PeterK

I was on AA 2225 last night (a 787 from ORD to LAX) and sweating a tight connection. I saw that the arrival gate was something I had seen before like 'M143', which I assumed meant we would be parking at the International terminal since at least the numbers made sense and I know AA does use that terminal for a few flights. I figured I was in for a sprint to make my (at that point) 30 min connection to the regional gates.

After landing, however I noticed we taxied past the international terminal and were out near the maintenance hangars. I figured 'OK, we're getting a bus gate.' But actually we parked on the apron in front of the maintenance hangar and a portable stair (ramp in this case) was brought up to the airplane and we deplaned into waiting buses. They were all waiting for us, so it doesn't seem like a last-minute IRROP thing.

Has anyone seen this before? Was is just scheduled inspection/maintenance and they didn't want to tow the plane from the gate? If anything, It was a fun bus ride around LAX.

JDiver

AA LAX has insufficient gates and AA often forces delays on arriving passengers - you got lucky in that they decided to bus you to T-4 instead of sitting on the Tarmac or doing the grand taxi tour.

arc727

This must be a common occurrence with this flight. Searching FlightAware data over the past several days, it shows the arrival gate as 341, 342, or 343.

anabolism

How is what happened different from a bus gate? Is it just that the hard stand was near the maintenance hangar?

bradleykhofmann

Looks to be bus gates near hangars. Here are the 340's.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Lo...9!4d-118.40853

TheSkyGuy

The 787-8 that services AA2225 comes in from London to Chicago and then spends the night in LAX for maintenance work before continuing on to Asia (normally PVG) the next day. At the time of night of that flight's arrival, parking it out by the hanger instead of tying up a gate and then having to move it out there anyway seems to be norm.

PeterK

That's kind of what I figured, since it was definitely parked in front of the AA hangar and not one of the normal bus gates. Fun, as always, to get up close and personal with the heavies parked around there as we drove under/around them. I didn't realize how much I missed stepping out and looking back up at the airplane I came in on.

TheSkyGuy

Normally at the time of the evening the weather in LA is absolutely perfect so I love stepping out of the plane into the fresh cool air! Personally I love the remote stands (I'm not ever connecting though).

golfingboy

Looks like all PEK-LAX flights on AA in the past week or so all arrives at gate 341-343 #goingforgreat

SpinOn2

Remote stands are the best. Last time I had one was BCN-JFK last December, we bussed up to the 772 and they decided for some reason we couldn't go up yet, so we were just allowed to stand there in-between the bus and airstars for a good 5 minutes, really makes you appreciate the size of these machines and how awesome aviation really is.

golfingboy

Bus stands can be nice sometimes, but not at LAX if arriving on an international flight... They are known for making passengers wait in the bus (crammed like sardines) for as long as 30 minutes right in front of TBIT bus terminal if customs is busy. Also makes the process much more stressful for connecting passengers as riding the bus is universally much longer than from a jetway.

Domestic flights are better suited for remote stands than international flights IMHO.

SpinOn2

Agreed, I should clarify, I like being bussed to the planes, specifically when in premium cabin. The outlier is 35X at DCA, hate that dang thing. I fortunately have only been bussed to the terminal from international arrivals, last one being FCO because of the fire, and that was a fine experience and pretty painless.

anabolism

I detest bus gates. I hate them at LAX, LHR, DOH, AUH, and everywhere else in the world I've had them. They scramble the usual order for planing/deplaning. You could be first in line to board at the gate, and end up crammed in the back of some nasty sick-making bus jostling across the tarmac, and last to get out and climb the stairs to the plane. You could be sitting right by the exit door, and end up last to enter the madhouse of immigration. I'm don't mind walking across the tarmac to or from the plane (as in the old SNA airport, or the now-closed SAN commuter terminal, or the BA gates in DUB), but no busses, please!

PlatinumScum

I'd say that LAX is a third world s'hole, except that most airports in the "developing world" are much nicer.

TSparky

I was on the exact same flight a couple of months ago and we did the same thing. Of course, we were late too so the pax with Intl connections were somewhat upset.