle or just walk. The oneworld site says

The airport shuttle bus runs every 7-10 minutes and takes 45 minutes from Terminal 4 to TBIT

I know it saves clearing security again, but 45 minutes on an airport bus!

Cheers,
Steve.

 

[Optics]

Hi Guys,

I'm connecting to QF94 from LAS on American Eagle with about a 5 hour layover.

Is the consensus now to immediately transfer to the new F Lounge in TBIT, or stay in the T4 flagship lounge until closer to departure time? I've not passed through LAX since the new lounges opened.

For transferring terminals, would you use the airside shuttle or just walk. The oneworld site says



I know it saves clearing security again, but 45 minutes on an airport bus!

Cheers,
Steve.

I would immediately go to the FLounge in TBIT. I think it is a better lounge than the T4 FL, though not significantly better. My reasoning is I want to get in, have a shower and then relax till as late as possible (I am usually arriving after a full days work/travel). If your circumstances are different, you may prefer to sample both lounges and have the opportunity for a walk in the middle to break up the wait.

I would walk from T4 to TBIT. Its only 50 m, so there must be a lot of mucking around with the bus (I have never tried it). I always find it is good to get outside for a while anyway, especially berfore a long flight like QF94. Security is a pain, but better than the mucking around that must be involved with the bus.

 

[NM]

I agree. I would probably choose to walk just for the exercise. I can't imagine how it could take 45 mins on a bus from T4 to TBIT. Heck it doesn't even take 45 mins from Perth domestic to international and that involves driving around the airport perimeter!

I can't comment on the TBIT FLounge, but can't imagine it being any worse than the T4 FLounge (which is quite good).

Given 5 hours, I may choose a brief visit to T4 FLounge for a shower as they are unlikely to be too busy at around 5-6pm. Then grab a snack before wandering over to TBIT. I have not found security delays to be too bad at TBIT at that time of the evening. t can get busy after 9pm. But do note you can use either security screening point to the left or right of the check-in area - so check them both and find the shortest queue.

 

[alect]

I don't think the bus takes 45 mins but it's not quick since it goes anti-clockwise around the airport and goes off airport at some point to parking lots etc....

Walk it.

 

[winetraveller]

Hi Guys,

I'm connecting to QF94 from LAS on American Eagle with about a 5 hour layover.

Is the consensus now to immediately transfer to the new F Lounge in TBIT, or stay in the T4 flagship lounge until closer to departure time? I've not passed through LAX since the new lounges opened.

For transferring terminals, would you use the airside shuttle or just walk. The oneworld site says



I know it saves clearing security again, but 45 minutes on an airport bus!

Cheers,
Steve.

The 45 minutes must involve some sort of scenic tour, because you can walk it in 10 minutes or less. It's an easy walk, and given that you have time to kill, I would stretch my legs. The biggest problem is that it can be so busy with foot traffic.

 

[dot]

Having done the shuttle transfer last week from T4 to TBIT, it takes about 10 mins on the bus, but you may need to wait for the bus at T4 and then they need to check your BP on arrival to TBIT as well - if you are last off the bus, that bit can take a while. Last week, it took maybe 25 mins total - 5 mins waiting for the bus at T4, 10 mins on the bus then 10 mins waiting in line at TBIT for them to check my BP - in fact QF gave me all new BPs to replace the AA BPs I already had. If you were in a hurry, I would leave the secured area and then go through the TBIT security checkpoint. TBIT security is (in my experience) much faster than T4 security to get through. The shuttle however is pretty easy.

As far as the TBIT FLounge vs the T4 Flounge, I would go for the TBIT lounge every time. The food is better, the coffee is better and the showers are better. The only thing that T4 has over TBIT Flounge is the number of power points you have access to - there is a real shortage in the new TBIT Flounge.

 

[ozscot]

Thanks guys. I think it'll be a walk to the TBIT lounge. How do you find the security with carry-on there at the moment? I'll have a domestic size roller and a biggish laptop backpack. They've always been fine on AE and have the roller at the door as you disembark.

Looking forward to this trip for a change. Have a colleague with me for part of it so won't have boring weekends on my own, have a couple of days in SFO for the first time and it's always great to squeeze in a w/e in vegas. Mind you, I'll have been on the road for 4 weeks before I get to there so will probably be tired, grumpy and sick of eating out with clients.

Cheers,
Steve.

 

[NM]

... 10 mins on the bus then 10 mins waiting in line at TBIT for them to check my BP ...

Isn't it interesting that it takes 10 mins to check the BPs of a bus-load of people, but they can check the BP for a full 744 of people in not much more time.

 

[Febs]

+ 1 for walking it....it couldn't be more than 100m.

Is the TBIT lounge an Flounge or a shared J/F lounge? Either way, I've heard it's quite nice (and so's the T4 Flounge). I'd personally head over to TBIT, as I always like being as close as possible to my departure gate. Once you're past security, you can relax with a shower and a beer and just wait for QF94.

Just my $0.02.

Cheers,
- Febs.

 

[dot]

Isn't it interesting that it takes 10 mins to check the BPs of a bus-load of people, but they can check the BP for a full 744 of people in not much more time.

They seemed to be changing everyone's AA issued BPs for QF ones, then some people were doing seat changes as well - all of which slowed things down.

Is the TBIT lounge an Flounge or a shared J/F lounge?

In TBIT, they have separate J and F Lounges - next to each other (J to the left, F to the right).

 

[docjames]

+1 for walking - it's so easy, plus you'll have been sitting for hours anyway.

 

[Harriet Vane]

It's a very easy walk. We did it in only a few minutes as there was nowhere in T4 for us to have coffee with Mr Vane's mum and say our goodbyes. We went and killed an hour or so at the foodcourt in TBIT.