LAX vs SNA

[PiratesOfTheSea]

I hate LAX with a passion and would choose SNA, LGB, or even BUR over it, but the fact that you'd save ~$1000 + ~4 hours makes LAX the no-brainer choice. Don't forget the value of your time too.

 

[ktlm]

Compared to LGA, JFK and Newark, LAX is a piece of cake!

Funny ---- I think LGA is a pretty easy airport and Newark isn't too bad. I think they are both a piece of cake compared to LAX. I'm not overly crazy about JFK though!

If you were saving $1400 on airfaire by flying to LAX vs SNA, would you do it? So after accounting for, say, $300 for a car service, our net shavings would be $1100.

That is a really hard question. Our airfare savings would typically be between $150 and $500 if we flew to LAX instead---- for us $500 is worth SNA instead. You are getting into a range where the decision is much harder. Anything over $1000, and we would probably have to seriously consider dealing with LAX. $1400 is going to pay for a lot of meals/souvenirs.

 

[ktlm]

Have you looked at booking the legs separately? Fly into LAX and out of SNA? I have booked separate legs for trips sometimes and often the price is not any higher. I've even done it on different airlines out and back places. That might save you some money on the incoming flight and you are coming in to LAX at a time when the traffic isn't bad, but you still get to leave later from SNA, the closer airport? It has worked well when we have done it places.

I also see you said the direct flight to LAX only operates 3 times a week. It is one of those small carriers with really limited flights? We have a direct flight to Orlando from our home on one of those smaller carriers-- a lot of people use it for WDW, but if a flight gets cancelled it is a big mess. My friend's husband used it to fly out a little later to meet them so he could work and coming back his flight got cancelled and they couldn't get him home for 4 days. (The flight 2 days later was full). He wound up paying a lot to book with another airline at the last minute and got home 2 days late instead of 4-- he was refunded the Frontier, but it wound up costing him a lot more than it would have if he had just booked the other airline to begin with. That little airline is always significantly cheaper going to MCO- but it also charges a carry on fee and also a checked baggage fee (both of which are about double of the checked back fee of a lot of major airlines). Even though it still can wind up saving some money even with the additional bag fees, the risks of picking that airline due to its limited flights make it not worth it to us

 

[fly girl]

And hope someone takes the ride to Anaheim.

I have never had a problem getting a ride from LAX to DLR, been doing it at least once a year (except 2020, obviously) for the last 6 years.

 

[fly girl]

@E.Jane, go on flylax website and look at the interactive map. You can type in the airline you are considering and see where it is located in comparison to the LAX-it ride share area. (It should give you directions too.)

If you are where I think you will be it is a walk, not a shuttle to get to the LAX-it area. Yeah, the area will be crowded and busy but direct flight and saving $1400, I will deal with a minor walk and crowded ride share area. That's just me.

And I love being spoiled, SNA is fantastic. But for those savings and no layover ... no doubt I would do LAX.

 

[DLgal]

I hate LAX with a passion and would choose SNA, LGB, or even BUR over it, but the fact that you'd save ~$1000 + ~4 hours makes LAX the no-brainer choice. Don't forget the value of your time too.

They are absolutely going to lose those 4 hours to the commute and longer waits for everything at LAX (security, baggage claim, ticket counters when dropping off bags, etc). The 4 hours shouldn't even factor in, honestly, as it will be a wash in the end.

 

[Aurora0427]

They are absolutely going to lose those 4 hours to the commute and longer waits for everything at LAX (security, baggage claim, ticket counters when dropping off bags, etc). The 4 hours shouldn't even factor in, honestly, as it will be a wash in the end.

Not necessarily, because you’re assuming they won’t have any issues with layover delays, cancelled flights, and lost luggage. Which is happening all the time right now with connecting flights.

 

[DLgal]

Not necessarily, because you’re assuming they won’t have any issues with layover delays, cancelled flights, and lost luggage. Which is happening all the time right now with connecting flights.

These issues have nothing to do with the particular airport you fly in or out of. And direct flights are not immune to any of these problems either.

 

[Aurora0427]

These issues have nothing to do with the particular airport you fly in or out of. And direct flights are not immune to any of these problems either.

Huh? It has to do with direct flight vs. connecting flight. My point is that when you have a flight that has a connection, you have a much stronger chance of something going wrong. Have you flown this summer? Literally millions of Americans stranded in airports all across the country because their flight was late, then they missed their connecting flight, or their connecting flight was cancelled because of whatever reason. I mean I could go on and on and on. We have friends who missed their connecting flight and their luggage took days to catch up to them.

When you fly direct, you are dealing with a simpler set of variables, regardless of which airport you are flying into. You have a less likely chance of something going wrong. Are you immune to a problem? Nope. But it’s still less likely. Connecting flights are a pain in the rear, especially right now.

We’ve flown out of LAX multiple times, and while Long Beach or SNA are way easier, LAX just isn’t the apocalypse people sometimes make it out to be.

 

[DLgal]

Huh? It has to do with direct flight vs. connecting flight. My point is that when you have a flight that has a connection, you have a much stronger chance of something going wrong. Have you flown this summer? Literally millions of Americans stranded in airports all across the country because their flight was late, then they missed their connecting flight, or their connecting flight was cancelled because of whatever reason. I mean I could go on and on and on. We have friends who missed their connecting flight and their luggage took days to catch up to them.

When you fly direct, you are dealing with a simpler set of variables, regardless of which airport you are flying into. You have a less likely chance of something going wrong. Are you immune to a problem? Nope. But it’s still less likely. Connecting flights are a pain in the rear, especially right now.

Yes, I just flew SNA to Chicago a week ago. No issues on either end. Several other direct flights from SNA and Chicago on my travel days were delayed or cancelled, but not mine. It's a crapshoot either way. I get what you are saying, but I stand behind choosing the much easier airport to travel in and out of, even with connecting flights.

The absolute best way to mitigate air travel disruptions right now is to fly on the first flight out each day. At least then you have more options to arrive on the same day than if you had chosen later flights.

 

[Aurora0427]

Yes, I just flew SNA to Chicago a week ago. No issues on either end. Several other direct flights from SNA and Chicago on my travel days were delayed or cancelled, but not mine. It's a crapshoot either way. I get what you are saying, but I stand behind choosing the much easier airport to travel in and out of, even with connecting flights.

The absolute best way to mitigate air travel disruptions right now is to fly on the first flight out each day. At least then you have more options to arrive on the same day than if you had chosen later flights.

Definitely. You make great points, and yes, it’s a crapshoot either way. I have a phobia of connecting flights

 

[DLgal]

Definitely. You make great points, and yes, it’s a crapshoot either way. I have a phobia of connecting flights

I almost ALWAYS have connecting flights because I will only fly out of SNA. It's rarely been a major issue. The worst issues I've had where I have been rerouted to either LAX or LGB have been direct flights out of Bay Area airports. The fog situation up there causes all kinds of problems. I was thrilled to have direct flights to Chicago, but I made peace with getting no sleep the night before so I could take the 6:45am departure.

 

[E.Jane]

Have you looked at booking the legs separately? Fly into LAX and out of SNA? I have booked separate legs for trips sometimes and often the price is not any higher. I've even done it on different airlines out and back places. That might save you some money on the incoming flight and you are coming in to LAX at a time when the traffic isn't bad, but you still get to leave later from SNA, the closer airport? It has worked well when we have done it places.

I also see you said the direct flight to LAX only operates 3 times a week. It is one of those small carriers with really limited flights? We have a direct flight to Orlando from our home on one of those smaller carriers-- a lot of people use it for WDW, but if a flight gets cancelled it is a big mess. My friend's husband used it to fly out a little later to meet them so he could work and coming back his flight got cancelled and they couldn't get him home for 4 days. (The flight 2 days later was full). He wound up paying a lot to book with another airline at the last minute and got home 2 days late instead of 4-- he was refunded the Frontier, but it wound up costing him a lot more than it would have if he had just booked the other airline to begin with. That little airline is always significantly cheaper going to MCO- but it also charges a carry on fee and also a checked baggage fee (both of which are about double of the checked back fee of a lot of major airlines). Even though it still can wind up saving some money even with the additional bag fees, the risks of picking that airline due to its limited flights make it not worth it to us

The airline is Westjet, which is Canada's second largest airline. So while a cancellation would be a complete PITA, they would have alternatives. They also partner with Delta, so if flights were cancelled, there would be an option to re-route through Vancouver or Minneapolis. Which would have been the options flying into SNA! But it's hard to do a comparison now, as when I go into their website and plug in from here to SNA, I don't even get the same options I had previously. The savings are now reduced to $600 because the options into SNA are so bad, those fares have come down. Originally, there was an option to arrive at 11 am in SNA, now the earliest is after 10 pm. So, looks like it's LAX!

 

[E.Jane]

@E.Jane, go on flylax website and look at the interactive map. You can type in the airline you are considering and see where it is located in comparison to the LAX-it ride share area. (It should give you directions too.)

If you are where I think you will be it is a walk, not a shuttle to get to the LAX-it area. Yeah, the area will be crowded and busy but direct flight and saving $1400, I will deal with a minor walk and crowded ride share area. That's just me.

And I love being spoiled, SNA is fantastic. But for those savings and no layover ... no doubt I would do LAX.

Thank you .... I will check out that website!

 

[E.Jane]

They are absolutely going to lose those 4 hours to the commute and longer waits for everything at LAX (security, baggage claim, ticket counters when dropping off bags, etc). The 4 hours shouldn't even factor in, honestly, as it will be a wash in the end.

The airline has changed all flight options into SNA. It would now take us 20 hours to complete. As much as I hate the thought of a big, disorganized airport, 3.75 hours vs 20 hours is a no-brainer. We are doing carry-on only so won't get caught up in baggage claim, and not renting a car - will hire a care service. So the $ saved on the fare will cover the car service.

 

[E.Jane]

These issues have nothing to do with the particular airport you fly in or out of. And direct flights are not immune to any of these problems either.

I would disagree. Talk to anyone who has travelled through Toronto lately - complete, disorganized mess.

 

[DLgal]

I would disagree. Talk to anyone who has travelled through Toronto lately - complete, disorganized mess.

Well, the airport employees can definitely make bad situations worse for sure!

 

[DLgal]

The airline has changed all flight options into SNA. It would now take us 20 hours to complete. As much as I hate the thought of a big, disorganized airport, 3.75 hours vs 20 hours is a no-brainer. We are doing carry-on only so won't get caught up in baggage claim, and not renting a car - will hire a care service. So the $ saved on the fare will cover the car service.

Ouch. Yeah, I understand that completely. That's the other issue lately...airlines cancelling or changing flights before they even happen.

Be prepared to gate check your carry on, though. This happened on both my recent flights. They ran out of overhead bin space and needed like 25 people to check roller bags at the last minute, free of charge. If people didn't volunteer, those boarding towards the end would have no choice. Unless you have status with the airline and board in the first few groups, have a contingency plan for your carry on luggage (i.e. keep medicines and essentials in a separate smaller bag). Everyone is trying to get away with carry on now because of all the issues with flights. There is only so much overhead bin space.

 

[E.Jane]

Well, the airport employees can definitely make bad situations worse for sure!

Its not about a few poor employees - Toronto literally had thousands and thousands of pieces of luggage piled up. People were going back a week after their flight to try and find it in the pile. It's a complete lack of labour overall, and not just luggage handling. It's everything from check-in and security, right through to unloading luggage.

 

[ktlm]

Be prepared to gate check your carry on, though. This happened on both my recent flights. They ran out of overhead bin space and needed like 25 people to check roller bags at the last minute, free of charge. If people didn't volunteer, those boarding towards the end would have no choice. Unless you have status with the airline and board in the first few groups, have a contingency plan for your carry on luggage (i.e. keep medicines and essentials in a separate smaller bag). Everyone is trying to get away with carry on now because of all the issues with flights. There is only so much overhead bin space.

Not only that, but I'm pretty sure they are also force checking carry-ons to save time boarding, or in anticipation the bins may fill up with soft totes and duffels etc. On a flight home in June, they basically forced everyone who did not have a priority boarding pass to check their roller bags. They claimed the bins were "now full". They were gate checking to final destination, but we had a fairly tight connection and the first flight was delayed and it didn't look like we would make our connection and I was displeased that we were going to be stuck overnight somewhere without our carry ons. I was pretty sure from watching the boarding that there were no way the bins were full yet-- but although I was the first in line after priority boarding, they forced DD and I to check our carry ons (and then everyone behind us with any type of roller bag). We got on the plane and well over half the bins were still empty. I was really mad. The bin right next to us was still empty enough to have fit both our roller bags when it was shut and our flight took off. Luckily, we did make our connection.

I will say that we have flown a few times this summer and the only time we had an issue and didn't get home the day we were supposed to, was when we had a direct flight with no connections. Got a text in the very early morning hours that our evening flight (over 12 hour later) was cancelled. Same thing has happened to multiple friends of ours trying to get home in the last 2 months on the direct flights to our home airport with 2 different airlines. The direct flights from our home airports to places like NYC or MCO often use a smaller plane and for some reason those seem like they have been cancelled more often. Also, typically the direct flight goes just fine out there--- it is the coming back from the bigger airport on that direct flight which we have seen issues with here. It just all boils down to luck right now-- connection or no connection.