Ontario Airport...How much time to get there?

[TyRy]

Hi all,

We will be flying in and out of Ontario next month (my first time in California). The non-stops they had worked perfectly for us (Chicago area). My question is we have a 7:20AM flight home on a Monday morning. We will be leaving from the Grand Californian, have TSA precheck and will be returning a rental car (Disney ends a longer CA trip). What time will need to leave DL by? I was thinking 4:30-4:45 but wasn't sure if that was enough time. DH wanted/needs to be home early on that Monday and this flight gets us back around 1ish.

Thanks!

Ty

 

[ParkHopper1]

Go to Google Maps online and you can enter your destination and starting point then there is an "Leave Now" drop down tab and select "Arrive at" tab that will allow you to see estimated travel time based on typical and historical traffic. Everything else is just a guess!

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Dis....598057!2d34.0559781!2m3!6e1!7e2!8j1547445600

 

[xQuizx]

Ontario airport is a small airport so security is not going to be an issue for you. If you are taking Southwest out, there should be curbside available. As for drive time that should take less than an hour if you are leaving that early in the morning.

 

[hodad]

I live in Claremont, near ONT, and it takes me 30-45 minutes to drive to Disneyland and 10-15 minutes to drive to ONT, depending on traffic. We regularly arrive at ONT 50-60 minutes before our flight and have lots of downtime. So I'd say leave at 5:30, unless there's a lot of traffic.

 

[HydroGuy]

Ontario airport is a small airport so security is not going to be an issue for you. If you are taking Southwest out, there should be curbside available. As for drive time that should take less than an hour if you are leaving that early in the morning.

I disagree. I grew up near Ontario airport and have flown there many times. Often security is like 5 minutes. But I have waited 30 minutes for early morning flights and almost missed flights as a result.

I agree on drive time at say 5AM being less than an hour.

 

[HydroGuy]

Hi all,

We will be flying in and out of Ontario next month (my first time in California). The non-stops they had worked perfectly for us (Chicago area). My question is we have a 7:20AM flight home on a Monday morning. We will be leaving from the Grand Californian, have TSA precheck and will be returning a rental car (Disney ends a longer CA trip). What time will need to leave DL by? I was thinking 4:30-4:45 but wasn't sure if that was enough time. DH wanted/needs to be home early on that Monday and this flight gets us back around 1ish.

Thanks!

Ty

Rental car company is at Ontario airport or remote? You have carry-on bags or are checking bags?

I have TSA pre-check but as I recall at Ontario, but I may be wrong, if the security line goes down the escalator onto the main floor, pre-check does not help. Until you get to the top of the escalator which by that time you are already pretty close.

 

[Bruin_mouse]

Rental car company is at Ontario airport or remote? You have carry-on bags or are checking bags?

I have TSA pre-check but as I recall at Ontario, but I may be wrong, if the security line goes down the escalator onto the main floor, pre-check does not help. Until you get to the top of the escalator which by that time you are already pretty close.

I fly in and out of there pretty frequently. They’re finicky about letting TSA precheck in the first class fast lane. Sometimes they do it, sometimes not. One time the line was back to almost the second baggage carousel and they came and got all the pre check folks out of line and brought them to the front.

One data point for OP if you’re checking bags: the check in counters at ONT are very small for most airlines. If you’re taking the first flight out there could be a lot of people crunched in trying to check in. So even though security is generally speaking pretty easy and traffic is light at that time of morning, I’d still leave early.

 

[HydroGuy]

I fly in and out of there pretty frequently. They’re finicky about letting TSA precheck in the first class fast lane. Sometimes they do it, sometimes not. One time the line was back to almost the second baggage carousel and they came and got all the pre check folks out of line and brought them to the front.

One data point for OP if you’re checking bags: the check in counters at ONT are very small for most airlines. If you’re taking the first flight out there could be a lot of people crunched in trying to check in. So even though security is generally speaking pretty easy and traffic is light at that time of morning, I’d still leave early.

It sounds like I am remembering correctly that if security is down to the main floor, you don't get much help from TSA pre-check. Until you go up the escalator. Or unless some gets you and allows you up otherwise. Right?

 

[Bruin_mouse]

It sounds like I am remembering correctly that if security is down to the main floor, you don't get much help from TSA pre-check. Until you go up the escalator. Or unless some gets you and allows you up otherwise. Right?

You’re sort of right. I would say more that it’s not guaranteed to help. At the bottom of the escalator they have a first class lane and one for everyone else. (You’re right, TSA precheck line is at the top of the stairs.) I’ve seen the first class lane opened to TSA precheck at times, but definitely not every time. If I was OP I’d take your advice and definitely not rely on it helping me if the line goes to the bottom of the escalator.

 

[TyRy]

Thank you all for the replies, that is exactly what I was looking for. We are on Southwest, and we will have bags to check. Friends said to say away from LAX so that is why we booked Ontario - thinking it would be a bit easier, but now not sure. I'll have to talk to DH and see if we wants to get home a bit later and maybe do a 9:40am out of LAX instead so we don't have to be up as early. Although would LAX bring its own set of issues? I also need to add we needed a nonstop flight as I am a HORRIBLE flyer so that's why we originally chose Ontario.

 

[katyringo]

It’s John Wayne not an option? Sorry if that’s a dumb question. It’s so close to Disneyland.

 

[TyRy]

Not a dumb question at all! No non-stops on Southwest for us.

 

[katyringo]

Not a dumb question at all! No non-stops on Southwest for us.

Oh gotcha!

 

[HydroGuy]

Thank you all for the replies, that is exactly what I was looking for. We are on Southwest, and we will have bags to check. Friends said to say away from LAX so that is why we booked Ontario - thinking it would be a bit easier, but now not sure. I'll have to talk to DH and see if we wants to get home a bit later and maybe do a 9:40am out of LAX instead so we don't have to be up as early. Although would LAX bring its own set of issues? I also need to add we needed a nonstop flight as I am a HORRIBLE flyer so that's why we originally chose Ontario.

LAX will on average take more time, but they do have clear TSA pre-check lines. The auto rental drop-off is offsite so it may take longer to do that part. On average in your case I would say LAX and Ontario will take similar times when you add everything up.

What day of the week are you flying? If a week day then that does change things. a 9:40AM out of LAX means you will be driving in morning traffic. So that will mean you need to allow for more time still. So Ontario wins again if it is a weekday.

I am not as big fan of LAX but do use it on occasion when it presents a much more clear better choice (e.g., non-stop).

 

[TyRy]

It was a weekday morning (Monday.) After speaking to another friend, I'm now going to throw Burbank into the mix. It gets us home later and instead of arriving in CA around 10pm we would fly in the next morning and get in around 11am (so lose half a day) I'm thinking that may be the way to go. There's an early afternoon nonstop out of Burbank so we could enjoy the last night of vacation and not worry about getting up at 3am. All of your comments have been amazing for this first time California visitor!!!

 

[LilyJC]

I’m not sure when the last time previous posters have flown out of terminal 1 (SWA) at ONT, but we fly out frequently and there is always a pre-check line on the ground floor. ONT is super chill and easy, and I would definitely not stress about changing your plans.

 

[Bruin_mouse]

I’m not sure when the last time previous posters have flown out of terminal 1 (SWA) at ONT, but we fly out frequently and there is always a pre-check line on the ground floor. ONT is super chill and easy, and I would definitely not stress about changing your plans.

November for me. That’s great news.

 

[DaveNinja]

The weekday traffic from DL to ONT shouldnt be too bad since most traffic will be headed the other way. I've flown into ONT in the morning but never out of so I dont know what the lines would be like. Most of the time, the TSA Pre Check line is really fast.

 

[HydroGuy]

I’m not sure when the last time previous posters have flown out of terminal 1 (SWA) at ONT, but we fly out frequently and there is always a pre-check line on the ground floor. ONT is super chill and easy, and I would definitely not stress about changing your plans.

There is a TSA Pre-check line from the ground floor that lets you bypass the main line before going up the escalator? If so that is good to know! I may be flying through there again in March.

 

[DharmaLou]

It was a weekday morning (Monday.) After speaking to another friend, I'm now going to throw Burbank into the mix. It gets us home later and instead of arriving in CA around 10pm we would fly in the next morning and get in around 11am (so lose half a day) I'm thinking that may be the way to go. There's an early afternoon nonstop out of Burbank so we could enjoy the last night of vacation and not worry about getting up at 3am. All of your comments have been amazing for this first time California visitor!!!

I love the Burbank airport. It's the longest drive, but security is always super short and I love boarding the plane outside