Eagle's Nest (LAX Remote/regional jet terminal) How to Fix
 

The Eagle's Nest has some things going for it... namely its own Admiral's Club. You might see additional benefits that I'm missing, but realistically, the AC might be about all it has going for it on the positive end.

The experience, as a whole, needs some attention for it to remain a viable option. Doing the math, a short connection in PHX via a mainline plane could add up to fewer minutes overall on some of the longer non-transcon desitnations.

Can the Eagle's Nest experience be dramatically improved by additional bus capacity alone? Wait times to get TO the Eagle's Nest from T4/T5 have easily pushed 20 minutes (plus the actual ride, which can be delayed on the road by plane cross traffic). And returning, 40 minutes of pure waiting after deplaning for a ride back to T4/T5 (plus the actual ride time).

Even with my expectations set low, the Eagle's Nest experience is not one that can keep me coming back. I can only imagine passengers who aren't prepared for the Eagle's Nest flight's quirks (like those sprinting from the bus to make their flight or connection).

What ideas might help it? Or is it hopeless... to be left to wither?

Obviously, increased bus capacity would help. The waits are very aggravating. But more buses means lots more $$$ which AA isn't inclined to spend. There should be enough buses so that a bus leaves about every five minutes or as soon as it's reasonably full, if sooner. And if only a few passengers have boarded but the bus has been there for five minutes - it's time to roll.

Long term, of course, the optimal solution would be for AA to be able to use Terminal 5 as an RJ terminal once the mid-field terminal is completed. Delta and United have been able to use their main terminal spaces for RJs for a long time now.

FWIW, the long term plan is apparently to close the Nest and move the regionals to terminal 5. Supposedly this won't/can't happen until, at the earliest, stage 1 of the midfield terminal is completed (2020), but maybe not until the big terminal 2/3 remodel/expansion is completed or perhaps not until (the as yet unapproved/unfunded) stage 2 of the midfield terminal is completed (2025?, 2030?).

In the meantime, I wouldn't expect AA to make any significant investments in the Nest as it's a dead man walking in their eyes.

The "Nest" was recently remodeled, and is vastly improved over its former condition. New shuttles also recently added.

I think the OP was taking the recent renovation as a given, thus the mention of the AC, which I agree is the crown jewel of the Nest right now.

As to the "new" buses, maybe it's just me but they seem like a downgrade from the old ones. Far fewer seats and with all the standing space it feels like you are inside a cattle car.

I am with you on the smaller shuttles. I thought with smaller shuttles, the frequency would improve.....but, no. And, there is nothing to hold onto when you are standing. Even the fabric strap extending from the roof bar "slides", providing NO stability.

I have to take my comment about the buses. I just took a bus from the Nest and it was in what I believe is one of the old style two level buses with lots of seats, but it was remodeled with new upholstery (and as a result had that"new car" smell). There were still some of the boxy "cattle car" buses in the fleet, but most of the buses looked to be of the remodeled old buses.

So, I guess I can't complain about the buses anymore :-)

Yeah. Nothing especially about the buses themselves bothers me... other than there apparently being too few of them to make for a reasonable wait time on either end.

I actually think they've done a nice job on the Eagles Nest itself. Plenty of seating, good lighting, tables with plugins. The AC is decent although it can really get crowded.

In terms of problems, they really need an escalator to/from the bus drop off in terminal 5. The bus wait has been better the last couple of trips although there can be a lot of congestion between waiting for aircraft to taxi, etc.

Now if only the Escalade was waiting for me :(

There is really nothing they can do physically to improve the Eagle's Nest. It seems the main issue is the shutlle bus service/frequency. So, that is where the solution lies. The first phase of the TBIT midfield expansion is only going to have 12 additional gates. And we're probably a decade out from the second phase's completion. Perhaps AA should contemplate having the E175s to certain cities from LAX which also have mainline service (like SFO/PHX) to use gates in T4 and T5.

I agree the smaller shuttles are worse than the old ones with two levels. However I have rarely experienced long wait times in the 2 years I have frequented the Eagles Nest. Agreed the AC was a great addition.

What is more annoying to me is the number of times we stop short of our gate waiting for rampers to marshall us in. Then, once parked at the gate, it is frequently a long wait for an agent to move the stairs and finally get the door open. Either they are short staffed or they don't care about getting us to the gate quickly when we arrive. I laugh when the captain announces that we 'surprised them' if we are early. Did we just cross the desert on the Pony Express? Nobody knew we were early? haha

For what it's worth I've heard UA would love to have the EN back.

I'm guessing Mr. Kirby would love to change a lot of UA's past decisions.

Don't know if it was mentioned, but seems like AA bought some new buses, this time with seats.

​​​​​​I tend to connect at LAX for a quick dinner in the QF lounge before an international flight, so it's more attractive to me than say ORD or DFW or JFK, as I usually can leave later too (4pm flight out of SFO to LHR or 9pm for HKG).

But just connected at eagle today and it reminded me of the time wasted...
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This is a good one. I forgot to include it. Experienced the same.