Better to connect in PHX rather than LAX?
 

I ask this because of last several months experience going in and out of LAX, mostly on AA, but also DL and UA. My experience has been poor for connections on AA from the Bay Area.

Recently, I've been connecting in PHX for flights and have noticed the difference. Among other things---far better predictability, and less stress.

LAX, to me, is over scheduled and bursting in the seams. The 3 majors all declare it to be a hub, and somehow pad their on-time numbers by padding ridiculous amounts of time into the schedule for arrivals. All the SJC-LAX flights book for a 1:40 minute (average) flight time, even though the total time in the air is supposed to be 45 minutes (and taxi times at SJC are very good).

So, anybody else think West Coast connecting through PHX would be better than LAX on AA flights? I'm giving it a try. Current policy is to avoid LAX at all costs because of the construction and general level of delays there.

Considering AA was operating out of two terminals at LAX until recently I would say PHX is 100% better.

I've had good luck at PHX in the past 2 years, both connecting and O&D. I sometimes use it to get to PDX, even though LAX is often a slightly cheaper (but obviously longer) option.

I just connected at both LAX and PHX over the weekend. ;)

PHX is familiar for me since I lived in AZ for 20 years and flew out of there many more times than I remember. While living there I only connected once, during a mileage run. But since I moved I've connected a few times.

I've connected at LAX on/off over the years. This past weekend was my first experience with the 52 gates (what people here call Eagle's Nest).


For me it all comes down to schedule, price, convenience, and type of aircraft, mostly in that order.

There is also some construction going on in the T4 area at PHX; in the area between the low and high A's. We had to wait a few minutes to pass through. And inside the B terminal looked horrible, with torn up carpets, bare concrete for floors, and construction. It seems there's always some sort of construction somewhere in T4, and moving sidewalks frequently aren't working.

That said, I know I can reasonably make an hour connection at PHX, even mainline to express. The same can't be said for LAX; I had a 2 hour window for my connection there.

I'd pick LAX. Neither one is really that bad, but IME the ground staff at PHX is a bit surlier/unhappier than at LAX. Maybe it's the 24/7/365 searing heat!

Then there's the somewhat obvious geographical question: if they're both options for you from SJC, that somewhat suggests you're flying east? Another nod to PHX...a little less time on the plane (and hopefully overall in transit).

I mean, if your destination was TPAC, this probably wouldn't be an either-or kind of question. ;)

With the exception of DFW which I find to be quite a good place to connect (as you'd expect from the airline's flagship megahub); I overall find the LUS hubs to be far more efficient at operating a hub/spoke operation with efficient connections then most of the LAA counterparts

The LUS strategy using the advantage fare program by having people choose cheaper connecting flights, thru CLT PHX and PHL, then directs from AA made it such that they had to run banks with tight, on-time connections. Both CLT and PHX do this very, very well. You can easily do connections in both in 45 min comfortably. Add to that limited weather disruptions and you have a nearly always on-time system

LAX is a totally different beast. ATC controls with runway construction, ridiculous congestion, and the terminal mess make it much more difficult. Unless I'm flying transpacific from the Bay, I'm connecting in DFW or PHX and occasionally ORD (though in the winter I try to avoid it) or CLT (often requires back-tracking and I hate the LUS 321s for the 5-6 hour flights)

Given the choice between LAX and PHX, I'll take PHX every time.

It's a much easier connection as far as the terminal goes.

I'm quite comfortable with very short (30 minutes connection) there, but not at LAX.

Rarely has the gate/ramp/taxiway congestion issues LAX has.

Has much better food options, IMO.

PHX is better in almost every category except lounges. If I can access the OWA lounges, I would take the extra time on the ground and go to LAX lounges.

For domestic to domestic connections in the western USA, I'd take PHX over LAX especially if it involves a regional flight (no bus ride required at PHX). Of course for most trans-Pacific connections LAX is the only logical option.

LAS-based so connect via LAX/PHX a lot, and agree completely with both of these. PHX clubs/staff leave a lot to be desired, LAX logistically and operationally leaves a lot to be desired. Difficult to choose sometimes.

I prefer LAX to PHX since PHX has mostly pmUS aircraft and LAX has mostly pmAA aircraft. The pmAA are nicer aircraft with more leg room, including in F.

Only plus for pmUS aircraft is that the seats are generally more padded.

Short term you might want to stay away from LAX if all is equal, simply because of runway shortages (while they slowly reconfigure the runways). I had a flight (on Alaska) into LAX from PDX delayed Monday morning a week ago (and noticed many others that day were delayed too) because LAX traffic control was pushing plane arrivals around to deal with one runway being unavailable.

Once that LAX runway reconfiguration is all done, you might want to re-evaluate LAX as a connection point. But while this is going on, if there's no equivalent runaway issues at PHX, perhaps PHX would be better at least temporarily.

I don't know when all the runway reconfiguration at LAX is expected to be done. It seems I've been hearing about it going on for several years now.

I agree with you. The aircraft flying into and out of LAX tend to be more modern and updated, especially the 321's.

However, LAX has lots and lots of ATC delays and controls. I've yet to experience an ATC delay flying into PHX.

OP needs to know the relevant aircraft configs. In MCE and AVOD, an ex-US A321 is not the equal of a 2-class AA-origin A321, for example.