Hi, Im a first time poster and would like some help.
We (family of 5) fly in QF15 1100-0700 BRS-LAX on the 13 June.
I need to book LAX-LAS on the same day. We have never been to America.
What is a safe time to book the flight for, considering we have customs etc.
Who should i book with, so it is not too expensive, given the late booking notice?
Thanks for your help and advice.

3-4+ hours should be enough. United and US air have flights to LAS. It's quite expensive because it's so last minute -$161 oneway per/person. Normally, if u buy it early enough it's only ~$60. Southwest also has flights almost every hour $10 more expensive ~170..but bags are free to check in. United and US you'll have to pay ~15-20 p/bag.

If you're flexible on time and willing to change airports, Jetblue has a flight at 8PM out of Long Beach Airport(LGB) and it's only 114 per person. Not sure how willing you are to do that.. esp with 5people.

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At that price point, I'd rent a car and drive.

I'd suggest going with Southwest. No luggage fees or change fees if you miss your connection.

if you are getting a car at las, i would consider getting one at lax....you would probably get to las about the same time as by flying and a car is useful for local sightseeing.....good luck...

Welcome to Flyertalk.

Driving 4 hours across Los Angeles and up Interstate 15, east into the sun through a lot of featureless desert (barring garden spots like El Monte or Barstow), after an overnight transpac from Australia, when you're accustomed to driving on the opposite side of the road, may not necessarily be the best option.

On the other hand, there won't be much traffic and the car will probably be cheaper.

From LAX, Southwest (WN) has the greatest frequency of flights and the most liberal flight rules about flight changes/refunds. On the other hand, you won't be able to interline your bags all the way to LAS as you would with United (UA) or US Airways (US). Depending on the fare, there's a possibility you could accrue NZ Airpoints with UA or US, if that's of any interest. WN, UA, and US all fly out of different terminals from QF, so you'll need to switch terminals one way or another.

It takes about 4 hours in non-rush-hour to drive from LAX to Las Vegas and parts of it are very boring. I've done it many times but only after a relatively short daytime domestic flight. I'm not sure how many drivers are in your family but if you do decide to drive after your very long flight please consider your fatigue factor and plan accordingly.

I would drive straight from LAX, myself, because you'd be in Vegas by noon... but only if I felt rested. It's stressful to fight your way out of the LAX / Century Blvd area and through the city, then it's a dull featureless desert run for three hours or so to get to Vegas. If you've never been to America before, have to acclimate to driving on the right side, and you've been up for 24 hours on top of all that, perhaps driving isn't the best solution for you. Nodding off and running off the road in the middle of the desert is no way to start a vacation.

If you do fly, definitely book Southwest. Frequent flights, cheaper fares, no fees for checked bags, much easier recovery if you miss your plane because your inbound longhaul runs late, as they often do.

But the OP still have to collect baggage and clear customs anyway. Yes, it's easier to go to the connections desk and recheck the luggage, but in the grand scheme of things you'll still be responsible for moving luggage from one place to another regardless of which airline you fly on.

I usually try to rent with Budget for one way trips because they often don't impose drop charges. Unfortunately, they are not offering cars between LAX and Las Vegas on June 13.

But, I just checked Kayak and there a number of options for full sized cars under $200, for example:



$191 total
w/tax
Standard � Chevrolet Malibu
Alamo
LAX � 9020 Aviation Blvd (map)
Los Angeles
LAS � 7135 Gilespie St (map)
Las Vegas

Thanks for all your info and help.
We have decided not to drive. Even though its tempting, after a big flight with 3 kids, we will be a bit frazzled!
Thinking about southwest as an option, with the ability to change the flights if available.
How does southwest work? Do you need to check in by a certain time? I dont think we have a similar service in Australia, at least not one that i have used.
thanks

Go and have a look at www.southwest.com.

On Sunday 13 June there are LAX-LAS flights at 800a, 915a, 1025a, 1120a, and 1200p. The one-way fare is $161, which is a bit costly, but you're booking very close to the travel day so it can't be helped.

If your longhaul flight is due into LAX at 700am I would book the 1025a departure on Southwest. You will have to get through Customs at LAX, which can take forever, and then transfer terminals with all your baggage, checking your big bags with Southwest no later than 45 minutes before departure. Southwest goes from Terminal 1 at LAX; there's a free shuttle bus.

You can check in online with Southwest and print off your own boarding passes up to 24 hours before departure, so I should think you could do it before you leave Brisbane and bring them with you. If you don't manage that, just use the touch-screen kiosks in the lobby of Terminal 1 to check in. If you miss the 1025a, or miss the baggage deadline, just present yourself at the Southwest ticket counter at Terminal 1 and explain yourself, and they'll put you on the next flight with space. There are plenty of them.

Southwest is a little different in that there are no assigned seats, just a boarding order ("A," "B," and "C"-grade boarding passes)... but if you check in 24 hours in advance you'll have A-grade passes.

It's very easy to fly Southwest, and it's a quick hop up to Vegas -- less than one hour in the air.

If you have status with QF (oneWorld Ruby or higher), baggage feees would be waived on AA, due to the AA-QF alliance partnership. Fares are similar to those listed above for the other carriers.

You would also be able to credit your AA flight to your QF account(s) - the earnings base rate is 0.5 for discount economy, but still better than zero

http://www.qantas.com.au/fflyer/dyn/...ms#airlineearn

Additionally, your transfer from the Tom Bradley terminal (International Arrivals) to American's Terminal 4 would be the shortest possible of the various airlines, since Bradley Terminal and T4 are next to each other/

AA does not have hourly service, but they do have flights at approximately 09:30 and 12:30.

Southwest is like JetStar domestic. Strict check-in policies - for instance the 30 minute cut-off. The do have free baggage etc. Its free seating like JetStar was so when you book you get a boarding sequence which means if your in the second or last sequence you may not all be able to sit together.

They also only sell tickets through their website only and not the others like expedia etc. Their website is http:www.southwest.com

On Southwest, families with children can board after the "A" group (which is a maximum of, but normally less than 60 people), but before the "B" group. If you are unable to get "A" group boarding passes by checking in online 24 hours before your flight, this would be the best way to get seats together (or nearby). Definitely try to check in and print your boarding passes from home before you leave.