I am hoping to come back from from OGG on UA on a thursday night and connect on to NW. My flight should arrive at 11:13pm in the UA terminal and my NW flight departs at 12:35am. I have done this before but with the additional security would I have a problem making my flight? I have e tickets and my luggage will have already been checked through to MSP. Does anyone think I would have trouble with changing terminals and getting my boarding passes or should I take an earlier flight and have over a 3 1/2 hour layover to be on the really safe side?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Gwen

[This message has been edited by ges123 (edited 10-15-2001).]

If it was me and I was in OGG right now...I'd stay put...it's getting COLD here in NE Ohio.

Myself I'd play it safe and take the earlier flight, but then I haven't been through LAX since 9/11.

I flew MSP to LAX on 10-13-01, and LAX-MSP on 10-14-01 on NWA. In LAX for my return trip, from the time I got off the National car rental shuttle, until I sat down in the World Club was eight minutes. I used an e-ticket kiosk, and had no checked bags. Smooth in Terminal Two(at 1:30PM on a Sunday).

Terminal One (Southwest) however, was massively crowded, the longest lines I have ever seen. The National bus driver said the estimate was 2,000 people in line. The line snaked back and forth in front of the Terminal. I could see hundreds myself outside in line waiting to get in. The bus driver claimed the line for United was worse. A lady on the bus used her cell phone to call her son who was going to LAS on an earlier flight. She got him on the phone in the Terminal, and was told it took 90 minutes to get inside.

I do not know if the above is typical or even correct (as far as the bus driver's info regarding United, because I got off at T2). It seems to me that you will be ok, even if you have to exit through a zoo at United. Once you get to T2, I hope you find it as open as I did and you can scoot through security (one person in line before me, no wanding of me, nor was my bag opened). The keys are: one carry on bag only and use the e-ticket kiosks. These two precautions will save you massive amounts of time.

I think you will be make it just fine.


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I will recommend to take an earlier flight to avoid missing your connection.
The problem is going thru the security check. I just came back on NW from HNL. There is a 30 - 40 minutes waits to go thru the security check at LAX. If you count the time you catch the bus from UA terminal to NW, and NW required you to check in at least 20 minutes before the depature, you are really cutting close.

Actually, I think 13 hours will be more than enough time to connect...

(arrive 11:13pm, depart 12:35pm)

(Just goofing)

Thanks Shinkansen for catching my mistake!!

I have never used an e-ticket kiosk checkin before. Is it pretty simple?

Gwen

Bookexp:

It looks by your address that you must have ended your flight in LAX. Am I understanding you correctly then that you had to go through security after you got off the plane? If that's the case then I wonder if my 2 hour connection from NW to UA on the way out to OGG will be enough. What do you think? AR: 9:00am NW DP: 11:00 UA

Gwen

I would take an earlier flight out of OGG. Too many variables to do otherwise. Flight delays come to mind, which would leave you no margin of error.

ges123, your outbound flight should be fine. There is no security check after getting off your NW flight to exit the terminal. The quickest route from NW Terminal 2 is after exiting the lower baggage claim level, proceed (in the direction of Encounters Restaurant) on the sidewalks adjacent to the parking structures. Continue on toward Terminals 6, 7 or 8 (all have UA gates) which should take you approximately five minutes plus without luggage. You, of course will need to go through security for your UA flight.

My previous post pertained to your return trip. A couple of your posts snuck in on me.

Good luck and happy travels!

[This message has been edited by MRLIMO (edited 10-15-2001).]

Gwen,

The e-kiosks are the only way to go (assuming you have an e*ticket and not paper!). At Ternminal Two in LAX the e-kiosk is built into the NW check in counter at the far right side as you face the counter. I find it easiest to use my Worldperks card. You simply put the card in and pull it out like an ATM. The screen displays your name and WP#. It displays your flight/seat info and asks if you want to make any changes. If not, push no and the two questions regarding have you been keeping an eye on your bags, and has anyone asked you to carry anything come up. Just touch the correct answers on the touch screen. It also asks how many bags you want to check (zero!). The whole process takes perhaps 30 seconds. It then prints your boarding pass. I do not think there will be much of any wait at the e-kiosk.

Use the boarding pass and your photo ID at the foot of the escalators. The security person will let you up the escalator. There is a potential wait here, although there was none on Sunday when I passed through. Any line should move quickly, as nothing is being inspected except your ID and boarding pass.

At the top of the escalator is the regular security. Here could be a big delay. I breezed through, but this is where you could run into trouble. Once through, you're good to go.

I have read the posts above, and I am confused as to whether it is thought you will have to clear any security at the United terminal. I do not think you will, just fight through the crowds and get on the shuttle bus. The buses go MUCH faster now that no private cars can come to the terminals.

I think you are vulnerable to delay at two points:

1. The United flight itself is delayed.

2. Long line at security at top of escalators at T2.

The rest, getting out of the United terminal, the shuttle bus, the e-kiosk, the check at the base of the escalators should not be problem areas.

(note there are two up escalators now, not one up and one down as before - if the line is long at the first you come to, the other is perhaps 15 yards beyond near the Virgin counter area, but it will be slightly out of sight)


Good luck.

[This message has been edited by Shinkansen (edited 10-15-2001).]

One more thought.

You could check in for your NW flight using the online check in (up to 24 hours before your flight). Then, tell the shuttle driver to drop you by the doors opposite the escalators at T2(or tell him Virgin). This will save you the time at the e-kiosk, and the walk from the kiosk to the escalators (perhaps 100 yards). This may save you only 3-4 minutes, but it could be helpful if you are trying to hurry.

Many thanks to all of you. And my husband wonders why I spend so much time on the computer.

Gwen

Ges123,
NW is terminal 2, UA is termianl 6,7,8. I don't know which terminal UA departs its flight to OGG, but I can tell you UA's terminal is infamous for the crowd, only second to SW.
When you get off NW, you need to catch Shuttle Bus A to UA terminal, I will estimate 20 minutes for this. Security check on UA, to estimate the worse, 50 minutes. I think two hours are enough for you to get the connection as long as you don't check in any lugguages at LAX.
I am not sure you can walk from NW terminal to UA terminal at this point. I know the security is pretty high on those parking structures. If you could, it will not be difficult because the traffic at LAX is really light now (they ban all private vehicles into LAX).
I went to OGG in May. Absoultely beautiful. Make sure you try the bicycle ride from the vocano. Also reserve the Old Lahaina Luau as early as you can. There are many discussion at the Trip Report about Maui. Do a search and you won't regret it.

I've flown from LAX on NW 5 times since 9/11. If you get on online boarding pass the day before or use the eTicket kiosk you shouldn't have any delay. The lines seems to be for the ticket counter, not security. The opposite is true at MSP, there the lines are for security and the ticket counter lines are nearly empty.

Connected from International terminal (Alaska) to Terminal 3 (Alaska) yesterday at 8:30 p.m. Time including walk after clearing customs to gate 31B at end of T3 approximately 15 minutes including time spent asking security people the gate location and having my new Mexican nail clippers scanned, my briefcase searched and the alleged nail file being broken off and tossed. There were no lines. We breezed through except for above. You are coming in even later and I would expect that the terminals will be fairly deserted.