LAX stopover for a few hours - with DCs

[RosaKim]

Flying from NZ to Heathrow this week. Originally thought air nz/virgin were part of star alliance and after much faffing went to book the star alliance paid lounge at LAX but it seems virgin is not actually part of it?! So can’t do that.

Can anyone recommend what we could do at LAX? We only have 4.5 hours (during afternoon) so can’t really go out. Flying out of terminal b. Thank you.

Not much. We had to recheck our bags, they took all our bought airside at boots stuff off us and were generally awful. It took forever too.

God I dread it. It’s such a difficult airport to go through!

Sorry op lax is awful. Too late this time but next time (if there is one) take one of the Middle East airlines or Singapore airlines where you won’t have to recheck bags or do immigration. And have a nicer place to wait.

Terminal B ( TBIT) is quite big. There's loads of shops and restaurants . I spent a couple of hours in PfChangs. The seating is pretty comfortable and there's lots of charging points for phones.

You have my sympathies... we got stuck at LAX for 6 hours once and having travelled over a decent number of USA airports.. LAX is the pits! Dirty, rude unhelpful staff and nothing to do.
I sat with my kindle!

I'm so sorry. If hell is real, and I go there, LA will be it. And LAX is the seventh circle.

Find a corner, plug everyone into electronics, pretend you're somewhere else.

BTW I've stayed in poo-encrusted freezing hellholes. Still LAX is worse.

Sorry

LAX is fucking abysmal.
Find a corner, get some snacks, rock back and forth at a comfortable pace and cry would be my recommendation.

Recommendation:

2 x glasses of wine for you and make sure you find seats near an electronic socket. Then hope for the best and people watch - you will be entertained.

Christ 🫠

Way back is 6 hours - worth getting a hotel for a few hours? Give me some hope 😭

Nah. Just wine/sweets/ whatever is your thing, electricity and lean into it. If you’re expecting it, it’ll be fine.

LAX isn't great compared to Heathrow, but it's not terrible. However, some of its terminals are better than others.

If you're able to leave, and can be bothered, The Coffee Company is a short cab or Uber ride away. It's great for breakfast and lunch. I always eat there before flying back to the UK.

thank you that is helpful

Have you got an Amex platinum? Could use the Centurion lounge if so

Otherwise depending on the time traffic can be horrendous around LAX in the afternoon so not sure I would bother leaving the terminal for 4 hour gap, maybe on return for 6

There was an express spa at Tom Bradley so you could get a massage

Otherwise, decent meal at PF Chang's is a good shout

Or on site hotel

This made me proper LOL.

OP other people have been much more helpful, listen to them not us!

But seriously, seventh circle.

I have a virgin credit card of that makes any difference?!

We just arrived into lax last week, it took almost 3 hours to get through immigration, the line was unbelievable, it was pretty hellish. We've been here a few years ago and the line was similar then, although both of those were early evening arrivals so perhaps it will be different in the afternoon.

So if you have to get through that, claim and recheck your baggage, you might not actually have that much time left...

I'm in NZ and go back to LHR frequently. I NEVER go via the US for all the reasons listed above. Only time I have is when we stopped in SFO for a week flying with Air NZ and then took Virgin back to LHR

Next time do Emirates via Dubai or Singapore. So much easier and no collecting bags and re entering immigration like US.

As POs have said 4 hours is enough to get your through bag collection, recheckin.

I have done the route a fair few times, as well as the other way, also have done LA. Just never had this long before. Just wondered what there was to do at the airport.

Make sure you have your etsa too even though only transiting you'll still need one. Virgin credit card gives nothing in LAX unfortunately

Thanks @Fredface1 - learnt that lesson the hard way a few years ago when we missed our flight 🥴

I hate to say it, but I agree LAX is awful. It’s the worst airport I’ve ever been to. I would just take reading materials and get some snacks in the shop and grin and bear it til you can leave. Last time I flew through there, admittedly probably 6 years ago, I stopped for a drink in whatever not very nice airport bar - 2 vodka & sodas (2!!) cost me $40!! I didn’t even think to ask before ordering how much they were because it never occurred to me they’d be anywhere near $20 each. 😫So don’t make that mistake.