Help with Public Transit from LA to LAX
 

I'd like to take public transit from downtown LA to the LAX airport. I've found Metro Express Line 439 leaves from close to my hotel and stops at Aviation Station.

Can someone pls confirm that that is the LAX airport, departures level?

Also, I am not familiar with LAX; my flight out is on a Sunday nite, 11pm departure. Busses are only running 1/hr. Is arriving at LAX at 10pm too tight for me to get my bag checked and get thru security? If so, I'll have to arrive at 9pm...seems like a long time at the airport. Any thoughts on this?

Enjoy-la!

439 doesn't go into LAX. It goes to the "LAX/Aviation" station, and you need to take another shuttle bus.

Why not take the FlyAway bus from Union Station for $6?

It'll take about 30 minutes on Sunday night rather than 70 minutes on the 439, just to get to Aviation.

Take the Union Station Flyaway bus as rkkwan suggests. You can probably take the Metro Red Line, DASH, or even taxi to Union Station, ask at your hotel.

I would want to be at the airport at least one hour ahead of a domestic flight. If this is an international flight, you'll want longer. Remember that security measures can result in some rather long waits in line even if you are at the airport, you are not at the gate.

Aviation station is called that because it is on Aviation Boulevard, in a no-mans land of freeway and main road intersection, 3 miles from the airport.

Know not just your airline but your terminal number - www.iflylax.com/lax_map0.html may help.

There is no common terminal or lobby where you can hang and eat and stroll, it's all individual terminals, and practically nothing like that in any of them until after you've passed through security into the concourses to the gates. Then it varies greatly what there is available.

You will be dropped off on the lower level of the horseshoe, then you'll go inside a terminal and, after check-in, up to the second level where the gates are.

Each terminal has its own check-in lobby, security, and gates, almost like a little airport of its own.

in some you check the bags, they tag them, and you carry them to a TSA station where you hand them over before you go through security and up to the gates.

For a domestic flight, aim at being there 90 minutes before. For an international (especially if you fly out of the dreadful Bradley Inernational terminal) allow for more than two hours.

Either that, or change to a flight from one of the other four LA airports, they are all much smaller.

Which airline & which terminal?

I flew out T4 (American Airlines) twice in the evening on an red-eye. Once was a friday night, the other time was New Year's eve. Both times the security line was very long, so you definitely want to get there early than late.

BTW, I took the FlyAway bus from Union Station. Just FYI, you buy your ticket from a booth out on the island where the bus stops. It's not too obvious from where the bus stop is, but it's just about 15 feet away. (I arrived early for my bus but thought I had to buy tix from the driver because I didn't see the booth. I ended up having to line up at the booth because many people committed the same faux pas.)

Also, depending on which terminal, your bus trip can take an additional 10-15 minutes if you're at one of the last terminals for drop-off.

Oh... I didn't even see the part about checking luggage! Both times when I was there in December 2008, I had already done OLCI at home with BP in hand, and carry-on only. If you have to check luggage, you'll need to be there even earlier!

In my opinion 1 hour is just not enough time to arive LAX, check in to your airline with luggage, get thru security, and onward to your gate.

2 hours ahead of flight-time at a huge airport like LAX is hardly a "long time".

As someone who has missed a flight at LAX, 2 hours is definitely not too early to arrive.

If you're running late they're usually pretty good about pulling you out of line and getting you through, if you let them know.

Thx a mint for all the replies - very helpful info and details.

Will definitely get there 2 hours early then. From the great link to the terminal map, it looks like I will fly out of T3.

I thought I'd take the public bus instead of the FlyAway bus because I can catch #439 a block from my hotel whereas I'd have to get another transfer to get to Union Stn. I didn't think I would save any time by taking the FlyAway given the extra time I'd have to use to transfer. The FlyAway bus means not only more money (not really a biggie) but more hassle of getting on and off things with my luggage. As I prefer greener transport than calling a cab, I'd have to figure out extra logistics of how to get to Union Stn (IIRC Dash does not run on Sunday evenings) from close to Staples Center.

I'll look into taking the FlyAway again but anyone know how often the shuttle from Aviation stn runs to the airport?

No idea. L.A. Metro doesn't publish a timetable for the "G Shuttle" between the LAX/Aviation Green Line station and the terminal.

But since on Sunday night, the Green Line runs every 15 minutes, I'd assume that's also the frequency of the shuttle.

BTW, why not take the Blue Line and switch to Green Line? It's 20 minutes from the Pico station (which is close to Staples Center) to Washington/Irvington. Then it's 16 minutes from there on the Green Line to Aviation. And more frequent than the once-an-hour 439.

You'll pay $2.50, just a little more than the 439 at $1.85.

Sorry, the transfer point between the Blue and Green lines is "Imperial/Wilmington". No idea what I was thinking about.

The shuttle from the Aviation station runs very frequently. I can't give you an exact interval, but I'd say about 10 minutes.

I'm pretty fearless, but I don't think I'd want to wait at the Wilmington/Imperial station at night with luggage. It's probably safe, but it might feel dodgy especially if you're female.

I would not take the Metro, that involves the following transfers

Blue Line

Green Line

Shuttle bus from Green Line to Terminal

Also you do know that the Blue Line runs through South Central Los Angeles and Compton? I have taken it at night returning from LAX and it's a rather "intense" experience. And I live here.

The shuttle bus from the Green Line to the terminal can take as long as 30 minutes, no matter what the schedule says.

I still say use the Flyaway. With a taxi if necessary.

From the Staples Center, one can walk about 1/4 mile east to Olive Street, which has several bus lines to Union Station - 70, 71, 78, 79. 728/770 don't run on Sundays, nor some of the DASH lines.

Oh, for ____'s sake, it's not the "greenest" way to go, but why don't I just drive you? I live just 3 miles from Staples Center. And traffic won't be a problem Sunday night.

Thx for the continued help with this. I VERY much appreciate the posts about the safety of the transit trip. I had no idea. This is a solo trip and I'll do the FlyAway. rkkwan, you're too kind!

If anything, with luggage you're better off on the FlyAway than on a public bus, the former is, the latter is not meant for luggage. Although on a Sunday your stuff should not get in the way on the public bus, but it has no racks or other facilities for luggage.