LAX...what am I missing about check in?

[AussieCaribou]

Hi everyone,

I am a bit anxious about what I am reading about LAX. Hoping that someone can help out.

So, my DD and I will be catching an international flight on Sat in Oct. Our flight leaves at 10:35pm from terminal 3. We would like to stay at Disneyland for as long as possible. What is going on in LAX that it's taking 2 plus hours to get through security?

What would your advice be to minimize our wait time at LAX and still maximize our ability to catch our flight? We are taking super shuttle, if that matters.

It was nearly two years ago that we did this same trip and we left DL at 6 and it was all good...but it doesn't sound like that will work this time.

Thanks
AussieCaribou

 

[Kittyskyfish]

Heightened screening + increase in passengers + budget cutbacks leading to fewer TSA agents and functioning scanners = traveler logjam. It's a mess. What airline are you flying? Some terminals at LAX suffer worse traffic than others.

 

[AussieCaribou]

We are flying with Virgin Australia (code share with Delta but it's a Virgin flight).

 

[Kittyskyfish]

Thanks! I guess you would fly out of the Tom Bradley International Terminal. US Customs reports wait times through this terminal and the average MAX wait is about an hour, going as high as 2 hours at peak periods. http://awt.cbp.gov/

I would leave DL about 5:00 p.m. and count on supper at the airport. It doesn't make sense to spend the last few vacation hours stressed and anxious.

 

[AussieCaribou]

Thank you.

 

[Kittyskyfish]

We're flying through LAX this September and this is the first time we're not using Super Shuttle's suggested pick up time windows. Our return flight is at 9:44 a.m. (Sunday) and based on the flight departure time, the earliest option through SS is 5:50 - 6:05 a.m. Usually we pick the earliest and do fine, but if wait times don't improve by then, I'm doing the schedule manually and scheduling the pick up at 5:00 a.m. All that extra time has to account for unexpected shuttle delays and traffic, on top of TSA wait times.

 

[xxpinksaltxx]

I would also agree with about a 5pm/6pm departure from Anaheim. We usually leave at 6pm (taking the Grayline Magical Express). We generally check in and go straight through to security and customs. Generally we find the lines are shorter if we can get through earlier before the night rush. I think TBIT has improved alot over the past few years. There are certainly some decent food options now (at one stage is was very poor).

 

[dcfromva]

Thanks! I guess you would fly out of the Tom Bradley International Terminal. US Customs reports wait times through this terminal and the average MAX wait is about an hour, going as high as 2 hours at peak periods. http://awt.cbp.gov/

I would leave DL about 5:00 p.m. and count on supper at the airport. It doesn't make sense to spend the last few vacation hours stressed and anxious.

Wouldn't those wait times pertain to arrivals into LAX that had to clear customs?

 

[SMD]

Wouldn't those wait times pertain to arrivals into LAX that had to clear customs?

No. They recommend arriving 3 hours before an international flight. Travel time to LAX can be an hour or more. Time getting to a terminal at LAX can be 30-40 minutes. There is currently a road construction project and LAX recommends more time. Security wait times can also be 45 minutes or more. You also have to factor in wait times to check bags or if your airline requires you to check in at the ticket counter, and enough time for your bag to be transferred to the plane and time to get to the gate and boarding time is prior to the time that a flight leaves. If you need to take a shuttle to the plane, which is common with international flights, that also takes additional time.

 

[bumbershoot]

Getting to the airport, especially big busy ones, 3 hours prior to an international flight had been recommended for over a decade now. IMO there's nothing new happening apart from more people realizing this.

 

[longboard55]

International terminal is usually pretty fast, but the super shuttle is a big question mark on how fast they are. My take on TSA security is its always a guess. Sometimes it takes 5 minutes, some times its an hour. One thing to keep in mind is planes load early and most will shut the doors 10 minutes before the flight leaves. And the policy at LAX is you luggage needs to be checked in 45 minutes in advance or you are not getting on the plane

 

[Kittyskyfish]

Wouldn't those wait times pertain to arrivals into LAX that had to clear customs?

You're right that it covers arrivals. I misread it. LAX recommends arriving 3 hours prior to departure, which is less than the 5 hours I recommended. I came up with 5 p.m. as I calculated an hour for traffic and shuttle delays because the return is in the busier afternoon, and then another hour once checked in to sit down and have something to eat/use the toilet before the long flight back to Australia.

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

Part of the problem, as SMD said, is that the travel once you get to the LAX Airport can be slowed quite a bit, depending on how busy the airport is. I've been able to get to a terminal is a reasonable amount of time, but I once dropped off a coworker and it took me an hour once I reached the terminal to crawl to the one she was going to (T6), drop her off, and leave. Traffic was literally bumper to bumper and very slow. This doesn't happen all the time, but I've learned to factor in that it might take a while due to how busy the airport is these days. They are working to fix that, but won't be done with construction for years.

 

[dcfromva]

No. They recommend arriving 3 hours before an international flight. Travel time to LAX can be an hour or more. Time getting to a terminal at LAX can be 30-40 minutes. There is currently a road construction project and LAX recommends more time. Security wait times can also be 45 minutes or more. You also have to factor in wait times to check bags or if your airline requires you to check in at the ticket counter, and enough time for your bag to be transferred to the plane and time to get to the gate and boarding time is prior to the time that a flight leaves. If you need to take a shuttle to the plane, which is common with international flights, that also takes additional time.

Just to clarify, I was referring the link Kittyskyfish had provided for customs wait time information.

Part of the problem, as SMD said, is that the travel once you get to the LAX Airport can be slowed quite a bit, depending on how busy the airport is. I've been able to get to a terminal is a reasonable amount of time, but I once dropped off a coworker and it took me an hour once I reached the terminal to crawl to the one she was going to (T6), drop her off, and leave. Traffic was literally bumper to bumper and very slow. This doesn't happen all the time, but I've learned to factor in that it might take a while due to how busy the airport is these days. They are working to fix that, but won't be done with construction for years.

The good news is the OP said she was departing out of Terminal 3, so that should be a little less time.