Cathay Pacific Asia Miles - AA143 arriving LAX at 1.15pm transitting for CX - question - can I go out of airport?

Hi,

I might be on an award ticket, AA+CX which takes me from IAD to HKG via LAX. I understand it will only be transit in LAX, not stopover.

For the IAD-LAX flight, it will be AA143 arriving LAX at 1.15pm. I then have to wait 10+ hours for CX883 to Hong Kong.

Question - can I go out of airport? I am thinking of getting a day room at a nearby hotel to rest.

Thanks.
Incy.

Of course. You'll have to clear U.S. entry no matter what.

As noted by YVR Cockroach, yes. AA flights will arrive at the AA Terminal 4 and CX flights depart from TBIT. Even if you were connecting straight through you would have to leave one terminal to go to the other. Note, however, that generally your checked luggage will be checked all the way to HKG (or final CX destination) and you will not need to collect it at LAX. If you want to use your luggage in LA during your stopover make sure the AA check in staff at IAD only check it in to LAX. Either way, even though AA does 'check you in' for the CX flight, they generally do not issue the CX boarding passes, so you will need to 'check in' again at the CX desk. If you've not been to LA before, why not check out Santa Monica or Venice for a few hours before the CX flight?

Every time the MileageAddict family has flown across the Pacific, we have had the same 10 hour layover situation you mention. We simply rent a car and go someplace fun for the day and out for a terrific dinner.

By the time we check in late in the evening, our young son is tired and ready to sleep 8+ hours on the flight.

Thank you very much, dear fellow members!

Also, regarding YVR Croach's post - I don't suppose I need to clear US entry after flying into LAX from IAD on AA143. After all, it is all domestic. Am I correct?

Thank you very much, dear fellow members!

Also, regarding YVR Croach's post - I don't suppose I need to clear US entry after flying into LAX from IAD on AA143. After all, it is all domestic. Am I correct?

Certainly you don't have to go through customs on that flight. You will have to reclear security at TBIT though.

I am not sure that I would want to check into a hotel, unless you plan to stay up all 15 hours to HKG while everyone esle is sleeping

I too suggest Venice or santa Monica- take a bus.

Remember too that if you plan on staying at the airport, you might want to conside rstaying in T4 as the loung there is MUCH nicer than anything at TBIT- you don't say if you are traveling in J /F or qualifying OW elite though.

MileageAddict and eireman are both giving good guidance for this layover. Key points:

1. TBIT is a pit, so you will want to minimize the amount of time you spend there.
2. The T4 lounge is OK, so if you do lounges, this is where to do it.
3. 10 hours gives you a nice day trip in SoCal, so rent a car and go away from LAX.
4. If you need to get one final fix, there is an In-and-Out Burger right outside the LAX Terminal "U" configuration, and if the timing is right, you can awe your kids with airplanes coming overhead at very low altitudes.
5. Minimal carry-on junk is a good idea if you do plan to do number three above.
6. TBIT has some of the worst customer service in the West, so be mentally prepared to laugh it off, even though you may be tired and cranky. It is like they don't speak English, only Rude-ish or Annoy-ish.

...4. If you need to get one final fix, there is an In-and-Out Burger right outside the LAX Terminal "U" configuration, and if the timing is right, you can awe your kids with airplanes coming overhead at very low altitudes.
....In-n-Out is on Sepulveda just south of Manchester, next to the Parking Spot (parking garage, with a shuttle often used for In-n-Out visits).

A nice day trip is to rent a car, drive north on PCH (Pacific Coast Highway) to Malibu. The Getty Villa is a good spot for lunch (pretty good food at the cafe and a fantastic view; they let out of state visitors in without a reservation, so you need some non-California id). Lots of other alternatives in LA, it is one of the best cities for a day layover, as long as you rent a car.

Dear Friends,

Many thanks for very helpful advice. Very grateful indeed.

We shall be flying J on CX back to HKG. We have flown LAX-HKG ex TBIT before and have indeed seen the ... um ... chaos. About 3 years ago, we got to TBIT about 2 hours before departure and the queue was so long it was winding outside the front gate! Luckily, that time, we were on F and I managed to somehow to fight to the front, got our luggaged okayed by security (which was a fiasco), checked in and when the queue to immigration was too long, a CX girl gave us a courtesy escort. Quite memorable indeed!

I am very tempted to do the Getty visit during the layover. As we arrive at 1.15 pm, would we be in time for lunch? How long is the drive from LAX to Getty Villa?

As for the hotel idea, I was not thinking of sleeping there, not for much anyway. But I was thinking that we would be on the road from IAD to HKG (via LAX) and it would like 33 hours between checking in at IAD to getting to Hong Kong and that it would be nice to rest a bit and freshen up (even shower). Yet if there is some better alternative, then all the better!

Thanks again for the help.

Incy.

Dear Friends,

Many thanks for very helpful advice. Very grateful indeed.

We shall be flying J on CX back to HKG. We have flown LAX-HKG ex TBIT before and have indeed seen the ... um ... chaos. About 3 years ago, we got to TBIT about 2 hours before departure and the queue was so long it was winding outside the front gate! Luckily, that time, we were on F and I managed to somehow to fight to the front, got our luggaged okayed by security (which was a fiasco), checked in and when the queue to immigration was too long, a CX girl gave us a courtesy escort. Quite memorable indeed!

I am very tempted to do the Getty visit during the layover. As we arrive at 1.15 pm, would we be in time for lunch? How long is the drive from LAX to Getty Villa?

As for the hotel idea, I was not thinking of sleeping there, not for much anyway. But I was thinking that we would be on the road from IAD to HKG (via LAX) and it would like 33 hours between checking in at IAD to getting to Hong Kong and that it would be nice to rest a bit and freshen up (even shower). Yet if there is some better alternative, then all the better!

Thanks again for the help.

Incy.
Remember there is a difference between the Getty Villa and the getty center and I think the former is currently closed.

The getty Villas is up North Bound PCH, about 45-60 minutes from LAx depending on traffic, while the Getty center is about 20-30 minutes up the 405 north from LAX.
Tne Getty center may be what you are thinking of and it is very nice especially on a clear day with spectacular views. Not sure if it closes on a Monday though, so double check.

Maybe fly IAD/lax the day before, and stay over in LA for a few extra hours and relax. If you arrive at 1.15, it will likely be 2.15 before you are on your way to Getty( Center or Villa) , to arrive there at 3.00pm, so figure out what you want to do on that basis- obviously it gets pretty dark right now at 5.00pm

...I am very tempted to do the Getty visit during the layover. As we arrive at 1.15 pm, would we be in time for lunch? How long is the drive from LAX to Getty Villa?...The Getty Villa is open now (I was there in October); it is a beautiful building (originally done as a residence -- quite astonishing) and has greek/roman antiquities. It is not the Getty Center, which is the main museum and has all the famous exhibits. The food at the Getty Villa is better and cheaper and I think the cafe is open whenever the museum is open. Getting to the Getty Villa avoids the high-traffic roads in LA (such as the 405, which can be a nightmare at times) and is a nice easy drive, esp. for those not too familiar with LA. The drive from LAX to the Getty Villa is about 30 minutes (I haven't timed it, so guessing, but I did this drive recently and it was fast, though I was looking at the view rather than trying for speed). For CA residents reservations are required (months in advance), but they allow non-residents in to the Villa. I'm not sure about the Getty Center (that is harder to get into; you have to make arrangements in advance if you want to visit there -- and it is one of the 10 great museums in the world).

The Getty Villa is open now (I was there in October); it is a beautiful building (originally done as a residence -- quite astonishing) and has greek/roman antiquities. It is not the Getty Center, which is the main museum and has all the famous exhibits. The food at the Getty Villa is better and cheaper and I think the cafe is open whenever the museum is open. Getting to the Getty Villa avoids the high-traffic roads in LA (such as the 405, which can be a nightmare at times) and is a nice easy drive, esp. for those not too familiar with LA. The drive from LAX to the Getty Villa is about 30 minutes (I haven't timed it, so guessing, but I did this drive recently and it was fast, though I was looking at the view rather than trying for speed). For CA residents reservations are required (months in advance), but they allow non-residents in to the Villa. I'm not sure about the Getty Center (that is harder to get into; you have to make arrangements in advance if you want to visit there -- and it is one of the 10 great museums in the world).

Thanks for the update on the Getty Villa reopening- the Getty center is not a problem getting into now a days- we go there frequently- no reservations required, free asmission, just $5.00 or so for parking