We are flying from San Francisco to Los Angeles with American Airlines arriving at 3.45pm Terminal 4. We don't leave until 11.45pm for Melbourne with Qantas also from terminal 4.
What can we do to pass the time?
I am guessing we won't be able to check the luggage through from San Francisco to Melbourne although it is all a One World booking so wondering if we have to look after it until check in with Qantas in LAX.
Thanks

You will find your answer "somewhere" in here: http://tinyurl.com/y8qwnx2

FWIW, my wife and I will be in the same dilemma next April. We will have Admirals Club access, but even then, it's a long time.

To expand on the previous post, you might want to consider a one-day pass to the Admirals Club http://tinyurl.com/y88jqp5

You would have access to showers, Computers with complimentary high-speed internet access, snacks, and your one-day pass can be used at multiple lounges throughout your day of travel. So...if your trip begins in San Francisco or even Anchorage, your one day membership would be valid all day.

When we were in a similar situation, we found it quite enjoyable to take the shuttle or a taxi to the beach, walk along the sand, and have dinner watching the sunset over the ocean. This is a very relaxing respite from the noise and congestion of the airport suroundings. However, you have to figure out where you can leave your luggage. We spent the night in an airport hotel--so they held our luggage.

Of course you can check your bags all the way to MEL. Even if SFO-LAX and LAX-MEL are on separate tickets, just show the Qantas ticket when you check in at SFO, and your bags will be off to Oz.

Go outside to the taxi stand, ask the cab to take you to the Manhattan Beach pier, around 15 min. and around $20 - $25. Walk out the pier, watch the surfers, walk along the Strand (paved path next to the sand) and fill your lungs and work your legs. Develop serious house envy looking at the houses facing the Strand.

Then stroll up Manhattan Beach Blvd. and/or Manhattan Ave. (within a couple blocks of the pier) for a fairly broad range of decent-to-excellent restaurants, pubs or cafes, in all price ranges, for a meal. Have the restaurant phone for a taxi to take you back to LAX.

Simple, easy, fun and healthful. Watch the sun set over the Pacific for a change.

Here's a thread about a four hour layover at LAX http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...m#last-comment

But, with eight, I agree you can risk a trip to the beach.

We were in the same position last year, although I don't think we even had 8 hours. But grabbed a cab to Hermosa Beach and walked the long pier and had a pretty good Mexican dinner at a little place there.

If you're on a budget and doesn't want to take a taxi, you can take the free "Green" shuttle and then on the Beach Transit Bus:

http://www.redondo.org/depts/hbt/tra...t/line_109.asp

Once every 45 minutes or so. $1.

Thanks for all the replies. I had no idea what was so close at hand to the airport! Checking out Google Earth now and it looks close enough to walk. Just kidding!
Certainly looks like the way to go. Can have a pleasant light dinner before we head back for our flight. Take a short acting sedative and forgo the pleasure of the Qantas meal on offer. Sounds like a plan to me
Thanks all!

You might also want to check your terminals again. It's been several years since I've flown out of LAX but, at that time, there were no domestic flights that arrived at the International Terminal.

Terminal 4 is AA's terminal, not International. Some of Qantas' flights use T4, including the one to MEL, while others use TBIT.

Terminal 4 is listed on my Itinerary from Qantas for both the arrival of AA from San Fransisco and departure on Qantas for Melbourne.