Which Airport?

[MSseawind]

I've never left from the west coast before.  I'm sailing on Carnival Miracle out of Long Beach in February, 2023.  I recently returned from a cruise out of Miami with my Mom and my Aunt, both of whom have mobility issues and use a walker.  MIA Airport was very, very hard for me to navigate with them while checking in (walk here then walk there, then over there for the wheelchairs, etc.)  I hear that LAX is even busier and bigger than MIA.   Does anyone have any experience navigating LAX with two people who have mobility issues?  I feel like arriving might be okay -- they'd meet us at the gate with a wheelchair and hopefully take us directly to baggage claim.  But departing will probably be another story.  I'd love to hear your experience.  (Should I try to depart from another airport like SNA or LGB?)   Thanks in advance for your advice and sharing your experiences.

[CruiserBruce]

Yes, LAX is large and complicated. Transport services will get you where you need to be, both arriving and departing.

 

Lots of pluses to using LGB or SNA, but the negative is you are likely going to need to connect at some airport to get to LGB or SNA, bringing back the issues of moving around in an airport.

[Bruin Steve]

Agree with Bruce.  

When my late parents started having mobility issues, we were always able to pre-arrange services with LAX where they met them at the curb when flying out and at the gate flying in with wheelchairs...

 

Consider they would only be flying in and flying out (not dealing with transfers/change of terminals) so, whichever airline they use, it is a straight shot in...Each airline operates out of a single terminal somewhere around the horseshoe...The  check-in counters are, in most cases (the more complicated Bradley Terminal is only international flights, so won't be an issue), right inside the doors on the departure level (of course, always a good idea to check in via computer.  Most airlines even allow checking luggage at the curb.  From there, through security (If in wheelchairs, I've seen them allowed to jump the line) and a straight shot back to the gate.

 

On arrival, it's a straight, though often long, walk and escalators or elevators down a level to baggage claim and right outside to the curb.  If using Uber/Lyft or a taxi, there is an extra step--a shuttle bus to the pick-up lot--which may be difficult for them...but, if they use cruise line transfers or a car/limo service, they can be picked up at the curb.

 

And, yes, LAX is the world's fifth busiest airport (Miami ranks #12)...

List of busiest airports by passenger traffic - Wikipedia

 

SNA, LGB and BUR are smaller airports...but there are trade-offs in availability of flights, choice of airlines, flight times, prices and availability of ground transportation (SNA and BUR are farther from the port and most cruise lines only provide transfers to and from LAX).  I am not too certain about SNA or LGB--I haven't flown in or out of either in years, but another issue with BUR is that planes are boarded and unloaded by use of the old stairs...

 

Good luck...