Long layover in Los Angles

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Re: 9 hour Layover at LAX

+ (another) 1 for layover if possible. Might have handled long wait at LAX for a flight to BOS once upon a time, but not any more.

Am travelling SYD-LAX-LHR at end March and staying overnight and trying Rodeway Inn at Harbor City for $74 + getting cheap rental car.

Assuming you can't change the time of departure from LAX then agree with others about both Santa Monica, and especially Getty Museum which I visited last Dec. Excellant.

If you can get a rental car then you'll certainly get around quicker but watch the jet lag combined with driving on the other side of the road! :shock:

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

I arrive LAX on QF 93 in F class at 6.45am ( I am WP ) and continue onto RSW on AA2444 in F at 12.10pm

I'd like suggestions of how to kill off some time?

Which lounge options or could I get out of teh airport for a few hours into LA?

I can clear customs and check bags on arrival I would have thought
 
Re: 5 hours to kill at LAX- Suggestions?? Do I escape the airport

infinity said:
...

I can clear customs and check bags on arrival I would have thought
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That's the easiest bit.

For me with only five hours, even in F, I'd simply head to the T4 Flagship lounge for a shower - you should be there by around 7:30-8:00am.

The 12:10 flight will commence boarding at or shortly after 11:30 (if on time) - at LAX, if you front up at the boarding time printed on your BP, most PAX would have boarded already.

So that gives you ~3½ hours wich can include a shower, IMHO even if you forgo the shower, there's not really enough time to do much else.

If you really must get out, maybe take a taxi to one of the local beaches and another back after a time to brush some cobwebs off ... I would not be heading back later than, say, 10:30am.
 
I had a similar situation and decided to grab a cab to Marina Del Ray, take a walk on the beach and grab breaky in a diner... Only a 10 min cab ride.
Alternately head a little further to Venice beach...
 
Re: 5 hours to kill at LAX- Suggestions?? Do I escape the airport

malmacdowall said:
I had a similar situation and decided to grab a cab to Marina Del Ray, take a walk on the beach and grab breaky in a diner... Only a 10 min cab ride.
Alternately head a little further to Venice beach...
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....or take a bus or taxi to Manhattan Beach, walk out along the pier and have a quick look at the aquarium. On Manhattan Beach Blvd & Ave there's some shopping and places to eat.


Manhattan Village shopping centre is only 5 mins from the airport as well.
 
Re: 5 hours to kill at LAX- Suggestions?? Do I escape the airport

IMHO you should get out of LAX as soon as you can, for as long as you can.

On arrival you'll clear immigration (no priority lane ... choose the lane you join carefully; if there are queues, try not to join one which, er, may contain nationalities which the Americans screen extra carefully ;)

Bags generally arrive pretty quick; dedicated carousel for J and F. Clear customs (more queues) then you drop your bag onto the 'transfer' belt immediately thereafter. Then you are 'land side' with your carry-on.

LAX has a deserved reputation for being one of the worse of the major airports anywhere, so minimise your time there, premium lounge or not.

As others have suggested, catch a cab to a nearby beach for a walk etc. Don't catch the shuttle to the rail to Legana Beach - it doesn't stop anywhere near the beach (as I once found out. Oops).

You'll be leaving from the AA terminal (4). The AA First Lounge isn't bad (as far as American lounges go), and there are showers & free drinks so you could probably while an hour away before your flight.
 
Re: 5 hours to kill at LAX- Suggestions?? Do I escape the airport

I would be a little flexible in this area, as they are doing work on the new TBIT and you may actually land at a remote terminal and have to be bussed into TBIT, this causes delays to everyone on the plane and as others have said, there is no express pathway through customs for F class foreigners, plus there are a few flights from the Asian area which like to land before the LA business day.

I enter the USA a few times a year through TBIT and can tell you, it may take you one hour just to get to the street, especially if it is a remote terminal. You will also be heading into the teeth of the local car traffic at this time, good luck, I guess that you can get a taxi, eat a burger on the way, may not even have time to get out. Personally, if you have seen beaches before, there is nothing special about the LA beaches apart from a few interesting piers, I would go to Redondo Beach as they have the best pier, Santa Monica is by far the best, but too far away for a 5 hour stopover.

BTW, last week it took a long time for the bags to arrive from the remote terminal, would be at least 40 minutes and the final customs clearance line snaked all the way around the baggage collection area. I reckon it must have taken 90 minutes from landing to hit the street. Find out if you are landing at the remote terminal, if so, I would hail a cab and go the Rendondo Beach Pier, grab something to eat, and just take in the sea air. Also tell the driver you want to go via the Pacific Coast Highway (the traffic may be slow, but you will see more), they have a habit of wanting to take the 405 freeway (I have seen it grid locked at this time of morning), it is extra mileage, and you will not see as much.
 
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Re: 5 hours to kill at LAX- Suggestions?? Do I escape the airport

Bradley is a complete coughshoot, and status doesn't make a difference. Transit time through arrivals could be anything. My PB: from deplaning gate at Bradley to checkin at T3 to sitting in Alaskan lounge: 55 mins. On the other hand, in late October this year it took way over two hours to get out, which included 90 minutes shuffling in the line to get my passport stamped. A while back, when I had a stuffed knee, I discovered that being in an escorted wheelchair helps a lot. If you're in a hurry, and have half a reason, that's worth a try. But have a reason; I don't think they like people scamming as disabled.

If you have a yen for technology, Fry's at Manhattan Beach is within a taxi run. Getting back could be exciting though. Certainly you can go kerbside at Bradley and jump on the first hotel shuttle that comes along, then walk somewhere "interesting" on Century from wherever it takes you. At least that gives you plenty of hotel shuttle choices to get back. Fox Rentacar shuttle would take you a useful distance. Breakfast at Denny's, maybe?

The challenge is that you still have to go through all the cough to get back into T4 which is another piece of unpredictability. Unless you're through international arrivals at the speed of light, my recommendation is to go to the AA Lounge, have a long shower and relax. Yes, you'll be there for a few hours, but the time goes quickly enough.
 
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Re: 5 hours to kill at LAX- Suggestions?? Do I escape the airport

Forgot to mention - there is a priority lane for security at AA Terminal 4. Its at the far end of the building from Tom Bradley International, just beyond where QF16 checks in (ie the terminal 5 end). Worth using; took me 5 mins to get through last week (albeit at about 10pm).

I usually do de-planing to the curb outside Tom Bradley terminal in 30-40 mins even with QF birds usually tying up at the most distal gate; but yes, it can take much longer.
 
Re: 5 hours to kill at LAX- Suggestions?? Do I escape the airport

I'll have something similar in Feb when I have to go to LA for a 2 hour face to face meeting. I fly in at 7.30, have the appt at 11am, then i'm off to Manhattan Beach for the afternoon. There is a nice shopping centre on Pacific Coast Highway/Rosecrans intersection, plus there is Frys Electronics, and a short walk down Rosecrans is an REI and Barnes and Noble/Starbucks.
If you walk a short distance north of the intersection (200M) there is another shopping center with a Best buy in it.
and all this is a $10 cab fare from LAX.
Then I fly back at 11pm the same day I arrived/left!!!
Does it sound like I've done this before!
 
Re: 5 hours to kill at LAX- Suggestions?? Do I escape the airport

Check out the Proud Bird Restaurant if you like WW2 planes and a great reastaurant right on the runway. It is about a 5 min cab ride (on the same side of the 405 as the airport). It is a history buffs dream with memorabilia on all the walls and the large number of small aricraft. The food is great (not too expensive from memory, but very very nice).
 
Re: 5 hours to kill at LAX- Suggestions?? Do I escape the airport

uvkelly said:
Check out the Proud Bird Restaurant if you like WW2 planes and a great reastaurant right on the runway. It is about a 5 min cab ride (on the same side of the 405 as the airport). It is a history buffs dream with memorabilia on all the walls and the large number of small aricraft. The food is great (not too expensive from memory, but very very nice).
Click to expand...
Yep - would have to agree with this one too!
 
Re: 5 hours to kill at LAX- Suggestions?? Do I escape the airport

I would also not plan anything too much - it is a lottery when you land, even sitting at the front of the plane, in terms of how quickly you are processed etc.

Since you have the lounge access, I would be making a shower a priority. Maybe go for a walk down to the Encounter Restaurant (they are meant to have a bakery there too so not sure about the opening times) if you want the fresh air.
 
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.
 
Re: 5 hours to kill at LAX- Suggestions?? Do I escape the airport

serfty said:
Agree as well - but it may annoy the cab driver. :oops:

(At 4km e/w it's a bit far to walk)

Directions to The Proud Bird
11022 Aviation Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90045, United States
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Last time I did it, I was told there was a min fee of $10 (or was it $20). It didn't worry me as it was still cheap to get me where I wanted. If you went to the proud bird, you could walk up Aviation to the REI store and Barnes and Noble. Would be a good walk, but would probably be good for you.
 
Re: 5 hours to kill at LAX- Suggestions?? Do I escape the airport

Many great suggestions. Tks AFFers

I agree one needs to be flexible, so I guess on the day, I will have all your good ideas and try to make a good decision.

The +1 is in PE not F (with a chance to upgrade to J), So I maybe lounge bound with no choice depending on how she shapes up after the journey.

Took QF 11 in F this year in Feb and checking into to an F flight to SLC at terminal 4 on AA (? I think), was easy, but security a pain

Still the start of a journey to Havanna for a week so either way, I think I'll be in great shape!!:)
 
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