Toni

Our long awaited trip to NYC has finally arrived and we are now fine tuning our plans.

One of the things that we are up in the air about is how long it will take to get from our house (Riverside drive and Laurel Canyon) to LAX...the 405 can be brutal but I'm not sure if the traffic is bad that early in the morning. Does anyone know?

Deb

Toni,

You're right--the 405 is absolutely unpredictable.

I have given up driving to LAX and take the Flyaway bus out of Van Nuys. Do a search on google and you'll find it.

If you feel like you want to drive to LAX yourself, I would suggest leaving an hour before you want to be there. Would you rather miss an hour of sleep or your flight to NYC?

That said, traffic at that hour shouldn't be *too* bad, except for the usual slow downs as you descend into Westwood and at the I-10 interchange.

Or if you wanted to avoid traffic altogether, fly out of Burbank!

I hope that helps!

Deb

Another thought...

Depending on what airline you are flying, you might want to be at LAX earlier than 7 a.m. for an 8:10 a.m. flight.

If you are flying out of Terminal One, for example, I would give yourself at least two hours! Southwest, America West, and ATA are all out of Terminal One and it's a NIGHTMARE! I flew America West in June and almost missed my flight!

We flew American out of Terminal Four in May and it was smooth.

Just my experience...

mary f

The SD freeway is terrible, and there's the possibility of accidents, and fog. We use the Flyaway Bus in Van Nuys - hassle free. $6.00 round trip per person, $4 a day for parking. We got the bus at 3:30 a.m. a couple of weeks ago, and there were 20 people on it, surprised us at that hour of the morning!

SFV

All of the airlines that I've flown on lately have stated that you need to allow atleast 2 hours prior to the flight for arrival at the airport. That means that you need to be parked by 6:10 am. Traffic is bad even at that hour. I'd plan on leaving your house by 5:15 am.

janis

Whether you drive or take the bus is your choice - I usually prefer the bus. easier to relax and rest before the flight. BUT you definitely should be inside the terminal a MINIMUM of two hours before your flight. Not in the parking lot, but inside and checking in.

Security at LAX can take minutes or it can take 1.5 hours - and the problem is you don't know which it will be on that day. So don't risk missing your flight - plan to be at LAX by 6AM at the LATEST.

xxx

You didn't provide us with the morning of the week that you're flying, so it's harder to nail down good advice. Mondays are a particularly busy business travel morning, so leave yourself even more time. Be at the airport no later than 6 am, no matter what day you're flying.

irma

Wednesday was clearly stated.

I always make it a point of getting to the airport early. Less stress and plenty of time to get a beverage, go to the bathroom, make a few calls and just get some exercise walking the length of the terminal before the 5+ hour flight.

xxx

Sorry. I got so bored reading the long header that I forgot which day she was flying.

Sarah

Why not stay over night in the airport? Do you really want to be tired on your first day from getting up at 4am. I have done this leaves room for a nice breakfast so you are not tempted by the crap food on the plane. You can get great deals at most airports and bidding for your room this time of year should provide even better deals.
Good Luck

xxx

I second the idea to spend the night at an airport hotel. Bid cheap on priceline and drive in that night. What if you allow plenty of time for your drive in and some huge pile-up occurs?

Toni

Thanks so much for your replies.

I just checked United's website and they suggest arriving 1 1/2 hrs. before flight time for a domestic flight if you are checking bags, which we are.

We usually do take the flyaway but we were offered a ride, which seemed like a good idea.

SO...I guess we leave my house at 5:00-5:15.
Thanks again!
Toni

renee

Traffic at 5 - 6 am shouldn't be so heavy - traffic in LA is bad but not that bad.

That said 1 1/2 to 2 hours ahead of flight is your best bet for getting to the airport. Check your bags at the curb and you will be in good shape.