Another time between flights question- LAX airport
 

I need to book a one way ticket from LAX-LAS and I'm not sure which one to choose. Here's my details... This is for a trip in September to Venice, so the JFK flight is a connection from VCE. We will be going through customs in JFK, so we won't be arriving in the international terminal at LAX. The JFK-LAX leg is on Delta, slated to arrive at 7:43 pm.

My flight choices for LAX-LAS are as follows:
Ted- leaves at 10:07 pm
America West- 2 flights that leave at 8:55 pm
Southwest- 2 flights, one at 9:15 pm and one at 9:45 pm

The Ted and Southwest flights are half the price of the America West flights. I'd prefer to book the 9:15 pm Southwest flight, but I'm concerned about the time I'll need to go out, retreive my checked luggage and re-check with Southwest. Would I have enough time with the early flight? Any suggestions?

jbee,

If you must stick with your current routing, then the VERY earliest flight I would book is Southwest at 9:45 PM, since you'll need to pick up your luggage and re-check in for your LAX-LAS flight. All you need is a delay on the JFK-LAX leg (you will be departing from JFK in the evening so there is a significant chance of that happening) and you will be making a mad dash even with a 2 hour layover. I would leave at least 3 hours for such a layover.

I assume that DL wants you to pay significantly more for VCE-JFK-LAX than VCE-JFK-SLC-LAX.

If so, would it not be even cheaper to fly just VCE-JFK on DL and fly JetBlue onwards nonstop to LAS for about 100$?? That way you'd only change planes once.

Hope this helps,
Andre

Thanks, Andre. I re-read my post and I guess I rambled a little. :) Let me try to clarify...

I've already booked the LAX-VCE portion of my trip, so I'm locked into those r/t tickets, with a layover in JFK both directions. I've also booked the LAS-LAX portion, so I just need a way to get back home to Las Vegas from LAX.

At any rate, I'm leaning toward booking the 10:00 pm Ted flight, giving a little over 2 hours between our arrival at LAX and our departure. Plus, we wouldn't have to go out and re-check luggage, since Delta and United will do a baggage transfer, right?

I just want to get home as quickly as possible, but I'd rather have a longer layover and be able to get home the same day than be stranded at LAX overnight because of flight delays. What do you think?

You're welcome, jbee!

To answer your questions:

1) No, in my experience, airlines will not check your luggage through if you're not travelling on a single ticket. IMO, there is next to no chance that the check in agent in VCE will tag your luggage to LAS - you will have to pick up your luggage in LAX and re-check it. This means that on your return trip you will need to retrieve your luggage at EACH stop: at JFK for customs and at LAX to make the transfer.

This is why a 2 hour layover at LAX is an absolute minimum IMO. Also, there can still be some significant schedule changes between September and now.

2) Since you already purchased your ticket on DL, I would cancel the JFK-LAX leg and book a nonstop JFK-LAS flight on JetBlue. Even if DL refuses to cancel the leg, I am almost certain there would be no financial consequences if you simply checked through to LAX in VCE, then picked up your luggage at JFK (you need to do this anyway in order to clear customs) and headed off to the JetBlue terminal. You would simply be a no-show, end of story.

There's a 7:45 PM departure on JetBlue from JFK to LAS, arriving at 10:20 PM.

BTW, are you sure of your schedule? I can't find a DL flight from JFK to LAX arriving at 7:43 PM and the listed connection from VCE to LAX via JFK has you taking DL 369 arriving at 9:00 PM, so much later than you indicated.

Hope this helps,
Andre

Andre.....She is on Delta Flight DL171 departure JFK 2.55pm arrival ATL 5.20pm and connecting to Delta Flight DL 257 departure ATL 5.55pm and arrival LAX 7.43pm.......S

Yikes - jbee's actually changing planes in Atlanta as well and with a 35 minute layover at that???!!!

Then my idea of jumping ship in JFK and switching to JetBlue makes even more sense!

However, from what I can see, the VCE-JFK flight gets in at 3:10 PM, so I'm really confused now... This itinerary makes no sense.

Andre

Here's my return schedule as it stands...

Monday, Sept 13, 2004
Depart VCE 12:20 pm, arrive JFK 3:30 pm
Alitalia 7616, operated by Delta 145

Depart JFK 5:55 pm, arrive LAX 7:43 pm
Delta 1255

Andre....correctomundo!! Must be on the AF/AF flight out of VCE at 7.15 that wud put her into JFK at 12.55pm.....

I'm exhausted just trying to figure this out! But, you need to understand that SW and a couple others do not interline with "the majors" and this means a major pain even pre-9/11. I'd suggest you call DL during weekday business hours (when you stand a better chance of getting someone who can comprehend your dilemma) and see what they suggest. There are too many things which can go wrong with the scenario you've outlined, not the least of which would be a cancellation of an inbound flight to LAX.

I need more information about how my baggage transfers, etc. will happen.

If I choose to stick with the VCE-LAX on Alitalia/Delta, I still have to get my luggage in JFK and re-check it. Do I have enough time?

Also, I had called Delta customer service and asked if they would transfer my luggage to a different airline in LAX for my connecting flight. They said yes, as long as it wasn't Southwest. They said to tell the person who checks my luggage in VCE about the change at LAX and they would mark it accordingly. Is this not true?

Sorry for the exhaustion. I feel the same way! I'm trying to work out the kinks before a 16 hour flight. Thanks again for everyone's help! (BTW- this is my first overseas trip. Does it show? :) )

One last thing... I booked the LAX-VCE r/t through Orbitz. The price difference is the only reason I didn't book a LAS-VCE flight. Does that have any bearing on any scenarios described above?

jbee......there must have been a schedule change for which you have received no notification.....Flight 1255 is now showing to be flight 369 departing JFK 5.55pm and arriving 9.00pm...Hope this helps.......S

jbee,

this is REALLY weird... If I check your itinerary for September 13, 2004 on delta.com, I get <b>DL 369</b> leaving JFK at 5:55 PM and landing at LAX at <b>9:00 PM. There is NO mention of a DL 1255, on that day or any other!!</b>

In any event, I would check my exact itinerary with Orbitz or Delta ASAP before doing anything else.

Regarding checking your luggage all the way through to LAS if your DL itinerary only has you flying to LAX - I'm still skeptical. I know it's technically possible, but in my experience, check in agents are generally unwilling to do so. Perhaps others (BeachBoi, AAFF??) have more positive experiences.

In any event, I still believe your best bet is to bail out at JFK and switch over to JetBlue.

Hope this helps,
Andre

BeachBoi-
Thanks for the heads up. I'll get on the phone with Orbitz and find out what they're doing to me (other than raising my blood pressure!!).

I'm thinking maybe I'll get a hotel room in LA on the 13th, then book a flight out in the morning of the 14th. Is that a safer plan? Any other suggestions are welcome as well! Please, please make suggestions! :)

Oh, to answer your question about Orbitz, the main difference is that if you want to make any changes to your itinerary prior to taking the first flight segment on your ticket, you must do so through Orbitz. So they are the ones who would have to cancel the JFK-LAX leg of your ticket. I doubt they will agree to that, so as I said previously, just leave the Delta terminal at JFK after going through customs and be a no-show on the last leg.

Hope this helps,
Andre

jbee.......hmmm......If you are considering a hotel, why not go ahead and ditch the DL flight JFK to LAX and get on Jet Blue for $145.00....The hotel would surely cost at least half that...Is your BloodPressure worth $75? I think so..that way you relax at JFK take your time get over to JetBlue get on the flight and you are home sweet home.......just my 2 cents....Stephen

BeachBoi,
Thanks for your 2 cents. I'm on hold with Orbitz right now and they don't have a clue. Of course, they're saying they have no control over what Delta does.

So.... I'm going to run by the plan of ditching Delta at JFK past my husband. Right now, I'm all for it. Even with that, we're still saving money (which was the ultimate decider for the LAX departure). I like the Jet Blue time, too- just in case anyone decides to change flight times again!

Thanks for your help as well, Andre! You guys are lifesavers! I'll post back after I figure out what's going on and the final solution. I'd hate to leave you guys hanging after all your help. Hopefully someone else can learn from my dilemma. I sure have!

jbee,

If both BeachBoi and myself, 2 Fodors &quot;celebrities&quot;, are in agreement, you simply MUST follow our advice ;-)

I'm sure you'll work things out and have a great time in Bella Italia!

Andre

Andre and BeachBoi,
Here's the descision I've come to... We're going to use our original tickets, then stay in L.A. overnight and fly out the next day. The biggest problem with that plan originally was that my husband *technically* is supposed to be at work on Tuesday, but what can they do if he's stuck in L.A.? They don't need to know it was planned in advance... O:)

The reasons why we didn't choose the Jet Blue option out of JFK were convenience and cost. Since neither one of us are experienced international travelers (yet), we didn't want to take any chances this trip. I know that people skip out on a leg of their journey all the time, but it's hard for me to justify a risk of getting charged extra or losing our luggage just to get home a day early. It was also cheaper to get a hotel room and catch a cheap Southwest flight than 2 one way Jet Blue tickets.

Boy, after all of this, it's a good thing I'm going on vacation- I need one! Thanks for all your help and the heads up that the flights had changed. I'll make sure and post a trip report, so you know how everything turns out!

I always get a kick out of the replies to all these &quot;is xxx hours enough between flights in xxx&quot; questions.

Murphys Law is always guaranteed to apply. If you allow 4 hours between flights, your incoming flight will either a) be delayed by weather/mechanical delays/act of God causing you to arrive 3 hours 59 minutes behind schedule, or b) your incoming flight will arrive early, there will be nobody ahead of you in line for the 30 second immigration/customs inspection, and your baggage will immediately show up on the carrousel, giving you 3 hours and 59 minutes to sit around twiddling your thumbs.

Just a jaded 2 cents...

Have fun!
Mark
www.tiogringo.com