Transiting through LAX During COVID-19 Pandemic
 

My partner and I are returning to AUS from AKL via LAX in mid Jan after waiting out much of the pandemic in NZ. No choice but to return so we're naturally a bit paranoid compared to folks who have had to deal with it every day. What's the best way to get to AUS via LAX? ANZ flight arrives around 1 pm so no direct flights possible. We are *G, flying in J.
1. Fly on United to IAH; drive from there.
2. Take a DL flight at 6.30 pm (but will likely have to take six suitcases clear across LAX from TBIT to T2. Also, no lounge access)
3. End flight at LAX; drive from there to AUS (25 hrs of nonstop driving! Also, potential breach of quarantine regs?)
4. Spend night in LA; fly direct to AUS next am.

Any suggestions?

Option 4

Option 4 may not be viable.

Currently, California's Regional Stay at Home Order forbids hotels and other short term rentals from accepting or honoring out-of-state reservations for non-essential travel. There is an exception for reservations that are for the minimum length of time required for quarantine if the guests will quarantine in the hotel until after the quarantine period has expired.

Please take a look at this post in the California forum: Email from Hyatt re: upcoming stay in LA:

I would do 1.

At LAX, DL uses the two terminals that are next to TBIT, to the left as you exit. You should be able to keep the wheeled baggage carts from the international baggage claim and customs to wheel the luggage to DL check in, but prepare to pay checked bag fees unless you purchase domestic FC tickets since you don't seem to have status with DL or partners. Also, DL isn't service meals on board domestic flights, only snacks (and a nicer snack box for FC) plus wine and beer in FC and C+ only (free and not available for purchase in coach).

Terminal 3 is currently closed due to COVID-19.

Fly LAX:

Or any flights to DFW or SAT and then drive?
Great Circle Mapper

Pity you cannot stay in (covid-19 free) New Zealand

On connecting flights with same PRN, you should be able to recheck your luggage at TBIT before leaving the secured area so if you can book your NZ and UA flight on the same ticket, this maybe the way to go.

If you are booking separate flights, you may not be able to recheck your luggage at TBIT (it depends on if the relevant airlines have staff at the recheck station when you show up) so you should think about the logistic of walking vs. shuttle bus ride. NZ to UA transfer is a 20 min walk or a 10 min shuttle ride (TBIT stopping at T4, T5, T6, and get off at T7). NZ to DL transfer is a under 10 min walk (TBIT to T2 walk clockwise direction - turn left after exiting TBIT).

If you walk, you can keep the free luggage carts from TBIT custom area. If you take the shuttle, you have to abandon your free cart at TBIT curbside, load the luggage on the bus, unload the luggage from the bus, take it inside the terminal.

Basically, if you can book a single NZ or UA ticket AKL-IAH, that is the best. If you are booking two separate AKL-LAX and LAX-XXX flights, I prefer DL in this case since the transfer at LAX is simpler and walk is shorter and you will have luggage carts, and it gets me directly to AUS rather than IAH.

Edit: booking separate tickets on DL means you have to pay checked luggage fee... so another thing to consider. Staying with UA at least your *G status comes into play on luggage fee.

I have had no issues staying at airport hotels during overnight transit.

When?

The most recent Regional Stay At Home Order was issued by the California Department of Public Health on December 3, 2020.And a Supplemental Order was published on December 6, 2020.The ICU capacity in Los Angeles County is currently at 4.2%.

Dec 5 and this past weekend

Moderator's Note: Keep the Political Debate out of the Los Angeles forum!
 

California restricts essential hotel lodging as follows:And:This is an informational forum. If you wish to argue or debate whether overnighting on a trip should qualify as essential, please do so in OMNI/PR (access is restricted to members who have been on FlyerTalk for 180 days and posted 180 messages).

Future messages opining what should qualify as accommodation for essential travel will be summarily deleted without further notice!

Thank you for understanding,

TWA884
Moderator

One or four would be my choices. Driving from IAH to AUS after that will be brutal but at least there’s two of you to deal with it. A night at LAX wouldn’t be the worst thing either. Rest, regroup, and move on.

Schlepping all your stuff from TBIT to T2 to catch a miserable DL flight with no lounge and no shower, no thanks. Driving from LA to AUS, not a chance.

It's 160 miles from IAH to AUS. Having driven it many times, it is about 3.5 hours.

I suspect that if you were exhausted, you could overnight in Houston and either fly the remainder of the itinerary to AUS or drive the next day refreshed and more alert.

In any event, #1 would be my option.

I'd go for 1, with 2 a close second, and 4 being acceptable. That long flight followed by a 25 hour drive doesn't sound like fun.

bzcat's summary is pretty complete, but I'll add that the walk to DL or UA from TBIT isn't likely to be bad at all, and might even be a nice opportunity to stretch your legs after a long flight. The sidewalks haven't been crowded at LAX throughout the pandemic, so two people rolling through with two carts should be pretty relaxed. I've flown in and out of LAX a number of times through all this and have yet to get on a shuttle. I walk to the LAXit lot or QuikPark (just off airport) from T6, and it's been fine. You won't even have to worry about the off chance of rain, since you aren't crossing the U or going off airport.

I arrived at TBIT on Thursday. I was not rechecking luggage so I didn’t pay too close attention, but I’m pretty sure the baggage recheck area was closed and they were making announcements that passengers needed to bring their luggage to their connecting terminal.

TBIT recheck area is not open 24/7 in non-COVID times so depending on when you arrived, this maybe just business as usual. But it may have reduced hours with COVID as well.

But the underlying point remains... when doing Int'l to domestic transfer at TBIT, you have to assume you have to take the luggage with you. Don't count on TBIT recheck.

Thanks for all these options, folks. This has been really helpful. Looks like option 4 is out of the picture, option 3 has been advised against considerably, which leaves 1 and 2. I've booked refundable fares in the first class cabin for both and will make a final decision closer to the day we leave.

For anyone who's interested, here's what I have settled on as the most Covid-safe option.
Ask Air NZ at AKL to check bags through to IAH- should still be possible even though they are separate tickets as it is *A and within 24 hrs of departure.
Arr on NZ6 at TBIT at 1 pm.
Go through immigration, pick up suitcases, recheck them at TBIT.
Go through security at TBIT and head to *A lounge (Air NZ *G or UA *G status should let us in)
Head to T7 using airside walkway for departure to IAH at 6.30 pm
Limo pickup (with sneeze screen!) at IAH at baggage claim.

Fingers crossed it all works out.

Sounds like the only likely hitch would be if you can't recheck and have to bring bags to T7 yourself. LAX is still pretty quiet, so it should be easy to push a cart from TBIT to T7 landside if you have to, whether you do the whole thing outside or go inside for part of it.

Hey all,

I dont want to open a new thread, so thats why I am asking here.

We are arrival from europe next week and thinking about to exit at LAX (we have to go to LAS), but would prefer by car instead of another short flight.

Is that (arrival from outside of the US and exiting the state by car directly) currently possible or do we have to isolate ourselves for 14 days?

The best source for information will always be the official website of the jurisdiction you are entering. In this case California.

https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID...-Advisory.aspx

As of today, quarantine for 14 days is recommended but not required and that does not preclude leaving the state before the 14 days have expired. As has been the case for months, arrival into California for other than essential travel is discouraged but not prohibitted.

In addition, you should pay attention to timing. This is a significant drive after a long flight and you almost certainly will not be able to stay at a hotel in southern California.

I believe that page has not been updated to the 1/25's lift of the limited stay at home order. We are now back to Purple Tier system.

Are you US citizens or Lawful Permanent Residents?

CDC - Travelers Prohibited from Entry to the United States

No but have a VISA.

Regardless of whether you have a visa, unless you are a diplomat or have certain family members who are US citizens or lawful permanent residents, you will not be permitted to enter the US or even board a flight to the US.

That subject is off topic for this thread and is better discussed in the Coronavirus and travel forum.

thank you so much, but we do have an NIE.

With the single entry NIE-tied visas for EUropeans I’ve seen sent to the US for medical industry purposes last month and earlier, it wasn’t a problem for them to pick up a car at LAX after a night’s stay at an LAX area hotel before driving to Arizona and Nevada and afterwards too before they came back my way.

Assuming that you are allowed into the country, it is extremely unlikely that anyone at the rental car office or hotel will know or care when you arrived or what your quarantine plans are. The restrictions on hotel stays in CA has been lifted, and there was never any restriction on rental cars.

I have an Aussie friend who's heading back to BNE for a 6-month stay and he's aware that a negative COVID PCR test taken within 72-hours of departure is now required to enter U.S. from Canada and that even as a Canadian Permanent Resident (PR), he needs a U.S. ESTA but beyond that are there any other restrictions for connecting in LAX? He has about 6-hours between his arrival flight from Canada and his onward connecting flight to AKL on Air New Zealand.

The California stay-at-home order has been lifted for all regions as of Monday, January 25. Currently, there are no restrictions other than those for entering the US from abroad.

Will he have been in Canada for all of the 14 days preceding the scheduled day of transit in the US? If so, then it should fly no problem for him to get from Canada to LAX with an ESTA. Even if not, it depends on where he has been during the 14 days prior to heading to the US.

Yes, he's a Canadian resident and has been here for far more than 2-weeks.

Thanks for the info as there are so many new rules it's possible to overlook one.

Quarantine / Transit LAX
 

Please advise:
on 10 March...
Will I be able to connect in LAX without quarantining?
I arrive from FLL at ~1000 on Jet Blue and depart ~1300 on UA to DEN.
I do not plan to leave LAX during the ~3-hour layover.

There was never a quarantine requirement for transit passengers and the present quarantine requirement is only for the those who have had recent contract with a COVID positive individual

Excellent!! Thank you!
I had been able to find a lot about the mandatory quarantine but not re transiting pax's.

Does this apply to LA county as well? I'll be flying into SNA and eventually driving to LAX to drop the car later that day before overnighting and flying out the following morning. I guess once I drop the car I'll head to the hotel and won't leave anyway so it's a moot point but just curious since I thought it was still a 10 day quarantine.