amygeorge

I am flying for the first time next month. I am flying Virgin American from LAX to IAD, roundtrip flight. I am coming from north of LAX (near Santa Barbara). Flight leaves at 8:30 a.m.

I have no idea what to expect and what to do. Can anybody help me with info?

Was hoping specifically for info on:

1)Best way to get there and what to expect upon taking the LAX exit off of the freeway.
2) What can I expect upon arriving at LAx
3) I was thinking about renting a car in my hometown for a one way rental and just dropping the car off at LAX. Would that be better than taking my own car and parking it?
4) Is arriving 2 hours ahead of scheduled flight enough?
5) What are people talking about when they talk about online check-in? Should I do that ahead of time?
6) Anything specific I should know about Virgin?

Any other information would be greatly appreciated as I have no idea what I am doing.

dd992emo

Don't know anything about Virgin Air, but know a lot about getting from Santa Paula to LAX...

Using 8:00 am as a reference:

1) When I take 405 (Sat or Sun) I get off on La Tijera and park at The Parking Spot (they have a website) on Sepulveda. On weekdays (Mon-Fri) I get off 101 at Las Posas in Camarillo and take Hwy 1 down through Malibu. Get on I-10 and take the Lincoln Blvd exit, which goes almost directly to The Parking Spot. MapQuest can help.
2) Lines are the norm. Just ask someone in a VA shirt or jacket for help.
3) Rental car is a good option, depending on how long your trip is. Another good option is one of the airport shuttles like RoadRunner or VenturaAirportShuttle (both have websites or Google "Ventura County airport shuttle" or "Santa Barbara airport shuttle"). They cost about the same as a rental.
4) Yes
5) For your first experience, IMO I would stick with airport check-in, especially if you are checking luggage.
6) Someone else knows a lot more than I.

david_33

I suggest: http://www.sbairbus.com/

east_of_the_sun

An advantage of taking a shuttle to the airport is door-to-door service, plus it takes away the stress of driving an unfamiliar route on a day when you may already be a bit anxious.


This link is not LAX specific, but it does contain some basic, useful information for a 1st time flyer: http://www.ifly.com/airport-tips

QueenOfCoach

I fly out of LAX all the time, and know it well. I live in north LA County, between Santa Clarita and Palmdale.

I suggest you forget about driving yourself to the airport and hassling the freeway and traffic. Instead, get the Santa Barbara Airbus. I just looked at their website and found rt for one person is $84.

You would spend much more than that if you rented a car one-way from Santa Barbara to LAX, then the same on return. In addition you would have the hassle of returning the rental car in an unfamiliar area.

An attractive alternative would be the Van Nuys Flyaway. I take them all the time.

http://www.lawa.org/welcome_LAX.aspx?id=292

You would drive your own car to Van Nuys, then leave it in their parking garage for $4/day, 30-day limit. The roundtrip fair to and from LAX is $14. (Note, they only take credit or debit cards for the bus fair; no cash.) You would come in from SB on the 101, then go north on the 405 a few miles to Saticoy. Park in the garage, then take the shuttle directly to the terminal.

I strongly suggest you give careful consideration to either of these shuttle services. Both will drop you off right at the VA terminal, without any worries (on your part) of LAX traffic, streets, parking, etc. Taking a shuttle in to LAX is, quite simply, the easiest way to go. I do it all the time.

The shuttle (Flyaway or Airbus) will drop you and your luggage off right outside the VA terminal. You would simply walk in and head for the check-in line. They probably have self-serve kiosks, which operate much like ATMs at the bank. There are uniformed people to help you, should you be all thumbs.

You start the kiosk by touching the screen, then answering the questions as they show up on the screen. Again, ask for help if you need it. Finally, you take your paperwork to a bag drop to check your bag, if necessary.

Be sure to have your government-issued photo ID handy. For most people, that's a drivers license or passport.

Terrible idea. See above. Shuttles are you best bet. Seriously.

That's perfectly OK. If you are the nervous type, try to shoot for 3 hours ahead of the scheduled departure so you won't worry yourself to death if the shuttle is running a little bit late.

What this means is going to the airline website and following their prompts to check in, then print your boarding pass on your home computer. You can do that, or wait until you arrive at the check-in area and do it on one of the airline kiosks.

If you are checking a bag, you will have to go to the airline kiosk, no matter what. If you are not checking a bag, then on line check in means you can skip the kiosk, and go directly to the TSA security check with your computer-printed boarding pass and photo ID.

Personally, I usually just check in at the airport because I usually check a bag.

I can't help you there. I usually fly American Airlines.

My best suggestion to you would be to read the TSA.gov website to learn specifically what to expect at the security checkpoint. They have lists of what is permitted and what is prohibited to pass through their checkpoint. Also look up the LAX airport on line and see what they have to say about concessions and vendors within the VA terminal. It would be nice to know, for example, if you can get a nice lunch before your flight.

One thing that really helps me when going to a place I don't know well is to look it up on Google Earth. You can see a bird's eye view of the place, then zoom in to their "Street View" and see what buildings look like on the ground. When you arrive, you will be able to recognize the building from having seen it on Street View.

Finally, I will again urge you to consider a shuttle service, either the Van Nuys Flyaway or the SB Airbus. That will save you tons of stress and worry, plus be cheaper in the long run than renting a car.

amygeorge

Thanks so much everybody - SUPER helpful information. I am so grateful.

QUEEN OF COACH - Thanks so much for laying it out so well for me. I am glad that you pointed out the benefits of the shuttle. I live actually about an hour north of Santa Barbara. I am thinking that the FlyAway sounds like a good option for me. My question regarding this is, do they operate at all hours of the day/night? My flight is at 8:30 and I want to get there very early. If I get to the FlyAway at 6 a.m., how far is it from LAX, will they get me to LAX by 6:30 so that I can get through security, etc on time?

SB Airbus won't work because of the return time, there would be nearly 3 hours between when I land and when they get there and I have to be back to my home by a certain time.

Thanks so much.

malsf1

About Virgin.. if you have boooked a regular economy ticket, you can upgrade to Main Cabin Select at T-24 hours for $110 each way. MCS gives extra legroom, free food, and free drinks (alcohol). At T-6 hours you can upgrade to First for $270 each way. First gives you a full meal, more legroom, and wider seats with leg rests. The entertainment system on Virgin is great - many options for movies, tv, and music. You can also order food and drinks from your seat in the main cabin (both MCS and non-MCS seats). The food selection is decent.

amygeorge

I was so concerned about getting to LAX that I didn't even ask anybody if they had experience with IAD (Washington Dulles). I have to get to Stafford, VA from Washington Dulles airport. Any suggestions?

east_of_the_sun

The driving distance from Dulles to Stafford, VA is about 50 miles.
If you won't need a rental car while you're in Stafford, you can take a shuttle from/to the airport: http://www.washfly.com/flyer_ss_about.htm

TrojanHorse

LAX - no one has mentioned this but what about a stay, park and fly.. for example the sheraton four points offers these. It would eliminate worrying about getting there on time with traffic for an 8:30 a.m. flight.. one sig alert and well you know the result

IAD - I'd get a rental car (a lot depends on how long you will be there) but for a week, it may be better to just have a car.. Stafford is BFE.. Rental cars are reasonable at IAD. Taxes are reasonable as well. if you have an 8:30 a.m. out of LAX, u will arrive about 4 p.m. and hit NoVa rush hour.. the trek to Stafford will take a while, driving or in a cab/shuttle

Redhead

That is a great idea. ^

amygeorge - Basically the way these work is you book a room at the Sheraton 4 points (which is quite close to LAX) online or by calling the hotel directly. Make sure you book a "stay, park, fly" rate. Then you arrive the night before your flight, leave your car at the hotel for the duration of your trip and simply take the hotel shuttle bus to the airport (just about 5 minutes away) the day of your flight. No worries about getting there at 6:30am, you can sleep a bit later, will be around the same price as the flyaway bus (maybe a little more) but you can get the shuttle right back to the hotel when you return to LAX and not have to worry about the flyaway schedule for your return.

The hotel shuttle bus will drop you off right at the Virgin terminal and pick you up right at the terminal on your way home. LAX has tons of signs to direct you where to wait for the shuttle when you get back. These shuttles run every 10-15 minutes.

QueenOfCoach

I usually allow a good hour between the time I arrive at the Flyaway and expect to be deposted at the LAX terminal. I allow an hour and a half if it's a heavy traffic time.

Flyaway busses leave every 15 minutes, supposedly, but I have seen them take longer. I would suggest you plan to arrive at the Flyaway at 5:00 to allow yourself time to park, walk to the terminal, buy a round trip ticket and get on the bus.

Having said all that, MY MISTAKE for not mentioning one of the park-and-fly hotels options. Lots of people do that, and it's a real stress-free way to go. You get to the hotel the night before your trip, park your car in their garage, spend the night, then get a good night's sleep and take the hotel shuttle the short distance (1 or 2 miles) to the airport. The shuttle drops you off right at the terminal.

If you were willing to rent two one-way cars, then I'll bet the hotel park-and-fly would be about the same cost, give or take.

Coming in from north of Santa Barbara, you have a long trip into either Van Nuys or LAX. Eliminate a lot of variables, such as flat tire, bad traffic, freeway accident, etc., by making the trip in the night before. Then, get a good night's sleep and get on the airplane refreshed and ready for the long flight.

amygeorge

SUPER valuable information everyone. Thanks SO much!

TWA884

You can obtain additional information on the LAX FlyAway at their website.

However, I agree with others that the hotel park and fly option will be the least stressful for you.

east_of_the_sun

I hope you enjoy your first flight, amygeorge, and that you'll tell us about your experience.