If you had to go west coast - CVG via red-eye, what would you choose?
 

I have to be in CVG, departing LAX in a few months. Because of commitments on both ends, I can’t leave LA before 8pm, and I need to be at a meeting in Cincinnati at 8am.

Let me first say that I really, really, REALLY hate red-eyes. To boot, DL doesn’t have a red-eye on this route, at least on the date I need to go.

There are a few options:

1) Take the LAX-IND red-eye flight on DL. This would get me in at around 5:45 am. I would rent a car and drive the 100 miles, getting just a bit late to my meeting.
2) I could take a connection via any DL hub. That would get me to CVG closer to 9.
3) If I must take a connection, no need to stick with Delta. Are there better, more comfortable options our there? (I don’t think AA or UA offer lie flat red eyes via ORD - or via anywhere else except for NYC).

I just selected a random date and it shows a Delta nonstop departing LAX at 9:51pm and arriving CVG at 5:00am +1.
What is the exact date of travel?

The flight does not operate on Mon/Tue through Sep 8th, and then changes to a daytime flight on Sep 13th.

While I see that flight through August, it’s not available (as of now) in September and beyond.

I take the LAX CVG red eye a few times a month since i am based out of CVG(Dayton actually). As a matter of fact, i am taking it this Thursday evening/Friday am. It is offered only a few times a week(I forget exactly what days) but i plan my trips around its availability to get me home.

Keep in mind: there are also red eyes to CVG from LAS and SEA now. Maybe you go from LAX to one of those and connect on the red eye out of LAS or SEA? Just may give you more options. I have taken both recently.

Shows it's still available on 9/2. To be honest, you don't really have any good options in your situation. The nonstop is the best for sure, but if that isn't available then I'd probably do your LAX-IND and drive. That will guarantee you the best control over your arrival time to your meeting in the morning. Again, it's not going to be pleasant, but it will get the job done.

checking a random date (Tue 14 Sep):
LAX-LAS lv 845p ar 1001p
LAS-CVG lv 1045p ar 522a

these flights don’t show up when searching LAX-CVG on the app, so either:
(1) LAS isn’t a published connection point between LAX and CVG, or
(2) minimum connecting time in LAS is 45 min

If you have to be in CVG by 8 AM, getting into IND at 5:45 AM isn’t going to allow you to get to Cincinnati by 8:00 AM. It’s 1 hr 56 min in current traffic (10:00 PM) from IND (west of downtown Indianapolis) to downtown Cincinnati. Factor in getting off the plane and getting a rental car and you won’t be in Cincinnati by 8:00 especially once you factor in traffic (At least there’s no time zone difference to deal with). Note that because the Brent Spence (I-71/75) bridge that crosses the Ohio River (even if you don’t have to) is under major rework, traffic is horrendous in Cincinnati right now, especially during Rush Hour. You’ll have to factor this in if you fly into CVG too since you have to cross the river from Kentucky to get to Cincinnati, be it across the Brent Spence or via the 471 bridge, and traffic crossing the 471 bridge is awful too due to the traffic trying to get downtown that is being rerouted.

Keep all of this in mind regardless of what option you select.

I’d agree. The Delta flight from LAS would work, but the connection to get you there cuts it close. You could do WN from BUR or LAX and make the DL red eye from LAS. Depending on where you are in LA, Burbank might save you some time.

I don't know. I think the OP would probably make it. The flight, even more than most, is likely to be early. The rental cars are onsite in IND (but are they open at that hour?). Two hours is a generous estimate to Cincinnati. There will be little 465 traffic at that hour. I-74 EB will be a ghost town eastbound at least to Harrison. Yes, traffic could pick up and slow toward the end of the journey depending upon exactly where the destination is.

OH WOW! That's crazy that that flight isn't available after Sept 1. I used to take that flight all the time during football season, which is basically September. That's a shame.

As you've already noticed, flight 1252 is the earliest arrival and it's ~50 minutes after the start of your meeting, so that's a no go. As noted above, bridge traffic will have you backed up almost all the way to 275 and overflow traffic is slowing down both I-471 and the Anderson Ferry (bring dollar bills). Both take the same amount of time but on the ferry you're just sitting on a boat instead of in traffic... as long as it's not raining... rain and cincinnati drivers is another story for a different forum.

I personally wouldn't recommend going to IND. It's closer to 125 miles from Cincy. My best time in traffic getting home was 1:15 and it was by no means legal. Indiana cops don't mess around either so just don't risk it.

There is a SAN-LAS-CVG flight that that leaves at 9:51 and gets in at 7:05... But its on Frontier... And you'd have to be hoofing it.

If you could get that meeting moved to 10:00, then the best option I see would be (for a random date in sept) would be 10:25 out of ONT-CLT-CVG arriving at 8:58AM. There are unfortunately no perfect solutions.

You know, you do have a point actually. Indy doesn't have the same problem with reverse rush hour as Cincy does. Bring a radar detector, use Waze and you probably could make it on time unless the meeting is over on the east side.

That’s too tight for me if it’s important for me to be somewhere which is why is suggested the WN flight to LAS. AA and Jet Blue also have departures from LAX to LAS right around 8. AA wouldn’t require a terminal switch at LAS.

funny, I chose the same date to check randomly.

Fwiw, my meeting is on a Sunday morning. Traffic should be negligible.

;) that would have been *REALLY* good bit of information to start :cool:

the probability of a Sat night redeye arriving 15-20 min early is pretty high