Transportation at LA Pier

I have booked with Lotus shuttle. I have used them once before and found them to be reliable, on time & a good deal.

I remember seeing a couple of their vehicles at the port when we were at the shuttle island. It's nice to hear positive comments about alternatives.

I believe we all recognize that traffic jams can occur, and can cause delays. That hampers all types of vehicle transportation.

 

Does anyone have any recent incidents of non-traffic related delays when transferring over the LAX - San Pedro route with Super Shuttle or Prime Time ?

It has been over 24 hours since I posted my question, and NOBODY has has identified ANY recent problems with shuttle services Super Shuttle or Prime Time.

Enough said !!!!

Swedish Weave.

Maybe you could answer my question. I am arriving in San Pedro port and need to get to Indio in Palm Springs. Driving or flying is not an option. I found that I can get a bus from Union Station ,what is the best way to get there and how long will it take to get to union station.

We booked a private service to pick us up and take us to LAX and it was so much easier than a shared shuttle. the company we always use when in LA is Zippy Shuttle. Ken is fantastic and their prices are very reasonable. I heard about them from this forum and have used them for everything since, even when we are not cruising. Google zippy shuttle will bring up their website.

They use vans, but they are private. Not shared so whenever you're ready you are good to go. It's great

It has been over 24 hours since I posted my question, and NOBODY has has identified ANY recent problems with shuttle services Super Shuttle or Prime Time.

 

Enough said !!!!

If you do a search on this board, you'll find many comments both good and bad about personal experiences with various land transportation including SS and PT shuttles. And just above are positive comments about Lotus and Zippy. So really, no need to get confrontational. Not everyone is on these boards day and night or even every day.

If you do a search on this board' date=' you'll find many comments both good and bad about personal experiences with various land transportation including SS and PT shuttles. And just above are positive comments about Lotus and Zippy. So really, no need to get confrontational. Not everyone is on these boards day and night or even every day.[/quote']

 

I simply asked for comments !!! sorry if that offends you.

It has been over 24 hours since I posted my question, and NOBODY has has identified ANY recent problems with shuttle services Super Shuttle or Prime Time.

 

Enough said !!!!

Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.

It has been over 24 hours since I posted my question, and NOBODY has has identified ANY recent problems with shuttle services Super Shuttle or Prime Time.

 

Enough said !!!!

I simply asked for comments !!! sorry if that offends you.

Sounds like more than "simply" asking for comments. To me, this is like somebody posting a question on these boards and then is away from the site for a day or two (or even a few hours) and gets attacked for not checking back immediately.

Sounds like more than "simply" asking for comments. To me' date=' this is like somebody posting a question on these boards and then is away from the site for a day or two (or even a few hours) and gets attacked for not checking back immediately.[/quote']

 

I was attempting to get CURRENT information about the two big shuttle companies that have many vans serving the LAX San Pedro route.

 

Current information is much more beneficial to those asking about their shuttle service than repeating outdated negative experiences .

 

If there are no current problems reported, it appears that these two companies are providing good service to those who choose to use them for shuttle between LAX and San Pedro.

 

I don't believe anybody attacked anyone else on this subject.

My general take on shuttles:

I have traveled quite a bit over the past few decades...for business and pleasure...I've flown out of six different SoCal airports (LAX, BUR, SNA, Santa Barbara, Santa Monica and Van Nuys) and have cruised out of all three SoCal cruise terminals (San Pedro, Long Beach and San Diego)...

I have, very often, used shuttle companies or limo/towncar companies to get to or from these...

If one uses shuttles--or limos/towncars--enough, one will run into a problem or two one time or another...It is inevitable...

Things go wrong...usually human error. Someone screws up your reservation, doesn't send the car/van on time--or at all...The car/van has engine problems somewhere...The driver, for some reason or another, doesn't see you at the airport and drives off without you...or, he makes some wild decision to let someone else in his van and fills it up without leaviong room for you even though you have a reservation...

I have seen it all...

Generally, the way to handle it is to keep the company's number ready and call and call again...and have some patience...Usually, the worst that happens is that you're waiting too long a time for your desires...If you can't afford that possibility, don't use a shuttle service...

Of course, those sorts of delays rarely happen when you are using the shuttle to get from LAX to the port or the port to LAX on a day the ship is in port--because the major companies DO have multiple vans making a continual loop...and they have no trouble filling up the van...and, for those routes, it also saves the one problem that bugs a lot of folks about a shared shuttle--making multiple stops in out-of-the-way locations to pick up or drop off others...because they will have so many people all just trying to get from the ship to LAX...

I do like one-party towncars or limos--more comfortable, never additional stops. But those services also have the same issues from time to time. I once had a limo company send the wrong sized vehicle (We had a party of seven with luggage heading for a cruise and specifically ordered a 12-SEAT LIMO so we'd have ample room (limos are a problem with travelers since m, though the passenger compartment is stretched, the trunk isn't--they might be able to put 4 suitcases in the trunk and two up front with the driver, but, with 7 of us, luggage and carry-ons, we knew we'd need some of the stuff in the passenger compartment with us...The limo company sent, IIRC, a vehicle that seated only six in the back...)...I've also had a limo company show up late at the airport due to a mechanical problem...and, in Houston a couple of years back, we had a limo driver who insisted that we pay him a tip even though we clearly prepaid it to the company (and I had the emails to prove it!)...

So, basically, things go wrong...

It happens...maybe one time out of 20...no matter who you use...

So, if you ask enough people, sure, someone will have had a problem with one of these services...

But, chances are, especially using a major company to go LAX-San Pedro OR Carnival Long Beach and return, there is very little risk. The vans will be there, the ride will be uneventful...

As Steve says, if you're just getting out of the airport (in this case LAX, and undoubtedly John Wayne, but I haven't used that airport), you'll see the blue shuttles and the red shuttles. If you aren't in a great hurry (meaning you haven't booked a same day flight as your cruise) and don't mind the shuttle driver stopping at other terminals to fill his vehicle...and don't mind not being the first or second to be dropped off at one's hotel...then either PT or SS are probably okay for you. The problem is if you are coming in the same day (which to me seems the height of madness) or getting a point-to-point service. Then you want a service that is reliable. And once you've pre-booked a service, you're stuck if there's a problem on the other end. And I have seen comments on this board about one of the companies or another.

I'm not going to do the search for you, SW, but be assured I'm not the only one who has given a non-recommendation. I don't need car services all the time, so it's not a matter that sooner or later I'll strike out with a company that I use all the time. So for a company that messed up twice with the same booking for me, well, as someone who has worked for some years with a company that was known for great customer service, I know that if we had messed up with a client on an occasion, we would be extra-specially careful the next time we dealt with him or her. I wasn't too pleased with PT for not be extra-specially careful with my return pickup just two weeks later after the first mistake. And with some other comments I've seen here in the past year (even a few months, but again, I'm not going to do the research for you), I don't know if they changed things to prevent a mistake like that.

There are plenty of land transportation services in Los Angeles. Many do service the airports, even though only SS and PT are given permission to park their vans in front of the terminals to pick up passengers who haven't pre-booked. The companies with private pickups have to pick you up when summoned, but they don't circle the airport to pickup other fares and they'll take you directly to where you want to go. Of course, you're going to pay more for this, so it's your choice. But I'm not going to change my mind about prebooking with a company that messed up so royally for my family (and again, we weren't the only ressies that were messed up by PT that morning).

I'm not going to do the search for you, SW, but be assured I'm not the only one who has given a non-recommendation.

 

And with some other comments I've seen here in the past year (even a few months, but again, I'm not going to do the research for you), I don't know if they changed things to prevent a mistake like that.

 

I haven't asked you to do research for me !!! I would not ask you to do research for me !!!

 

You seem to be mis-interpreting my posts.

I ended up booking execucar. We thought it would be a good way to end the trip. Thanks everyone for your input!

After wading thru the post, no one has said anything about cost.:confused:

So who has the best rate from San Pedro to LAX. We are in no hurry to catch a plane, but do have a rental car waiting. Any chance of a rental car shuttle at the port that would take us to LAX?

Ya Bill, I know. "If wishes were horses, beggars would ride":p

After wading thru the post, no one has said anything about cost.:confused:

 

So who has the best rate from San Pedro to LAX. We are in no hurry to catch a plane, but do have a rental car waiting. Any chance of a rental car shuttle at the port that would take us to LAX?

 

Ya Bill, I know. "If wishes were horses, beggars would ride":p

No Rental Car shuttle will take you the 30 minutes with no traffic it takes to get to San Pedro.

Shared Super Shuttle is $17/pp. others run about the same. Should be able to find a coupon.

Taxis will run $75-$80. Execucar will be slightly less.

There are many, many threads on this board about transfers.