45 min. to Lax on a Wed at 6pm?

[Starlight821]

We are using Lansky's for transportation from Anaheim to Lax on a Wednesday. Our flight leaves at 8:45pm. Lansky's scheduled our pick up time for 6:00pm. They said that they would get us to Lax in 45 minutes. Is that possible at 6:00pm on a weekday? Do they know ways around traffic?

If we didn't get to the airport until 8:00pm would we have time to get on the flight? We have not flown in 9 years and have never been to southern California. Should I just trust them?

 

[Bud Ice]

First off, it's a good way to get the airport with multiple passengers. $75 flat rate in most cases isn't bad for one of these trips.

To get you to the airport in 45 minutes, they are factoring in the HOV "Diamond" lanes. These HOV lanes are the ones used by cars with more than one passenger. Also they'll have GPS and traffic monitoring (see Sigalert website: http://www.sigalert.com/Map.asp?region=Greater+Los+Angeles ).

Details on possible routes: Generally use 22-west to the 405-north. Occasionally use 5-north to the 91-west / 105-west. 91 tends to be notoriously bad. 105 has HOV lanes.

Recommendation: It doesn't hurt to factor in an extra hour or two at LAX, so say pickup at 4p or 5p. Multiple people with luggage can take some time to load/unload and maneuver the airport.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

First off, it's a good way to get the airport with multiple passengers. $75 flat rate in most cases isn't bad for one of these trips.

To get you to the airport in 45 minutes, they are factoring in the HOV "Diamond" lanes. These HOV lanes are the ones used by cars with more than one passenger. Also they'll have GPS and traffic monitoring (see Sigalert website: http://www.sigalert.com/Map.asp?region=Greater+Los+Angeles ).

Details on possible routes: Generally use 22-west to the 405-north. Occasionally use 5-north to the 91-west / 105-west. 91 tends to be notoriously bad. 105 has HOV lanes.

Recommendation: It doesn't hurt to factor in an extra hour or two at LAX, so say pickup at 4p or 5p. Multiple people with luggage can take some time to load/unload and maneuver the airport.

We used a shuttle transport from LAX to Orange (close to Anaheim) at around that time. Yes, they used HOV lanes, but it still took us over an hour to get home. Don't know if it would have been any quicker going the other way.

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

For LAX Airport, per my own experience:

Details on possible routes: Generally use 22-west to the 405-north. Occasionally use 5-north to the 91-west / 105-west. 91 tends to be notoriously bad. 105 has HOV lanes.

I would say the opposite... Generally use 5 north -> 91 west -> 605 north -> 105 west, and only use 5 south -> 22 west -> 405 north if Waze or other GPS steer you that way due to traffic accidents on the other route. 5-22-405 is circuitous, and is not really the faster way.
via 105 = 33.6 miles vs via 405 = 41.5 miles

(Note: I live where the 405/110/91 intersect, and have traveled both routes, in my experience, 91-5 is faster. I also work 5 minutes from LAX, and have traveled to/from LAX from Disneyland Resort. In my experience, it has not been faster to go the 405/22/5 route versus the 105/605/91/5 route.)

 

[millie0312]

Following to see what the actual time to/from is as well. The shuttle told us 1 hour plus 2 hours before our flight for a pickup time as well so must be a universal time frame...

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

I think planning for 45 minute drive time, even using the HOV lanes is cutting it a little close, but doable. If they pick you up at 6, and take an hour to an hour & a half, that would get you there by 7pm/7:15pm, and I think that is plenty of time. Even getting to the airport at 7:30 would be okay - that's an hour & 15 minutes before your flight. You can either do curbside baggage check-in, or go to the lines. Even if they're long, they do go quickly enough.

 

[Bud Ice]

All for an extra hour, better safe than sorry when hundreds spent on plane tix.

 

[SMD]

I think getting to the LAX area in 45 minutes in doable without a major traffic incident, but once you factor in getting off the freeway and actually getting to your terminal it will take about an hour in almost ideal conditions. Is it an international flight? If it's domestic you should be ok getting there 90 minutes early. I'd probably want to do 3 1/2 hours early with a van because they don't go as fast. I'd say the minimum for driving to LAX between 4pm-6:30pm is 3 hours before your flight. The weird thing is that at that time of day, you could leave at 5:30 or 6pm and probably get there about the same time. But, I would just call Lansky, tell them you're not a frequent flyer, you're unfamiliar with airports and you'd like to be picked up a little earlier.

 

[starry_solo]

I would say 45 minutes is not enough time to get from DLR to LAX.

 

[MillauFr]

At that time of day 45 minutes is about right. You won't encounter much traffic

 

[iKristin]

I usually ALWAYS encounter traffic at that time heading back up North to LA. No traffic is usually around 8PM

 

[4Siamese]

Getting to LAX is one thing...Getting through Security at LAX is quite another. I would ask for a earlier pick up time to give more time at the airport.

 

[ParkHopper1]

They are correct. If you are going into the downtown area of LA at that time, forget about it but the route from DL to LAX is not that heavy during rush hour if you have carpool lane access. Have done it several times and have been pleasantry surprised how quick it actually was.

1 hour drive get you to the airport 1:45 ahead of your flight...plenty of time in my book but I am a seasoned traveler.

 

[bumbershoot]

Getting to LAX is one thing...Getting through Security at LAX is quite another. I would ask for a earlier pick up time to give more time at the airport.

But if they do get there in 45, that's 2 hours before the flight. Which is terrific.

While I've encountered a silly thing or two with LAX security, I haven't experienced horrific lines there.

 

[maltdizzy]

It's a solid 30-35 minute trip when there is zero traffic. I know...lived right next to LAX (Playa Del Rey) for years and have to trvael out to Anaheim/City of Orange regularly for more than just DL. As noted is mostly carpool lanes to LAX (they don't use the term HOV in L.A....it will confuse many local drivers if you do).

45 minutes may be average for them. Traffic westbound to LAX is usually heavy-but-moving, it is NOT a big commuter route, but it only takes one accident to add 15-20 minutes to the trip. I have never not gotten through security at LAX in plenty of time....but the line is long in some terminals (American, Southwest).

 

[4Siamese]

I haven't experienced horrific lines there.

Our last trip it took 40 mins to get through security. The lines were nutty. This was the same line that an elderly lady 4 or 5 people ahead of us in line sent her small dog thru the Xray scanner without telling anyone, but that bit of weirdness is a story for another time.

Not saying that the security line is slow moving all the time or even on a regular basis, I am sure an Airport the size of LAX knows what it is doing and is efficient as possible but long lines do happen.