Easter Monday drive time to LAX

[Maddysdaddy]

I would greatly appreciate hearing from any locals who can weigh in with advice on what time I should be looking to leave Paradise Pier in order to arrive at LAX by 9:15 (knowing unexpected delays can happen, which is why I'm shooting for a 9:15 arrival, when 9:45 is when I really need to be there).

Thx.

 

[SMD]

Are you returning a car? For a domestic flight I'd allot 75-90 minutes for the drive, 45 to return the rental car/shuttle to terminal (depends highly on which terminal, though), 30-45 minutes to check luggage, 30-60 for security. If your flight is at midnight, 7:30 would be a good time. If it's at 11pm, probably 6-6:15, because traffic will be worse.

If you're talking about 9:15 AM, and returning a car, I'd leave no later than 5:30 AM. It's going to be a terrible traffic day with locals going back to work, spring break ending for most schools and lots of people leaving town after their vacation. 5:30 would get you to the rental counter with a good 30 minute buffer to avoid rush hour. Again, depending on the terminal there's a good chance that the security line will be out the door and 90 minutes to 2 hours long until 11am or so on the day after a major holiday.

 

[Maddysdaddy]

My apologies for being unclear - these are times in the am not pm, and not returning a car.

 

[SMD]

If you're taking a shuttle, they'll give you a choice of times, I'd go with one of the earliest 2. The day after a holiday is the kind of day when the police run checkpoints at the airport. This frequently backs up onto the freeway. I would leave 90 minutes to get to LAX, up to 40 minutes to drive around the loop depending on your terminal and shoot for being dropped at your terminal 2 hours before your flight for domestic and 3 hours for international. Plan on security at some terminals to be 90 minutes to 2 hours from 7am to at least 10am, probably longer. A 9:15 airport arrival is appropriate for an 11:30 or later domestic flight with no checked luggage.