Flying into Burbank vs. LAX - worth the hassle of changing planes in PHX?
Mar 11, 2014, 7:54 pm
#31
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: SoCal
Programs: AA EXP, HHonors LTDia, Marriott Plat
Posts: 639
There's more to LAX than terminal location. For those of us who don't live in LA, we have to rent a car and the car rental shuttle takes forever from T1-->Hertz/Avis etc. If you hit it at the wrong time of day, it can take 30 minutes to work around the horseshoe and out to the rental car lot.
Mar 12, 2014, 1:33 am
#32
Join Date: May 2006
Location: TUS/PDX
Programs: WN CP/A-List, AS MVPG75K
Posts: 5,798
What I've started doing is walking over to T6. You can walk straight across by the USO/Theme Building or walk around upstairs. I get some exercise and it reduces the amount of traffic I'm sitting in. Of course you run the risk of getting packed busses. It's really a no win situation.
Mar 13, 2014, 2:46 pm
#33
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: OAK/SFO/SJC
Programs: AA Plat 2MM+, HHonors, Amtrak GuestRewards
Posts: 1,158
I LOVE LAX. I would never pick any other airport in the region. Now with US Airways gone from T1, it's even quicker going through security. I was there on Tuesday 3/4 at 8:15 am. 2nd person in the bag check line, TSA moved fast. From the time I was let out of the van shuttle to the time I got to gate 3, was a total of 19 minutes. From the time the plane left the gate to the time we were in the air, it was a total of 5 minutes. Tell me another major airport that happens at. And that is a regular occurrence for me at LAX.
One of my treasured LAX memories is a surreal rental car bus trip at about 10 pm on a warm summer night. Navigating past packed terminals, the bus, filled with stunned-looking passengers lit by dimly-flickering green and yellow lights, reached speeds of 3 to 5 mph. Because of the huge numbers of vehicles loading and unloading, plus the large number of people milling about the first two lanes, we never actually pulled to or even near the curb, but stopped instead 3 or 4 lanes out, similar to traffic patterns one might see in certain developing country cities (albeit not at their airports). The driver would yell in the direction of the curb. After awhile, the rental company customers would make it out to the bus (or not) and we would surge--well, crawl--forward another few feet, where we would stop again. It took about an hour to get to the rental car lot. At the almost completely dark lot, Exit arrows directed a stream of renters to a locked gate that was on the far side of the lot from the actual exit--and this was one of the major rental car companies. From touchdown to exiting the rental car lot was about 2 hours. I wouldn't give up that memory--but it does temper my desire to fly into (or out of) LAX.
Mar 14, 2014, 10:37 pm
#35
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: LAS
Posts: 1,525
All depends on where you are going. Plus Southwest has much more to offer at LAX vs. what they've been cutting back at BUR and ONT...with more flights to be added at LAX after the remodel of T1.
I DO NOT agree that it is quicker to get in and out of BUR compared to LAX for Southwest Airlines (currently there is NOBODY stopping in front of the former US Airways areas on either level at LAX...it's great!). I am a local and I know how to get into and out of LAX, especially with Southwest being at Terminal 1 which makes the shortcuts out easy. I know the roads to take either from car rentals or just plain out of the airport. Recent freeway construction on the 405 northbound near the Westfield Culver City (former Fox Hills mall) was completed a little over a week ago and a half ago and traffic flows just fine now past the bend near the Howard Hughes Center at all hours expect morning rush (but better than the last 2+ years). Construction on the 405 over the Sepulveda Pass is still a headache but it is getting better and in 6 months or so, it will all be done.
I live on the Westside and have most of my life. It's not as difficult to get around if you know what you're doing. Follow some Google traffic maps to start.
I DO NOT agree that it is quicker to get in and out of BUR compared to LAX for Southwest Airlines (currently there is NOBODY stopping in front of the former US Airways areas on either level at LAX...it's great!). I am a local and I know how to get into and out of LAX, especially with Southwest being at Terminal 1 which makes the shortcuts out easy. I know the roads to take either from car rentals or just plain out of the airport. Recent freeway construction on the 405 northbound near the Westfield Culver City (former Fox Hills mall) was completed a little over a week ago and a half ago and traffic flows just fine now past the bend near the Howard Hughes Center at all hours expect morning rush (but better than the last 2+ years). Construction on the 405 over the Sepulveda Pass is still a headache but it is getting better and in 6 months or so, it will all be done.
I live on the Westside and have most of my life. It's not as difficult to get around if you know what you're doing. Follow some Google traffic maps to start.
Mar 14, 2014, 11:00 pm
#36
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 5,813
Mar 16, 2014, 10:37 am
#37
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Los Angeles, California
Programs: IHG Diamond Elite, Hilton Diamond, Hertz President's Circle
Posts: 3,531
I'll enjoy in the next year a totally remodeled terminal devoted just to WN with brand new gates, a 3rd security area and more flights.
Mar 16, 2014, 12:31 pm
#38
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: LAS
Posts: 1,525
Mar 16, 2014, 8:04 pm
#39
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Los Angeles, California
Programs: IHG Diamond Elite, Hilton Diamond, Hertz President's Circle
Posts: 3,531
May 14, 2019, 1:58 am
#40
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Texas, USA
Programs: SPG Gold, Hilton Diamond, Club Carlson Gold, Hyatt Explorist, BA Bronze, BW Diamond Elite
Posts: 31
Don't know if the OP is still active or using the route, but Delta announced that starting July 8, 2019, they'll be flying non-stop ATL-BUR. I'm sure it'll be pricey though since they have no competition. You could always fly Southwest and connect in any number of cities including DAL, HOU, PHX, LAS, DEN, or MDW. MDW is probably not worth flying into BUR for though.
May 14, 2019, 3:15 am
#41
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2000
Location: RDU
Programs: AA LT Gold, DL SM, HY Disc, Marriott LT Gold
Posts: 12,507
I usually fly AA on LAX-ORD because I have lounge access and extra legroom, and the Uber from DTLA isn't that much worse. But I took the 3pm-ish BUR-MDW on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving and it was ridiculously easy.
May 14, 2019, 7:14 am
#42
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Nashville -Past DL Plat, FO, WN-CP, various hotel programs
Programs: DL-MM, AA, SW w/companion,HiltonDiamond, Hyatt PLat, IHF Plat, Miles and Points Seeker
Posts: 11,072
Avoiding LAX is worth lots.
As to family coming to get you... I would change for that reason alone. Though folks say it is no problem to come get you - it is just not right in my book to "force" folks to take an hour or two out of their life to give someone a ride.
As to family coming to get you... I would change for that reason alone. Though folks say it is no problem to come get you - it is just not right in my book to "force" folks to take an hour or two out of their life to give someone a ride.
May 14, 2019, 9:15 am
#43
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: SoCal
Programs: AA EXP, HHonors LTDia, Marriott Plat
Posts: 639
Don't know if the OP is still active or using the route, but Delta announced that starting July 8, 2019, they'll be flying non-stop ATL-BUR. I'm sure it'll be pricey though since they have no competition. You could always fly Southwest and connect in any number of cities including DAL, HOU, PHX, LAS, DEN, or MDW. MDW is probably not worth flying into BUR for though.
And for me, BUR is the best airport in the LA area to fly out of.