alsaire

So I'm looking to book 2 separate award tickets, one from AA and one from EVA. The AA flight is scheduled to arrive at LAX (terminal 4) at around 1030am, and the EVA flight leaves the Tom Bradley Intl terminal at 11:55am.

If I don't check in bags, do you guys think I can make this flight? I'm a bit nervous since it's two separate tickets and I don't get leeway if my AA flight is delayed. Although on flightaware, the flight does seem to have a good track record, but with LAX and their hour-long taxi times after landing, it's hard to say...

Also, if I don't check in a bag, and I check-in online with EVA, I don't have to go to the ticketing counter, which means I don't have to go through security again right?

beachfan

You will make it if your flight is on time.

you won�t if it late by more than an hour.

long but easy walk airside between the two. The walk within TBIT could be longer than the airside connector.

alsaire

So this is the flight I'm looking at. When flightaware says "arrival", do they mean gate arrival or landing time? And it looks like there's a minimal chance of delay overall?

In addition, if I check-in online, I don't have to go back through security right? Even if I'm going from domestic -> Intl?

beachfan

That's what going "airside" means. You can travel post security between the two terminals. Whether you can check in online with EVA I don't know, but if you have your boarding pass and only carryon, you don't need to clear security again. I will sometimes us T-4 security even though I am leaving from TBIT.

Nothing delayed last week just means nothing delayed last week. I think early morning departures have the best chance of leaving on time, so that's a plus. I don't think any flight has a "minimal" chance of delay. If thee is no later flight on EVA that day, I personally wouldn't cut it that close, even if it was the same award - but probably many others would. Do you think EVA will rebook you if you are late and on a separate award from a different alliance?

From Flight Aware:
Why do the departure and arrival times on a scheduled airline differ from the information on the airline's web site? SHARE | BACK TO TOP
Airlines generally display the times that the aircraft departs and arrives from a gate. When available, FlightAware also displays these times for airline flights. However, when these times are not available, FlightAware will display the time that an aircraft takes off from and lands on the runway. At large airports or in various circumstances, there can be a significant difference in gate and runway times due to long taxi times and other delays on the ground.

ijgordon

If you can�t do OLCI for the EVA flight, you could be totally screwed, depending on their check-in cutoff policies. I�d imagine it�s at least one hour. You *may* be able to go airside straight to the BR departure gate, but I don�t know if it would be staffed before the one-hour mark. If your AA flight is on time you should still have enough time to make it to the BR checkin counters by T-60 (again, assuming that�s the cutoff), but the margin of error is much much smaller.
If you�re confident OLCI will work for you, then there�s a lot more leeway, but definitely consider what the cost would be to you if you missed the flight.

beachfan

Generally agree but the 25 minute time between gate arrival and t-60 might be a challenge if you are at the back of the first plane and the EWA flight gate is the far end of TBIT. I figure 10 minutes to get off the plane, 10 minutes to TBIT via connector and 10 minutes from the TBIT side of the connector to the far end of TBIT. Minus/plus depending on your walking speed. The connector itself is easy.

C17PSGR

I agree on this timing. It's very easy to get between TBIT and terminal 4. Just a 10 minute walk to get between terminals. But if you arrive at terminal 5, that adds 10 minutes to the time between terminals. Some AA flights use terminal 5. I'm not sure if the Hartford flight always uses a particular terminal (it won't be the remote terminal).

Terminal 4 is connected to TBIT by an overhead walking bridge (no need to go out security). Terminal 5 is connected to Terminal 4 by an underground tunnel (again no need to go out security). So, if you arrive at terminal 5, you walk through the tunnel to terminal 4, and take the escalator up.

If on AA the entire trip, this is normally easy with time to get drinks at the QF lounge. The complication is whether you can check in on line for the Eva flight.

JDiver

See


https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/amer...ction-etc.html

and

LAX AA T-4 - TBIT secure airside connector (open Feb 2016)

for more specific information, particularly the Wikiposts at the top of the page.

If you miss your flight, will EVA protect you on the next flight, or will you be out of luck? For separate tickets on airlines not within an alliance, many of us would say this is somewhat risky.

Uncle Nonny

EVA OLCI Policy

Says LAX is an eligible OLCI airport. Also says you don't need to check in landside but you need to be checked in, with documents, at least T-30 at the gate. As others have said...might be risky on a transcontinental and depending where you are sitting on your first leg.

Often1

Note that BR requires passengers to be at the departure gate no later than T-30. Thus, you have 55 minutes, not 1:25, to make it from seated in your AA aircraft, off that aircraft and over to BR.

The remainder is all about your risk tolerance because you bear the risk. If you no show, BR may well cancel your ticket (the entire ticket out and back) and then sell you a new ticket at walk-up prices on the next available flight. It might simply rebook you as a courtesy or it might require you to pay a change fee. No way of telling until you are dealing with a BR agent at LAX.

If you are comfortable with the risk, then book. If you are not, fly in the night before and overnight at LAX.

While there are some services which are routinely late and some routinely early or ontime, do not rely on historical information for a single journey. Whether the jetbridge jams or some passenger requires medical attention on arrival is outside the odds.

MightyTravels

If you are connecting from SFO keep in mind that LAX/SFO have major fog problems leading to delays and cancellations. Hardest hit are usually other West Coast flights - this has tripped me up a few times.

Security at TBIT has long lines from 10 AM - 2PM and there is no TSA Pre line (you can go through Terminal 4 security though if you have a TSA Pre boarding pass).

QueenOfCoach

Too risky for me, personally. I would fly in the night before and stay in an airport hotel. YMMV.

JDiver

Yup, this. SFO runway pairs have less than standard separation, so the FAA requires SFO to revert to one runway of each pair for many weather conditions other airports aren’t affected by.

Lots of hotels at LAX, and often decently priced. This would likely be my choice under similar circumstances.

Austin787

If the flight is more than 3 months out, there could be schedule changes which result in the AA flight arriving LAX later which cuts into your already tight connection.

Best options are:
1) Book an earlier AA flight
2) Fly into LAX the night before as others have suggested
3) Book a later EVA flight

mvoight

Ah, the Bradley to Bradley connection..............
I had no idea AA flew from BDL to LAX nonstop