Long layover in Los Angles

[SBD]

Re: 5 hours to kill at LAX- Suggestions?? Do I escape the airport

LAX taxis have a $19 minimum, or actually $15 plus a $4 "airport mandated surcharge." So a taxi driver would probably be thrilled to make $19 for a short ride, then join the queue again.

(I once took a cab -- back then I think the minimum total was $17.50 -- from Terminal 3 to Terminal 6, to make the tightest ever connection. No checked luggage helped a lot. I made it into seat 1A as the last passenger to board, and wouldn't have without the 600 yards in a taxi instead of at fast walking pace.)

When I have an afternoon layover at LAX after flying in from the east coast with a trans-Pacific flight late that evening, a few extra dollars over the minimum and a few for a tip gets me to the cinema at the Del Amo mall. Or to my favourite Mexican joint at Manhattan Beach, which always calls me a cab to take me back to the airport.

I'll have nearly 12 hours at LAX in January, mostly by choice. VX Boston-LAX, then VA to BNE/SYD. Those twelve hours are much nicer with some sunshine, some movies on a big screen, a good meal, and then a cheap ride back to the mayhem in the terminals. (Blessed be my Global Entry/Trusted Traveller card, with priority/minimal screening.)

Sure beats an afternoon in the Alaskan lounge, which is where I see dozens of other passengers hibernating rather miserably...

Regards,

SBD

 

[serfty]

Re: 5 hours to kill at LAX- Suggestions?? Do I escape the airport

...


Sure beats an afternoon in the Alaskan lounge, which is where I see dozens of other passengers hibernating rather miserably...

Regards,

SBD

Welcome to AFF

Last time I had that long at LAX, I flew to SFO and back to try out the DL services as a Velocity Elite - but that's me

It should be said that if faced with that long at a "Boardroom" I'd shoot through as well. The LAX T4 F/Lounge is a different critter.

 

[drross]

Re: 5 hours to kill at LAX- Suggestions?? Do I escape the airport

Suggest you DO NOT leave the airport. Have been to through LAX numerous times in different circumstances and security was the biggest hassle on trying to get back in once you've left the airport. It seems they cannot find, or don't bother to look for, a solution to streamline security checks and you may find yourself standing in line for a long time, just waiting to get to your gate, arriving hot, sweaty and frustrated.
We don't recuperate in LA anymore, choosing to fly on to Las Vegas for a few days where the domestic connections into & out of are much better, or get a flight to DFW from Oz. LA may be a nice place to visit, but the airport is the big hurdle.

welcome to the forum. Seems like you travel a lot but have taken awhile to find AFF.

 

[liumcn]

I have appreciated all the discussions over a few years . I have a question flying to Hawaii via LA from melbourne with a layover of 9 or so hours.
[changes in travel plans has become a way of life] I am flying to Hawaii first class with AA . Can i lounge in first class lounge of qantas ? or flagship lounge AA
and is it easy to get to qantas lounge from AA terminal and back again without passing through security and how long is it to walk between
the 2 terminals
Many thanks in anticipation Martin

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I have appreciated all the discussions over a few years . I have a question flying to Hawaii via LA from melbourne with a layover of 9 or so hours.
[changes in travel plans has become a way of life] I am flying to Hawaii first class with AA . Can i lounge in first class lounge of qantas ? or flagship lounge AA
and is it easy to get to qantas lounge from AA terminal and back again without passing through security and how long is it to walk between
the 2 terminals
Many thanks in anticipation Martin

Do you have elite status with Qantas or another oneworld airline? Or a Qantas club membership? If you have either of these, you will be allowed access the the relevant lounge prior to departure from LAX (QF gold or Qantas club will get you access to business class lounges/AAdmirals Clubs, qantas platinum or higher will get you first class lounge access).

If you don't have status or Qantas club membership, your first class flight on AA will not get you lounge access. Domestic First class flights (except for transcontinental non-stops) don't come with lounge access.

If you are flying in to LAX on qantas business or first class, you are also ineligible for lounge access, because your connecting flight is longer than 5 hours (so does't come under the oneworld lounge access rules for connecting flights).

If you don't have status or QF club, you could buy an American Airlines one-month membership for USD99. This will get you access to all QF lounges (including in Australia), and to lounges in LAX and HKL prior to the departure of any QF or AA flight (but not Jetstar).

For 9 hours however I'd be tempted to check-in to a local hotel. You can get a good 4-4.5 star hotel, with free wi-fi, for around $130-150 or so. And perhaps get a good sleep, or relax by the pool.

 

[liumcn]

Firstly thank you for a very full and complete answer
We are Platinum members so that answers access to flagship lounge.
The other suggestion of hotel for the wait is something else to bear in mind

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Firstly thank you for a very full and complete answer
We are Platinum members so that answers access to flagship lounge.
The other suggestion of hotel for the wait is something else to bear in mind

Given you have lounge access (in your case you'll be heading to the AA Flagship lounge), you might be able to cut the hotel and perhaps take a short trip out of the airport to either one of the malls nearby, or even to somewhere like In-N-Out Burger (which is on the airport perimeter, supposedly great burgers, and planes coming in to land just a few feet above you).

If you have lounge access a hotel probably isn't worthwhile if the 9 hours includes arrival formalities (immigration) and departure formalities (TSA) etc. If it's 9 clear hours, I'd take the hotel or a tour.

 

[RooFlyer]

Have a look at this thread for ideas about that to do for a long layover at LAX. In your situation you have even longer, so that opens up more things, such as the Getty Museum or even, with a bit of planning, Universal Studios (unless you've been there, done that )

Transiting from T4 to TBIT can be accomplished via the airside bus (no security on this airside transfer). There is some debate about whether a T4 BP holder can get on that bus, but in my experience they don't check BPs, but they may. I don't know if you go through the TBIT front door whether security they will allow you through with a T4 BP; so entering via T4 and transiting airside may be your best bet.

To one of your direct questions: there is also a debate whether they will let you into the QF/OW F lounge with a T4 BP. It was asked in another thread recently, but I can't recall if there was a definitive answer.t

Getting back to T4 would mean exiting TBIT through the front doors (no bus in that direction) and clearing T4 security again. Its only 5 mins walk from the front of TBIT to T4. With QFF Plat, you should be able to access AA's priority queue, if there is one. if you are really lucky, you might get TSA pre check on your BP, which means you can go through pre-check security, which is a breeze. No predicting if one will get pre-check though.

There is soon to be airside walk access between T4 and TBIT, so that will make these sorts of things easier.

Edit: There are a number of hotels in the airport area, all with free shuttles which run periodically. The Sheraton is one of the closest.

If you head out, there is a left luggage service, but they collect and take it off site. See here.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I hadn't even considered going to TBIT to use the F lounge there! I would have just stayed in T4's Flagship Lounge.

 

[RooFlyer]

I hadn't even considered going to TBIT to use the F lounge there! I would have just stayed in T4's Flagship Lounge.

It wasn't such an attractive option until the TBIT lounges upgrade. With the airside walk access, I reckon they will definitely bar T4 departures from the TBIT lounges.

 

[onlycopunk]

Manhattan/Hermosa beaches are a short, 15 min car ride from the airport. You could ditch your bags and spend a couple hours at the beach, shopping, stopping in for food and a few beers before heading back to the airport.

 

[get me outta here]

If I arrive on QF 11 F into terminal B and depart on AA 12 F LAX-JFK do I have any access to lounges as a lowly LTS ruby?

And, on return on QF12 F?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

If I arrive on QF 11 F into terminal B and depart on AA 12 F LAX-JFK do I have any access to lounges as a lowly LTS ruby?

And, on return on QF12 F?

Yes.

For your journey Australia to JFK you have access to the AA Flagship lounge at LAX. This is by virtue of class of service both (a) because of AA12 and (b) because you're arriving international long-haul F connecting to domestic.

The above discussion regarding access to TBIT would also be relevant... if you can get to TBIT you should also have access to the OW F lounge. The AA page for lounge admittance seems to indicate the TBIT lounge is only available for members prior to Qantas flights. But still worth a try maybe (or maybe they just don't list the TBIT lounge because they consider is a hassle to get to?):

Los Angeles (LAX) Los Angeles International Airport

Airside Tom Bradley International Terminal

Qantas Admirals Club member and one guest. Must present your Admirals Club membership card (or 30 Day Membership receipt) and boarding pass at check-in counter for same day travel on Qantas-operated flight.

 

[Quickstatus]

Lots of hotels around LAX have "Day rates" which are cheaper than 1 night stay, usually a day rate is for 8am-5pm.

Thats much better than a AA lounge.