Consolidated "Getting to/from LAX" thread
#496
Join Date: May 2012
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#497
Moderator Hilton Honors, Travel News, West, The Suggestion Box, Smoking Lounge & DiningBuzz
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#498
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: XNA
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Posts: 164
Going to take a chance and rent a car. Got a full size from Thrifty for $32.19 total (all fees/taxes included and no drop off fee!) plus fuel. If it works out, that will be a pretty cheap trip for 4 people!
#500
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: PHX
Programs: UA *Alliance
Posts: 5,795
Anybody you can carpool with?
#501
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: LAX
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Posts: 2,462
I assume this is a domestic flight? 4.5 hours sounds about right. Budget 2 hours (minimum!) for driving, at least 45 minutes for rental car return, and up to 30 minutes for TSA. That leaves you with about 75 minutes before departure time if everything goes smoothly. Traffic on Thursday afternoon on CA-14/I-5/I-405 from Palmdale to LAX will be murder... And there isn't really a better route to go.
#502
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I assume this is a domestic flight? 4.5 hours sounds about right. Budget 2 hours (minimum!) for driving, at least 45 minutes for rental car return, and up to 30 minutes for TSA. That leaves you with about 75 minutes before departure time if everything goes smoothly. Traffic on Thursday afternoon on CA-14/I-5/I-405 from Palmdale to LAX will be murder... And there isn't really a better route to go.
If the OP is the super-cautious type who likes to leave lots of buffer and plan for contingencies, then maybe, but in my view, he can easily shave an hour off of your suggested time and still have ~30 minutes of "just in case" buffer before his seat is released. Up to the each individual to decide how comfortable he or she is--I just wanted to present the opposite option.
How did it work out for you?
#503
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: LAX
Programs: AA Plat, DL, AS, UA, IHG Plat
Posts: 2,462
45 minutes is the typical time it takes from leaving I-405 or I-105 exit to terminal. It takes about 20 minutes to get to most rental car return lots from the freeway and another 20~25 minutes to return the car and reach the terminal by bus.
So 45 minutes is the correct time to tack on because many out of town visitors do not realize it takes as much as 20 minutes to reach the rental car lots once they exit the freeway. They think they are "at the airport" when they exit at La Cienega or Century Blvd... but there is another 20 minute journey in local (rush hour!) traffic to go.
So 45 minutes is the correct time to tack on because many out of town visitors do not realize it takes as much as 20 minutes to reach the rental car lots once they exit the freeway. They think they are "at the airport" when they exit at La Cienega or Century Blvd... but there is another 20 minute journey in local (rush hour!) traffic to go.
#504
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Now in SLC
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Posts: 4,212
Yikes! Wasn't thinking it would take quite that long; guess I was hoping for a "reverse commute" kind of thing but should have known that wouldn't happen in L.A. To answer the questions:
1. It's a domestic flight (LAX-ANC).
2. Carpooling isn't going to happen. I wish.
3. Would driving to Union Station, dropping off a car, and then taking the train really be quicker?
4. I'll be flying AS and I have DL status, which should let me through the elite security line. I also have PreCheck which I've successfully gotten on an AS ticket before, but of course I know it can't be guaranteed that I'll clear PreCheck on any given ticket.
Already looking up my backup options as I don't think I can leave Palmdale before 3 PM (though from what Jackal is saying above, I might still make it; I don't mind cutting it close.) I did get the gas service option on the rental car (Avis), so at least I don't have to worry about that.
1. It's a domestic flight (LAX-ANC).
2. Carpooling isn't going to happen. I wish.
3. Would driving to Union Station, dropping off a car, and then taking the train really be quicker?
4. I'll be flying AS and I have DL status, which should let me through the elite security line. I also have PreCheck which I've successfully gotten on an AS ticket before, but of course I know it can't be guaranteed that I'll clear PreCheck on any given ticket.
Already looking up my backup options as I don't think I can leave Palmdale before 3 PM (though from what Jackal is saying above, I might still make it; I don't mind cutting it close.) I did get the gas service option on the rental car (Avis), so at least I don't have to worry about that.
Last edited by LoganFlyer; May 20, 2013 at 5:41 pm
#505
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: PHX
Programs: UA *Alliance
Posts: 5,795
Well, it would at least give you carpool lane access. And, arguably, the 5 into downtown and Union Station from Palmdale might be better than the 405 all the way through San Fernando Valley and over the Sepulveda Pass.
#506
Moderator: Travel Safety/Security, Travel Tools, California, Los Angeles; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: LAX
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Posts: 21,471
A couple of weeks ago, it took us an hour and forty five minutes - that's driving time to the parking lots - to get from the west San Fernando Valley to LAX for a 4:00 pm flight. Construction delays in the Sepulveda Pass and two accidents on the 405 near the 10 and the 90 did not help matters. Add about 75-90 minutes to get to the Valley from Palmdale.
P.S. Going through Union Station will only prolong the misery.
P.S. Going through Union Station will only prolong the misery.
#507
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2004
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45 minutes is the typical time it takes from leaving I-405 or I-105 exit to terminal. It takes about 20 minutes to get to most rental car return lots from the freeway and another 20~25 minutes to return the car and reach the terminal by bus.
So 45 minutes is the correct time to tack on because many out of town visitors do not realize it takes as much as 20 minutes to reach the rental car lots once they exit the freeway. They think they are "at the airport" when they exit at La Cienega or Century Blvd... but there is another 20 minute journey in local (rush hour!) traffic to go.
So 45 minutes is the correct time to tack on because many out of town visitors do not realize it takes as much as 20 minutes to reach the rental car lots once they exit the freeway. They think they are "at the airport" when they exit at La Cienega or Century Blvd... but there is another 20 minute journey in local (rush hour!) traffic to go.
The 405 can get very backed up at the Sepulveda Pass (exacerbated lately by construction), but southbound is better in the afternoon rush hour than northbound. Still, I'd look at traffic reports (and keep KNX 1070 on in the car). Even with a bit of traffic, though, it wouldn't be worth going through downtown, although if I saw it was mostly clear, I'd consider the 14>5>210>2>5>110>105 IF I had others with me and we could use the carpool lanes on the Harbor Freeway...although I believe that now requires a switchable FasTrak transponder and a three-person minimum. But even then, likely the straight shot down the 405 would prove to be at the worst equal and at the best slightly faster than going out of the way downtown, even though there is never anything even remotely resembling traffic on the Foothill and Glendale freeways.
In fact, I chose the Ventura Freeway to the 405 when coming from Toluca Lake last time versus going downtown, and it worked out fine.
#508
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: LAX
Programs: AA Plat, DL, AS, UA, IHG Plat
Posts: 2,462
Yikes! Wasn't thinking it would take quite that long; guess I was hoping for a "reverse commute" kind of thing but should have known that wouldn't happen in L.A. To answer the questions:
1. It's a domestic flight (LAX-ANC).
2. Carpooling isn't going to happen. I wish.
3. Would driving to Union Station, dropping off a car, and then taking the train really be quicker?
4. I'll be flying AS and I have DL status, which should let me through the elite security line. I also have PreCheck which I've successfully gotten on an AS ticket before, but of course I know it can't be guaranteed that I'll clear PreCheck on any given ticket.
Already looking up my backup options as I don't think I can leave Palmdale before 3 PM (though from what Jackal is saying above, I might still make it; I don't mind cutting it close.) I did get the gas service option on the rental car (Avis), so at least I don't have to worry about that.
1. It's a domestic flight (LAX-ANC).
2. Carpooling isn't going to happen. I wish.
3. Would driving to Union Station, dropping off a car, and then taking the train really be quicker?
4. I'll be flying AS and I have DL status, which should let me through the elite security line. I also have PreCheck which I've successfully gotten on an AS ticket before, but of course I know it can't be guaranteed that I'll clear PreCheck on any given ticket.
Already looking up my backup options as I don't think I can leave Palmdale before 3 PM (though from what Jackal is saying above, I might still make it; I don't mind cutting it close.) I did get the gas service option on the rental car (Avis), so at least I don't have to worry about that.
Going to Union Station at rush hour won't really help you because you are so far away in Palmdale. It will take at least 2 hours so you might as well just drive to LAX.
Since you are Delta elite and precheck, it will only take you 5 maybe 10 minutes top to get pass TSA. You should still budget about 3 hours total transit time so you will be cutting it pretty close.
#509
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: QLA
Programs: SBUX Gold
Posts: 14,507
I think Union Station is out, it won't help.
Crazy idea... what about taking the Flyaway Bus from Van Nuys Airport? Buses leave every 30 minutes and it says travel time is "35-60 minutes." But, with no Avis counter at VNY, you'd have to drop off your car to the closest location about 5-10 minutes away and take a cab back to VNY. In case you wanted to research:
http://www.lawa.org/welcome_lax.aspx?id=4697
Crazy idea... what about taking the Flyaway Bus from Van Nuys Airport? Buses leave every 30 minutes and it says travel time is "35-60 minutes." But, with no Avis counter at VNY, you'd have to drop off your car to the closest location about 5-10 minutes away and take a cab back to VNY. In case you wanted to research:
http://www.lawa.org/welcome_lax.aspx?id=4697
#510
Original Member
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