~5 hrs in LAX - what to do?

[Jack_OC]

Jack,

Get a flexible ticket and go on the earlier flight.

not an option I'm afraid, the earlier flight departs at 8am!

 

[erkpod]

What's of interest downtown? :shock:

Probably nothing if you've been there but if you haven't, it's one to tick off & not repeat.

 

[erkpod]

I ate there ages ago when it was called 'The Theme Room' but I believe it's now called 'Encounter Restaurant at LAX' however it doesn't open until 1100 which it probably when you'd want to leave the restaurant & head back to the terminal.

It's worth noting that you can keep your baggage with you which may be handy info for other travellers with a long transit but departing mid-arvo. It could be a good place for dinner if you've got a few hours transit before a 2230 departure LAX to Aust & even easier if your bags had been through checked from elsewhere.

That's the one!

 

[jetlagger]

Probably nothing if you've been there but if you haven't, it's one to tick off & not repeat.

IMO.. Downtown L.A. is the epiphany of modern day urban & soulless ugliness.

 

[erkpod]

IMO.. Downtown L.A. is the epiphany of modern day urban & soulless ugliness.

I'm no fan of LA either. Too bad VA doesn't fly direct to SFO.

 

[jetlagger]

I'm no fan of LA either. Too bad VA doesn't fly direct to SFO.

A therapeutic drive along highway 1 towards SFO can assist to realign your disjointed geographic context & corrupted capitalistic sanity after visiting The Angels abode.

 

[get me outta here]

My vote would be Manhattan Beach which is also a village where I lived for a while and would give you a nice breakfast and coffee, and a look at the little laneways and the walkway along the beach. It would be quite warm at this time of year. All this would be within itself just a few blocks before heading back. Best to take a cab with only a few hours.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

Cathay Pacific A330 on finals as seen from car park at Inn n Out Burger.

 

[egeaher]

In&Out that was mentioned above is pretty good choice to kill a bit of time. Once thing to remember if you are driving out... make sure to leave a good buffer to come back. LA traffic could be horrendous

 

[mdacey]

I just did LA last weekend, same sort of deal. I had bags with me. Headed to Santa Monica, hired a bike (if you are active at all - great to avoid jetlag), they stored my luggage, and I rode along the beach stopping for coffee along the way in the morning and a beer at lunch. Great way to see the beaches. $20usd for 2hrs $25 for 4hrs.

 

[timster]

Hi all, advice appreciated: next month I'll be transiting through LAX - due to arrive in TBIT on QF93 at 6.35am, then fly out of T3 at 12 noon with JetBlue (on a Friday).

Honestly, I don't think I would risk anything further than an airport hotel or burger joint with that amount of time and it being LAX. Actually I now usually allow a day when transitting flights into/out of the US, having been burned on delays / missed transfers on too many of my early trips. Add to that more uncertainty regarding checkin and security screening delays than most airports in the world. YMMAV - I haven't been through LAX for four years but will be there this weekend.

But if you're game, my modus operandi (in my case having checked into airport hotel upon arrival) is to jump on the blue bus down to Santa Monica (have quarters for the exact fare). The nearby bus stops are easy to find on google maps and a free airport hotel shuttle will get you close to a stop (eg Hilton). The blue bus probably takes an hour each way. If all goes well you could be on the iconic Santa Monica pier sipping a cool drink within several hours of arrival, but would have to turn round to come back to LAX more or less immediately.

A cab would be quicker but the fare might be steep. If you've checked in for your JetBlue flight upon arrival I might be more adventurous.

 

[UP4014]

You mean I'm being a bit optimistic expecting to be in a cab by 7.30? Maybe so, as I said it will be a new experience for me. If it's any later than 8 I probably wouldn't bother going out.

To answer a previous question about lounge access, I'm QFF SG, but don't think lounge access is allowed on arrival, is that correct? Other than that, I have a Priority Pass card, but it seems that doesn't get access to any lounge in T3. I know it gets me into the Relax lounge landslide at TBIT, but from what I've heard that's nothing to write home about.

The last three times I've transited there only made the connection once, and that was because I decided to overnight there rather than go through the hassle of arriving at my destination yet again at 10pm after missing the direct flight then driving.

I still think a trip to Randy's is worth the photo and it's not to far.
Flickr Search: randys

 

[Jack_OC]

Thanks to all for the additional advice. If I go out it would definitely only be by cab, and only if I have a reasonable amount of time after clearing immigration and checking in for the JetBlue flight.

The way I see it, there are four uncertainties with regards to how much time I have: (a) what time I actually land at LAX, (b) how long it takes to collect luggage and clear immigration, (c) how long it takes to check in for JetBlue and (d) how long it takes to clear security again. If I have completed a, b and c before deciding whether to go out or not, I'll have a good idea where I stand. I think if I've done all that by 8.30, I can spare 2 hours to go out - aiming to be back at the airport 90 mins before departure doesn't seem overly risky, especially if I have already checked in.

 

[Sprucegoose]

In&Out that was mentioned above is pretty good choice to kill a bit of time. Once thing to remember if you are driving out... make sure to leave a good buffer to come back. LA traffic could be horrendous

Is horrendous .....

 

[Mjgradow]

Venice Beach is 7 miles from LAX, 15 min. By car. A freak show not to be missed. See wikitravel.com.
Driving from Los Angeles International Airport [2], take Lincoln Boulevard (CA-1) north and turn left on Venice Boulevard.
Taking a public bus from LAX to Venice is quite simple; take a free shuttle to the LAX Transit Center then board a #3 Santa Monica Blue Bus, north; ask for an interangency transfer. Get off at Washington Blvd. and at the NW corner of Lincoln and Washington take the Culver City Bus #1, west. Get off at Pacific and Windward; you are now in the heart of Venice Beach and Ocean Front Walk.

 

[Mal]

I caught a taxi from a LAX airport hotel to Santa Monica pier and found the fare steep ($US50 incl tip maybe but I didn't note the cost). Still it does get you there quicker than other options.

I then walked back through Venice beach etc. Quite an interesting place to visit once.
(But a long walk). Can't recall if I caught buses back or grabbed a cab.

 

[FlyboyAl]

I was at LAX last week, and it took less than 15 minutes to get off the plane, and be outside TBIT! Yes, I was lucky, there were no other flights in at the time (I was on QF11).
Why not a quick cab ride down to Manhattan Beach (10-15 mins in a cab).
There are plenty of little (and large) restaurants there on Manhattan Beach Blvd (Strand House, Rock n Fish, Brewco - even Starbucks!). Its right on the beach, and you could have a walk and stretch the legs a bit, while getting some fresh air.
There is quite a nice shopping center on the corner of Sepulveda and Rosecrans, right behind Frys, which is nice to wander around. Macy's and other trendy shops.

 

[aussie_sue]

Yes... In 'n Out Burgers for fresh cut french fries!

 

[elbarto]

Go around to all the terminals and nick those bag tags airlines off to people. Package them up and sell them on ebay when you get home.

 

[Jack_OC]

Just thought I'd report back. I arrived on QF093 about 10 mins early this morning (about 6.25am), and cleared passport control and customs in no time. Qantas in MEL were able to tag my bag for my conecting flight with JetBlue, so all I had to do was collect it and drop it off again in the same way you would if you were connecting to AA or whatever. So I was in a taxi before 7am!

I headed to Manhattan Beach, had a nice breakfast and took advantage of free wifi in the cafe to check e-mails etc, then walked along the beach for about an hour, and got back to the airport by 9.30am, sill with 2 and a half hours to spare before my next flight! I'd highly recommend this to anyone in the same boat - fresh air, sunshine and exercise really help you to feel human again after a long flight. The taxi was about $25 each way.

And since I stil have some spare time before my next flight, I decided to use my Priority Pass for the first time ever and go into the ReLAX lounge landside at TBIT. It's actually quite a nice lounge, and with PP you get free beer or wine (I know it's still the morning, but it's beer o'clock on the East Coast!). No showers though. You can walk from TBIT to T3 in about 5 mins.

Thanks again for all the advice.