Commuting ATL-LAX?
 

I'm hoping someone could help me think through whether it's feasible to commute ATL-LAX for five or more years. The situation is that it would require commuting for perhaps 30 weeks out of the year, with time in LA for 2-4 nights per week (e.g., going out Monday and then returning on the Thursday night redeye). It might be feasible to buy a condo in the area, so housing is not the main issue. Commuting inside LA would likely be via Metro (again, not the main issue).

I know consultants do this kind of turn for multiple years, but it's a new consideration for me. I'd greatly appreciate any thoughts on that particular route, the longterm wear and tear, any other considerations, etc. For instance, purchasing the flights would be my responsibility.

Thanks in advance.

I am moving this thread to the FT Los Angeles Forum. I hope that some of our LAX-based friends will weigh in.
Thanks..
Obscure2k
TravelBuzz Moderator

I think the flying is the least of your concern. You seem to downplay commute within LA but I don't think you given this the proper consideration.

I would only contemplate something like this if my work location and residents are within walking or reasonable metro-accessible range from both ATL and LAX.

I do a moderate amount of flying for my work and it will be a deal breaker if I lived far from LAX. My house is a 15 min bus ride (3 stops on Rapid 3) from LAX. I can also uber or ride my bike to LAX. That's what made it tolerable.

Where is your work going to be in LA? Let's start with that...

Thanks!

This is very helpful advice. I really appreciate your thoughts on this. The location would be Expo Line at Expo Park/USC. :) Thanks again.

You'd want to find a way to LAX that reliably avoids the Sepulveda exit from the 105-- it's been very inconsistent lately and there have been a few times where the mile or so from the line to exit there to T1 was the longest part of my trip to LAX, and I'm coming from just north of Pasadena.

Transcon commuting can get old- for a couple years I was going LAX-IAD about once a month (generally 2-3 days on the ground, sometimes a week). A few times I had to do the RT with only a few days on the ground back at home, and those weren't a lot of fun. It was made worse by my day job usually being a commute Pasadena to Manhattan Beach (which is a horrible commute) and a lot of the trips to IAD on short notice over weekends. Another former poster here was commuting every week transcon across Canada, and it showed...it was clearly pretty hard on him, even when he didn't think so.

Bicycle or motorcycle? If bicycle, where do you park it when you travel? Or do you bring it?

We had a couple of consultants that did this and they lived in Manhattan Beach. Both LA and ATL are traffic hell so you really have to think about what you will be doing and where you will be going at each end of the flight. Also, it's a long flight. You'll have enough miles to do a lot of awesome stuff in your time off, but you're really going to be paying for it with time.. a lot of it in coach.

There is a large bike rack outside T1 arrival area. ;)

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/los-a...iking-lax.html