LAX T4 to TBIT transfer options (update)

[Jamie R]

Morning all. Had a browse to see what advice people had on transfering from a domestic AA flight to a QF departure (LAX). Wondering if anyone had an update on either their experience using the AA airside shuttle between T4 and TBIT, or whether taking the landside route on foot was still the most effective method?
I have a scheduled 1:30hr transit window and really want to make sure I get a shower before jumping on QF94 !

 

[RooFlyer]

Bit of a line ball for me.

I'd be checking at the airside shuttle gate to see when the next one is leaving - if its not within the next 5-10 minutes, I'd go the foot route. The shuttle is subject to delays on the tarmac - it gives way to everything. I'd be allowing 15-20 minutes for the journey.

 

[docjames]

Airside shuttle pro: No re-clearing of security. If you "fluke" it and the bus arrives just as you do the transit can be quite quick. Cons: can be slow waiting for bus and/or the journey if the bus gets stuck waiting for aircraft crossing. Always feels "messy" with the interaction of the buses to the remote AA T4 gates. Walk from bus drop off to QF lounge is not short.

Landside pro: no waiting at exiting T4. Walk not that far. Con: Queue time at TBIT security, security, security....

FWIW I usually end up taking the bus. I've decided I prefer waiting for the bus than dealing with security again.

 

[RooFlyer]

Another pro for the shuttle is that you realise how big some of those aircraft are! Shuttle feels like a mouse scuttling between a heard of elephants.

 

[docjames]

Another pro for the shuttle is that you realise how big some of those aircraft are! Shuttle feels like a mouse scuttling between a heard of elephants.

Nothing like transiting behind a line up of 3-5 A380s and a few 744s/777s.....

 

[serfty]

With only 90 minutes, your shower chances are significantly reduced - I suspect close to nil.

Shuttle leaves every 30 minutes from the top of the hour - but you need to get down the escalator to gate 44 five minutes before that as it tends to leave on the dot. Note the bus takes no more than 15 minutes once it departs gate 44 these days.

It takes about 20 minutes to walk (upper level) from T4 to TBIT QF/*O Lounge at that time of the evening including re-clearing security.

My suggestion is to get an earlier flight - - failing that; if on disembarkation from your AA flight it is more then 20 minutes until the next bus, then walking is likely to be faster.

 

[Himeno]

Yesterday morning, an AA LAX-SFO flight departed from TBIT. The T4 lounge staff reminded people on that flight to leave time to walk to TBIT and reclear security before making another call a few minutes later saying there was a shuttle.

At the moment, the ground side walkway between T4 and TBIT on both levels is boarded up due to the construction of the connector building. You have to walk along the closed to traffic inner road lane.

 

[RooFlyer]

With only 90 minutes, your shower chances are significantly reduced - I suspect close to nil.

Shuttle leaves every 30 minutes from the top of the hour - but you need to get down the escalator to gate 44 five minutes before that. Note the bus takes no more than 15 minutes once it departs gate 44 these days.

<snip>.

Has there been a change in the shuttle's operation or route, serfty ? (ie when you say it takes no more than 15 minutes these days).

 

[Jamie R]

Thanks all. Its an 20:40 arrival, I'm in first and carryon only - I'll be hoping for an ontime arrival and speedy deplaning to make the shuttle.

 

[serfty]

Has there been a change in the shuttle's operation or route, serfty ? (ie when you say it takes no more than 15 minutes these days).

As the TBIT development progresses, the T4 to TBIT "Qantas" bus is getting more efficient.

I travelled on the bus at the beginning of January; I arrived at T5 off DL and decided to walk the tunnel between there and T4. I had a separate booking to MEL on QF and was thinking about checking out the AA Flagship lounge at T4 as has been my habit before walking over.

The tunnel came out at ground level Gate 44 - it just happened to be right before 6pm and a Qantas bus was about to board.

On an impulse I decided to take the Bus, fully expecting another long trip. (I'd really had enough of TSA after 5 days of MR's so what the heck ...)

I was surprised when the bus simply went out past the South tip of T4, along to TBIT then a hard right before going up along the "roadway" painted to the immediate West of the building (underneath the aerobridges of the new gates). It went right along to the North-West Bus station - total trip time was ~8 minutes.

I was having a Shower in the TBIT *O Flounge by 6:20pm.

 

[docjames]

As the TBIT development progresses, the T4 to TBIT "Qantas" bus is getting more efficient.

I travelled on the bus at the beginning of January; I arrived at T5 off DL and decided to walk the tunnel between there and T4. I had a separate booking to MEL on QF and was thinking about checking out the AA Flagship lounge at T4 as has been my habit before walking over.

The tunnel came out at ground level Gate 44 - it just happened to be right before 6pm and a Qantas bus was about to board.

On an impulse I decided to take the Bus, fully expecting another long trip. (I'd really had enough of TSA after 5 days of MR's so what the heck ...)

I was surprised when the bus simply went out past the South tip of T4, along to TBIT then a hard right before going up along the "roadway" painted to the immediate West of the building (underneath the aerobridges of the new gates). It went right along to the North-West Bus station - total trip time was ~8 minutes.

I was having a Shower in the TBIT *O Flounge by 6:20pm.

I was an hour late out of YVR into LAX (July 2015) and we ended up deplaning at the remote T4 gates. Travelling F. I managed to just make the remote to gate 44 bus, then the QF bus came only a few minutes later. My planned 2010hr arrival into LAX (connecting to QF94) ended up being a 2105 arrival and I still made the lounge in TBIT easily enough to have time for a bite in the lounge and a call to home, before wandering to the gate with plenty of time to spare. Much faster than in the distant past and definitely faster than a horrible transfer in Dec 2014.

The sooner there is an airside walking route the better as it mansion waiting and the "exercise" is great immediately before having to board a long haul flight.

 

[Himeno]

From the location of the building, it looks like the T4-TBIT connector will open into T4 between Gate 41 and the main TSA checkpoint.

 

[dfcatch]

As Serfty says - the bus is much more efficient than it used to be.

TBIT security can be a PITA so the bus is quite attractive based on that.

Previously I would have said walk.

 

[Jamie R]

Update on how it went. Delayed departure meant I was 30min late into LAX Terminal 4. There was a host with my onward ticket and express pass. Didn't require either however good to know they were aware I needed to make the connection. Another 6 people joined me on the short walk to Gate 44 to the bus (its well signed). A 10 minute wait before the bus arrived. There was a queue already and the holding area at the bottom of the gate was crowded. There were 2 QF hosts manning the desk. Some jostling to get on the bus and a 5 minute drive airside to arrive at TBIT. For the QF flights (MEL and SYD) you walk the length of TBIT to get to the gate. Had just commenced boarding as I arrived, so no time for a shower , however the attendant was waiting with the champagne at my seat.

 

[Himeno]

Update on how it went. Delayed departure meant I was 30min late into LAX Terminal 4. There was a host with my onward ticket and express pass. Didn't require either however good to know they were aware I needed to make the connection.

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