Terminal Transfer at LAX - Min time needed?

[wywk]

Hi All,

I am hoping all those who travel extensively through LAX can help me here. I'm travelling to the Bahamas (Nassau) in January (from Sydney, Australia), and on the way back, I will be spending 5 days in the US.

I am currently booked on the following: Nassau - Miami - Los Angeles
I'll be arriving in LAX at 6.40PM at Terminal 4 (AA227)

I want to book a flight to Las Vegas on the same day and was wondering how much time should I allow between the flights. I have never travelled through LAX before so I am a bit concerned.

I currently have 2 options:
8.45PM from LAX to LAS via Delta Airlines (leaving Terminal 5)
or
10.48PM from LAX to LAS via United Airlines (leaving Terminal 7)

I guess my 2 main questions are:

1. Am I able to check through my luggage from Nassau to LAS if I am changing airlines at LAX? Or will I have to collect my luggage at LAX then check them in again? (I'll be travelling with American Airlines from Nassau to LA). Unfortunately there's no AA flights to LAS that I can take.

2. Is 2hrs connection time enough to get from Terminal 4 to Terminal 5 as I am not sure if I'll have to go through customs and check my luggage in again.

I wanna be on the safe side and book myself on the 22.48PM LAX to LAS flight instead but I'm not sure if it is worth it? 4hrs at LAX, is there much to do?

I would like get the opinion/suggestions from anyone who travels frequently through LAX. Your comments are very much appreciated, please don't bite. Thank you in advance.

 

[Febs]

I travel through LAX reasonably often and personally I wouldn't risk the earlier flight. Sure it should be enough time, if your arriving flight is on time, but do you want to take the chance for the sake of 2hrs?

FWIW, my last two terminal transfers through LAX from TBIT (Int'l) to T4 (Domestic AA) have been under 10 minutes - no exaggeration. That's passing immi/customs, colleting bags and heading into T4. However that's with an APEC card, and priority-tagged bags, and some luck (also I wasn't even in Business or First, so wasn't anywhere near the front of the plane). I know some people who've waited well over an hour just in immigration.

Do you know if immigration will be in MIA or LAX? If MIA you'll have more chance of making the connection, but not if your MIA-LAX flight is delayed.

LAX is a dump of an airport, but there are at least a few shops/restaurants to kill some time in. Really, 2hrs isn't a big deal. Vegas will still be partying when you arrive.

Cheers,
- Febs.

 

[wywk]

Hi Febs,

thanks very much for the info. I will pick the safer option and take the later flight. Either way I'll be arriving in Vegas pretty late which wouldn't make much of a difference I guess.

I land in Miami at 2.17PM and my connecting flight for LAX is at 3.50PM, hopefully this will give me enough time if I need to go through immigration there. I will have to check that out.

Thanks again for the info!

 

[drron]

So you are on AA4968 into MIA.Why dont you take AA1825 MIA-LAS.Departs 1600 arrives 1830.

 

[wywk]

That was my initial plan, to fly direct from MIA to LAS but after enquiring, I found out that I have no flexibilty in regards to my flights as it's all been booked and paid for already by the company. (I am going with a few others)

Basically the itinerary is as follows:

Sydney - LA - Miami - Nassau and return via the same route.

The others in the group are stopping in LA for 4 days before heading back to Sydney but I'd rather go to Vegas instead and this will be at my own expense.

 

[NM]

If it was me, I would be staying overnight at LAX at one of the airport hotels and then taking an early flight the following morning. If there was an AA connecting flight to LAS that evening, then I would take it, but from what I can see, there is no evening departure to LAS on AA. This is based on the assumption you will have different tickets for the MIA-LAX and LAX-LAS segments. I would not be willing to risk missing the connection. Though I guess the backup is to rent a car and drive LAX-LAS the next day.

 

[notzac]

4 hours is a relatively safe connection - I'd book the late flight as well. I doubt you'd be able to check bags all the way through.