Help me decide! BWI>LAX NONSTOP or BWI>LGB longer and short layover?

[erinch]

Hello! I will be taking a solo trip to DLR in June. I’ve narrowed my flight options to BWI- LAX nonstop, at 5 hr 25 minutes, arriving 5:30. Other option is BWI>Long Beach, at 6hr 50 min, with a quick layover and the risk that brings. I will need to Uber or car service to DLR. I’ll have a large suitcase, as I then go on to a work conference for a week in Salt Lake City.

Which would you do?

 

[wallawallakids]

You will hit massive traffic at 5:30 pm going into LAX. But I’m so partial to direct flights that I would still probably choose that. I’ve had too many issues with connecting that at this point, I don’t risk it if I don’t have to. But LGB is a much nicer and easier airport. If you don’t mind the layover, that’s a better option. If you choose LAX just pack a lot of patience. I would probably find a place to eat dinner there and not try to rush out to the resort in that traffic.

 

[MillauFr]

Always choose the nonstop option.

 

[erinch]

I grew up in Redlands , graduating from high school in ‘76.
Back in the day, ONT was a field you walked out on to climb into the plane, and there was a shed for luggage. It’s a whole new world.

 

[Pluto468]

I would take the nonstop flight for sure. Layovers are such a hassle. Have you checked SNA or ONT for nonstop?

 

[Lumpy1106]

BWI>LGB for me and it's not even close. It will easily take you an hour longer to get out of LAX and on your way. I assume you are headed to DL? LGB is half the distance and absolutely no hassle coming or going. LAX is an inner circle of hell, akin to getting punched in the face.

Where is the layover? If it's Chicago in the winter or Las Vegas that would sway me - a little.

 

[Lumpy1106]

You will hit massive traffic at 5:30 pm going into LAX. But I’m so partial to direct flights that I would still probably choose that. I’ve had too many issues with connecting that at this point, I don’t risk it if I don’t have to. But LGB is a much nicer and easier airport. If you don’t mind the layover, that’s a better option. If you choose LAX just pack a lot of patience. I would probably find a place to eat dinner there and not try to rush out to the resort in that traffic.

Another good reason to choose LGB. Food at LAX is another level expensive. I would not do that.

 

[Lumpy1106]

LAX;

LGB;

Pretty easy to decide IMHO

 

[GoingSince1990]

Hello! I will be taking a solo trip to DLR in June. I’ve narrowed my flight options to BWI- LAX nonstop, at 5 hr 25 minutes, arriving 5:30. Other option is BWI>Long Beach, at 6hr 50 min, with a quick layover and the risk that brings. I will need to Uber or car service to DLR. I’ll have a large suitcase, as I then go on to a work conference for a week in Salt Lake City.

Which would you do?

“Quick layover” = “every chance you will miss your connection”. Don’t risk spending the first leg of your flight kicking yourself because it was a bit delayed and you’re sweating about making your connection because you didn’t choose the nonstop option.

 

[2tinkerbell]

I am a nervous Nellie type person. Leaving from BWI in June means thunderstorms with a greater chance your flight will be delayed and with it a greater chance you miss your connecting flight, especially if it is a “short” layover. While I love LGB and think it is the “best kept secret,” I probably would opt for LAX.

I would look into a car service such as Lansky or Midwilshuttle, especially if going into LAX. Trust me, you will be thankful for the peace of mind after a long day traveling. Getting an Uber/Lyft at LAX is horrible. I did the BWI to SLC with BWI as my layover and an hour shorter than LAX or LGB 6 times a year for 3 years and I find traveling west from the east coast much more tiring.

You could always get a direct flight to SLC from LGB. Southwest and Delta both have direct flights. We alway go direct from SLC to LGB when we travel to DLR.

 

[starlite_]

When given the option, I'll always choose non-stop. I'm sure you'll be able to have a nice dinner at the airport while waiting for traffic to go down.

 

[DizMe]

I don't live near a large airport, so almost all of my flights include a stopover. I live in rural northern California and fly out of Sacramento so most places I fly to outside of CA require a stopover. I'd still rather do that than drive to San Francisco, San Jose or Oakland and spend the night. I've only rarely had an issue that seriously impacted my trip and required flight changes, and I'm not even sure it would have been different on a direct flight since it was due to weather issues. Well, once it was because the engine caught on fire a few hours into our flight to Hawaii and we had to turn around and go back to LAX.

 

[Pluto468]

Well, once it was because the engine caught on fire a few hours into our flight to Hawaii and we had to turn around and go back to LAX.

How scary! Did you still get to go to Hawaii?

 

[mocame]

We are going in June too and deliberately looked for an airport that had a direct flight. Too big of a chance on missing the connecting flight. We ended up choosing a flight from PHL to LAX. Last year we went to WDW and had connecting flights. What a mess trying to get out of the plane, find our new updated gate, try and get food/bathroom if possible, and make it to the gate on time. We saw quite a number of people running to their gates. No thanks!

 

[laugard]

Hello! I will be taking a solo trip to DLR in June. I’ve narrowed my flight options to BWI- LAX nonstop, at 5 hr 25 minutes, arriving 5:30. Other option is BWI>Long Beach, at 6hr 50 min, with a quick layover and the risk that brings. I will need to Uber or car service to DLR. I’ll have a large suitcase, as I then go on to a work conference for a week in Salt Lake City.

Which would you do?

What day of the week will you be arriving? There's a difference between arriving at 5:30 p.m. on a weekday vs the weekend.

 

[DizMe]

How scary! Did you still get to go to Hawaii?

Yes! We had to wait about 5 hours for another plane but we got there! I was telling some people about it while sitting at a luau. They actually brought it up as a topic because it had been in the news and I told them we'd been on that flight. I'd actually been sitting at the window right next to the engine when it happened. Just as I finished recounting what happpened, a coconut dropped from the tree above our table and crashed right next to my plate! Everyone began scooting away from me as a joke (I think). It was pretty funny, although I was beginning to feel like maybe I WAS jinxed!.

 

[disny_luvr]

Take the direct flight. We are flying BWI to SFO in June and there are no direct flights on Southwest so we are connecting through Denver and I’m already nervous about it.

 

[MillauFr]

Lumpy is correct that LAX traffic can be horrible during peak periods like Sunday evenings. This is typical for 5:30p on a Tuesday....

 

[MillauFr]

Connections are always a pain. Our flight from Lihue on Friday was delayed 1 hour due to mechanical issues. We didn't get into SeaTac until 11:10p. 20 people were rushing off the plane to make their Spokane connection that was departing at 11:20p. I was happy that most of us not connecting stayed in our seats until they got off. Seems like they made it as the Spokane flight departed at 11:35p. They must have waited for them.

 

[Pluto468]

Yes! We had to wait about 5 hours for another plane but we got there! I was telling some people about it while sitting at a luau. They actually brought it up as a topic because it had been in the news and I told them we'd been on that flight. I'd actually been sitting at the window right next to the engine when it happened. Just as I finished recounting what happpened, a coconut dropped from the tree above our table and crashed right next to my plate! Everyone began scooting away from me as a joke (I think). It was pretty funny, although I was beginning to feel like maybe I WAS jinxed!.

Oh my gosh! I would have been scared to get back on the plane. I'm glad that coconut didn't hit you! Yikes.