Question for LAX travelers

[Susiesnowflake]

Not sure if this is the place to post this question but here goes.... for people familiar with LAX..... my son is flying BOS to LAX in July. He has an 12 hr layover before flying to Melbourne, Australia. It doesn't appear that there are shower facilities in the airport. Since he has the 6 1/2 hrs to LAX, the 12 hrs at LAX, and then a 15 1/2 hr flight to MEL, I was thinking about splurging and getting him a hotel to relax and shower before the remainder of the trip. Any recommendations for a clean and decent hotel room near the airport? Doesn't look like there are any w/in the airport. If you can make a recommendation, any idea of the actual travel time from LAX to the hotel, considering traffic? Thanks so much for any suggestions or thoughts!

 

[SuzanneSLO]

Not sure if this is the place to post this question but here goes.... for people familiar with LAX..... my son is flying BOS to LAX in July. He has an 12 hr layover before flying to Melbourne, Australia. It doesn't appear that there are shower facilities in the airport. Since he has the 6 1/2 hrs to LAX, the 12 hrs at LAX, and then a 15 1/2 hr flight to MEL, I was thinking about splurging and getting him a hotel to relax and shower before the remainder of the trip. Any recommendations for a clean and decent hotel room near the airport? Doesn't look like there are any w/in the airport. If you can make a recommendation, any idea of the actual travel time from LAX to the hotel, considering traffic? Thanks so much for any suggestions or thoughts!

First, if it is only a shower he needs, the cheapest and most convenient option may be to buy a day pass for the airline lounge, which generally run about $50, depending on the airline. If he is flying AA and connecting to Qantas, the Admirals Club definitely has showers in T4. It is also a great place to recharge electronics, use a computer and non-alcholoic beverages are provided for free.

Second, there are lots of hotels near LAX that are a quick free shuttle ride away. We often stay overnight at the Four Points LAX, which does have 24 hour room rates, which are particularly useful if he is arriving at an odd time and doesn't want to wait until late afternoon for his room to be ready. A straight booking with probably run more than $100 with tax.

If his check in time is fairly conventional, another option would be to bid on a 3* or 4* hotel on priceline. I would expect his out of pocket cost would be $60-$90 (so a bid of about $15-$20 less than that). Go to biddingfortravel or betterbidding for strategies. We stopped pricelining at LAX because so many of the hotels have 2 double beds, not ideal for DH and I, but probably not an issue for your son.

Best of luck -- Suzanne

 

[Susiesnowflake]

Suzanne, thank you so much! Lots of good info and ideas. Yes, he is flying AA and then connects with Qantas. So the Admiral Lounge is in T4, where I expect he'll land? Is this something available to AA & Qantas flyers? Do you sign up before flying for this service or is it just available? Haven't gone and researched it since your post. I was assuming he'd depart Qantas from the Internat terminal. Are there Admiral Club facilities there too? I've never been to the west coast or flown through LAX. If I get him a room at Four Points LAX, how much time should he allow for transfer back to the airport for his MEL flight? He definitely can't be missing that! Thanks again for all your help! Just a nervous mom wanting to make sure everything runs smoothly. It's very exciting and also worrisome to see your kid off for a semester abroad! Knew I'd be able to find someone with answers on this board!

 

[SuzanneSLO]

Suzanne, thank you so much! Lots of good info and ideas. Yes, he is flying AA and then connects with Qantas. So the Admiral Lounge is in T4, where I expect he'll land? Is this something available to AA & Qantas flyers? Do you sign up before flying for this service or is it just available? Haven't gone and researched it since your post. I was assuming he'd depart Qantas from the Internat terminal. Are there Admiral Club facilities there too? I've never been to the west coast or flown through LAX. If I get him a room at Four Points LAX, how much time should he allow for transfer back to the airport for his MEL flight? He definitely can't be missing that! Thanks again for all your help! Just a nervous mom wanting to make sure everything runs smoothly. It's very exciting and also worrisome to see your kid off for a semester abroad! Knew I'd be able to find someone with answers on this board!

I assume your son is arriving at LAX at aout 11 am and departing about 11 pm. if so, he will arrive in T4 and depart at Tom Bradley International Terminal (also called TB or TBIT). If he stays behind security after arriving, I believe he can take a shuttle bus from T4 to TBIT, but it won't begin to run until late afternoon.

If you go with the Admirals Club option, he should get a day pass in BOS. He can then stop by the lounge there for coffee, juice and muffins before his flight to LAX and use it again in LAX for no extra charge. You can buy the $50 pass online, when you do electronic check in or at the Club entrance.

With a late morning arrival, I would be inclined to do a priceline bid for a 3.5* or 4* hotel at LAX. Recently, winning bids have been for as low as $42 ($58 with taxes) for 3.5* hotels at LAX, such as the Crown Plaza. They will all have free shuttle buses from the airport and back twice each hour, as well as a swimming pool and some kind of gym. If you wait until about a week before the trip, any hotel that you get on priceline is unlikely to be so busy that they won't be able to find a room for him when he arrives around noon. Some of the hotels will include internet for free, other will charge around $10.

Beside hanging out at the pool, he may want to take a local bus to get to the beach and back. The flyertalk.com forum has a "Los Angeles" forum under Travel & Dining, with suggestiosn on what to do during airport layovers, including a trip to a nearby In n Out Burger to try out the infamous Double Double Animal Style! -- Suzanne

 

[MrMarv]

If you're looking for a moderately-price hotel near LAX, there's a La Quinta on Century Blvd. 1.5 miles from LAX, with free shuttle service.

But utilizing Hotwire or Priceline is a great idea.

 

[Susiesnowflake]

Can't tell you how much I appreciate all the info you provided and all your suggestions! Thanks Suzanne and MrMarv.