Mapquest shows it as 41 miles , so by the time you get out of LAX and on the freeway you need to add 10-15 minutes if you are lucky,

if you could make it from LAX terminal to SNA terminal in an hour you are doing good,

and this does not include renting a car and returning it !

Rally

Another pitch for LGB....
...distance to SNA is 22 miles
...most of the traffic on I-405 between LAX and SNA is N of LGB
...you will be out of LGB with your bags and car in 10 min flat (no rent-a-car bus)

You absolutely without question want to fly into SNA. I have flown them all thousands of times and often inbound on one and outbound on another. LGB used to be a great nice airport until Jet Blue overloaded the facilities at Long Beach. I have flown in and out of all three, LAX,SNA,LGB thousands of times. The only reason not use SNA is they shut the airport down late evening. You can get plenty of real jets going from PHX to SNA.

Funny, SkiAdcock, I think all of the non-LA residents who posted, view the drive from the perspective of occasional LA drivers and to us, the traffic is just an awesome thing!

No doubt, SNA.

You can do IAD-SFO-SNA on UA.

But why would you *want* to fly via SFO?

SFO is among the most subject to delays and bumps in the nation...

DEN, PHX, or DFW all look like better options to me.

Try to avoid flights scheduled to arrive SNA after 9pm. If it's delayed enough to miss the 11pm curfew (10pm weekends), the flight will divert to LAX.

Other options-

ONT- About 45 minute drive to the SNA area if there is no traffic. Traffic from that direction into Orange County is absolutely horrific in the morning, and reverses itself in the evening. But I'm assuming you'd arrive in the evening and will be going in the "good" direction.

SAN- Since you want to avoid driving, the Amtrak station is a 10 minute cab ride from the airport (there may even be shuttles). There is fairly frequent train service and the trip to Irvine is about 80 minutes. Most but not all trains stop in Irvine. It's about 10 miles to SNA from the station. Late at night, you may have a long wait for a cab. The station mainly serves commuters. It's in a very safe area so there's no issue waiting around the station late at night.

CLD- United Express has service from LAX and you might be surprised and find a low IAD-CLD fare. There are several Amtrak stations about 5 miles away, I believe Encinitas is the closest.

I'd even consider driving from SAN or CLD. I live 15 miles south of SNA and the drive to SAN is only 15-20 minutes longer than to LAX. If there is any traffic, SAN wins. Driving tip coming from the south- Route 73 is a toll road that bypasses the "El Toro Y" (I-5 / I-405 junction). It's expensive and under-used, so you can breeze right up to SNA if the traffic report says the "Y" is congested.

Unfortunately not having a car in The OC here is a major handicap. (There's a reason why the US HQ and design studios of many car and motorcycle manufacturers are in the county.)

BTW, another post suggested IAD-LAX-SNA. UA is discontinuing LAX-SNA service soon, I don't recall the date.

Hope this helps, have a good trip!

Allow me to introduce you to my biggest enemy, ORD. :D

DEN? Not in the winter. Summer it's okay.

I would connect in SFO for a few reasons. 1) It's a 4.5-5 hour flight so for working on the plane, one has a significant duration to complete tasks. 2) Service is typically a touch better on transcon routes. 3) On UA, great chance of getting a 3-cabin aircraft.

AV? MV? :D CLD is a great little airport if you're in south OC.

LAX-SNA was discontinued on Jan 6, 2008.

In the MV area :) Not too many people are even aware of CLD, or think of it as an option. I still remember just after 9/11, UA had a CLD-BWI fare for IIRC $120 RT! I almost visited friends, but had something already going on.

I have loved flying in and out of SNA on AA. Only complaint is the usual late equipment coming in from DFW to return to DFW. However it does allow more time at the Oasis Grill & Sky Lounge. Ask for Coach or Kim, they both make a great Bloddy Mary

SNA is great minus the lack of any public transportion :td:

LGB to LAX
 

We're flying IAD-LGB on Friday, arriving 4.15pm, departing LAX on an international flight @10.30pm. Would be grateful for any advice on how best to get from LGB to LAX, plus any tips on somewhere to get a reasonable early evening meal (not at LAX).

Thanks

For $39+Tip, I used Supershuttle to make this same exact trip after a flight to LGB on B6. Although I do have some bad Supershuttle stories, in this instance I would recommend it.

LGB is a small enough airport so it was easy to find the pick-up point, and the Supershuttle van that was there to pick us up was waiting for us on our arrival. The driver even called me to let me know he was there and I got a message when I turned my phone on right after landing. My sense is most people who use Supershuttle are headed into L.A., so while there was another couple in the van, we were dropped off first, since LAX is on the way to downtown.

I know you're flying out on JetBlue but this is better suited for Los Angeles Forum. I'll be moving it over there.

You might check the major car rental agencies...
...most allow drop-off from LGB - LAX with no one-way fee. That way you can go get a nice meal somewhere between the two w/o freting what to do with your luggage.

^^^^
Your LGB rent-a-car with free drop should cost less than a shuttle. For enroute dining, try the Hokkaido Buffet, 3030 Cherry Av, Long Beach (405N to Cherry Av N and make an immediate U-turn).

I'd second the car rental idea if there's no drop off fee. If you have a car there are plenty of places in Manhattan Beach you could eat at. MB is 10-15 from car rental agencies/LAX. If you wanted a view of planes landing, Proud Bird is an option near LAX. They have 'early bird' pricing that ends either at 6-6:30pm - ie, orders must be placed by then. Cheers.

Thanks to everyone for the advice - I booked with Alamo, no one-way fee. NZ (via Manhattan Beach) here we come!

Travel time
 

Hi LAX experts! I'll be in Palm Springs until Saturday this week, and will drive to LAX to catch the 21.15 BA flight back to London. Considering 2.5 hours check-in and dropping-off the rental car (AVIS), what time do you reckon it'd be safe to leave PS and drive over to LAX? Do you also suggest a particular routing, or areas to avoid for the drive to the airport?

Many thanks!

Similar information may be found in this older thread; hope this helps!

The route I would avoid is the 60 Freeway where it branches off the 10 near Beaumont. Take the 10 instead; it's wider and safer.

http://flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=731620

Thanks for this and posting the other link! Most useful! Let's hope I won't get lost around LA!!

I'll be arriving on AS 562 PDX-LAX at 9:02 am on May 25 in seat 6F and with no checked luggage. PDX-LAX flights on AS have a good (89%) on-time rating.

I'm attempting to catch the northbound Coast Starlight train leaving Union Station at 10:15 am.

Talk about cutting it close.

The Flyaway bus leaves LAX for LAUS at the top and bottom of each hour, and it's about a 30-minute drive between the two.

So, if the bus is late leaving LAX, I might be able to run out and catch the 9:00 departure, getting me to LAUS at ~9:30 or a hair later (9am traffic is hopefully past rush-hour, and I think the bus uses the 105 and 110 freeways with carpool lanes). That'd be perfect.

If I miss the 9:00, there's a bus at 9:30, which would theoretically get me to Union Station by 10:00, leaving me literally seconds to print my ticket from the Quick Track machine and find the Starlight's departure track.

What do y'all think? Is this doable? (I like to live by the seat of my pants...) At the worst, I'd miss the train and have to rebook for a later Pacific Surfliner.

If the consensus here is that I'm crazy and I'd never make it, I can think of two other options: take the Van Nuys Flyaway and then a cab to the Van Nuys Amtrak station or pay an extra $40 or so and book the nonstop ANC-LAX flight that gets in at 7am (I'd only be losing 30 total BIS miles by skipping the layover in PDX--I'm surprised it's so few, but I guess an ANC-LAX Great Circle route really does parallel the length of the West Coast...)

What would your recommendation be? (Part of my problem is it's an idealogical drive of mine to pay as little as possible for airfare, so even though it's only $40 difference and it would make my life a lot easier (though I don't mind connections and even enjoy them, usually), I feel like I'm losing at the game if I pay any more than necessary...)

The Flyaway buses do not leave right at departure time. That is when they begin their loop through the terminal road horseshoe. While it should be pretty quiet on a Sunday during the Memorial Day holiday, expect at least a 13-14 minute delay before it heads out from the last terminal (#7). I've been picked up at T-7 dozens of times, and always note when the bus arrives. On a busy day, it can take up to 25 minutes for the bus to leave LAX.

So in theory the 9:00am bus would get you to Union Station just in time, but not the 9:30.

I've had very good luck with using the Fly-Away bus from LAX to Union Station. Three out of four trips have left on-time and four out of four trips it has arrived early (5-10minutes early).

STILL, I would not want to miss the Coast Starlight. I would not take the FlyAway at 9:30 unless you really do not want to spend the money for a shuttle or cab.

Can you standby for an earlier AS flight?

I'm not 100% sure how AS's standby for earlier flight program works, but I'm pretty sure you can. They also have an option to confirm an earlier flight during the check-in process for $25.

But the more I think about it, the more I realize the sane option is to book the ANC-LAX nonstop that arrives at 7am--it's only $15 more than confirming the flight at web check-in, and the mileage earned is practically the same (I've been corrupted by the ideals of mileage runs, which is why it's hard to pay more than necessary--as I said, it's a game!) I think I'm going to go ahead and book that.

Thanks for the tips. If I were arriving at 8:45, I might risk doing it, but 9:03 is just too close for comfort--and that's saying a lot for me! :D

When should I leave San Diego to catch a 4PM flight from LAX?
 

Hi, I'm going on a leisure trip to California next month flying in and out of LAX. I have booked a hotel in San Diego (close to Sea World) for the last night as I got a very good deal (=free).

When do we have to start driving towards LAX to be sure we won't miss our 4PM flight back to Europe? I have heard the traffic is pretty heavy in the LA-area.

If it makes any difference; we're talking about a weekday here (Friday).

Thanks in advance for all replies :)

I missed my NW flight to Asia a couple of years ago trying to return the rental car at LAX and taking their bus back to the terminal. So make sure you allow yourself enought time!!

Friday will be one of worst days, unfortunately.

For Inter. flights, you'll like have to be at LAX by 1:30 or so. It will take you about 3-3 1/2 hours from SD to LAX at that time of day...could be more or a bit less.

You might wish to avoid Interstate 405 between Long Beach and LAX since it always seems to be the worst. Once you connect with the I-405 in Orange County (it'll be the I-5 from SD to OC), then you might consider taking the I-605 north to the I-105 and then taking the I-105 west to LAX. It may be less of a problem. It sounds more complicated than it really is...take a look at a map and you'll see it's pretty straight forward and the 605 and 105 tend to be less congested than the 405 (which I try to avoid like the plague).

The other alternative is to leave SD first thing to try to avoid the afternoon traffic crunch, get close to LAX and stop off for lunch along the beach...Redondo Beach, Manhattan Beach, Venice, etc. which are all within 20 minutes or so of LAX.

Email back if you have any other questions.

Anyway you could pay a bit more and change your ticket to add on a SAN/LAX flight? Its a quick flight with a beautiful view and beats dealing with the 5/405. With timing for driving, its very hard to say. No traffic, you are looking at right around 2 hours, with traffic it could take 4 hours. I'd say leave about 9am or so. If you get to the LAX airport are quite early, head over to Dinahs Fried Chicken restaurant off of Sepulveda (just north of LAX). You'll have a great lunch and know you wont be worrying about missing your flight.

Under normal conditions, San Diego to LAX is ~2 hours, but there is a lot to go wrong, and Friday afternoon traffic can be particularly bad. Also if you are flying out of the TBIT and checking baggage, that adds time, because you have to go through the baggage screen separately after checking in, so even arriving 1 hour before youtr flight can be tight.

Allowing for the rental car return, setting out at 11 would not be over-cautious. I am 20 minutes closer to LAX than downtown, do not check bags, and can, at a pinch, park in short term; I would set out a little after 12 for a Friday 4pm TATL/Transpac.

I do not agree with this; if you want to plan to be there at least 2.5 hours before to avoid feeling stressed, than that is sensible, but for practical purposes, arriving 90 minutes before is very viable. Planning to arrive 90 minutes before would be unwise if checking bags, as it leaves little room for error. Similarly, 3.5 hours drive is very much a worst case situation at what would be Friday lunchtime - IOW, 3.5 hours includes all the margin for risk that you need.

When we fly out of LAX we usually leave SD about 4 hours before our flight so we have enough time to get there and check in. We don't have to wait in lines for security and check in, but we'll leave earlier to factor that in when necessary.

Friday afternoon traffic in SD on the 5N is also pretty bad. It will probably take you about 40min from La Jolla to get to Carlsbad on a Friday afternoon and that traffic starts anywhere around 1pm. Also depending when you're here the fair will be in Del Mar which adds even more time on the commute.

So for sake of sanity I'd leave San Diego around 11am to beat traffic and have time up in LA to not be rushed.

You should be OK leaving at noon. Traffic tends to start after 1 pm in SD and after 2 pm from SNA to 405/22 merge. For smth absolutely critical I would leave at 11 and, with time to spare, stop for lunch somewhere along the way (Irvine/Costa Mesa).

I often catch BR11 leaving LAX at 500:PM on Fridays. I drive from El Cajon to LAX. For the 5:00PM flight I leave at noon. I usually wind up checking in with about 1 1/2 hours before departure for this international flight, after parking lot and shuttle bus. But I have occasionally only made it with 45 minutes to spare due to traffic. I say 5 hours to be comfortable. For a domestic flight with OLCI maybe 4 hours but no less.

I live right between San Diego and Los Angeles. If you are planning to check-in 3 hours before your flight, I would say leave no later than 10:00 am. It will be a 2 hour drive minimum. You need to deal with the rental car at LAX, gas, etc, then take their shuttle to the airport. That could take you an hour.
That puts you at the terminal around 1:00 pm. So. Cal traffic stops to look at a cup in the road, so why get stressed out trying to make an international flight? Hope this helps...

Have you considered leaving your rental car in San Diego and taking Amtrak to LA? Less stressful, the Amtrak drops you off at Union Station in downtown LA, which is not a bad place to grab some lunch. (not the best, but not bad ;) ) and Union Station is cool!

Then a $3 Flyaway bus from Union Station to LAX.

This would be my choice, but then again I drive the 405 every day so I am sure as heck not driving it if I am on vacation! ;)

I don't think that most rental car companies allow a free drop off in SAN of a car picked up at LAX - having to pay a drop charge may well negate the savings gained from the free hotel room.....

It all depends on the rental car company. But in most cases you can do a one way rental without any major drop fee, rate increase, etc.

The last time I went from SD to LAX on a weekday (non-friday), it took a bit over 2 hours. (Road) travel wasn't extremely heavy. On a Friday, I'd probably leave San Diego at 11am (just to be safe) and not have to rush. If you have to check in luggage or return a rental car, that should give you enough time.

LAX airport is convenient from my experience, but you can't predict it. One time, the security line was really long and I went straight to the elite status line (much shorter, but it was still a line). By the time I got through, most people have boarded (I was the last of the two to board). I was only off by a few minutes, but it's it's actually one of few times when they either boarded earlier/on time rather than late. Go figure.

not to be disagreeable...but if I was not used to traveling through S. Cal on a Friday (any Friday), trying to catch a flight at LAX (any day of the week), no way to manage traffic, TSA, etc. and not wanting to worry about making my Int. flight, I would build-in cushion time on all ends. but, that's just me. to those like you, me, others who are more versed on this S. Cal/LAX chaos, my suggested timeline may be too conservative.