Will we Have Enough Time to Caught our Flight

[tradingspaces]

Thinking of booking an 11:00 a.m. flight from LAX upon our return. Will we have enough time to get from the pier to the airport....it will be on a Wednesday. Thanks.

[NEW 2 CRUISIN]

No.

 

For an 11:00 flight you are supposed to be at the airport by 9:00 to allow for ticketing and security lines.

 

If the ship comes in at 8, the first people might not be off before 9, depending on customs clearance.

 

You would have to have the "perfect storm" of good luck happen: be the first people off the ship carrying your own luggage by 8:15AM, have a driver waiting for you that you can find quickly, and have no traffic on the highways.

 

Not very likely to happen.

 

Better choose a later flight and play it safe.

Nobody wants to end a vacation all stressed out about missing a flight!

 

GOOD LUCK!

 

:)

[Cruisin' Chick]

And on the typical Wednesday morning, the 405 freeway that leads to LAX will have plenty of traffic.

[Curt Jerome Wild]

Thinking of booking an 11:00 a.m. flight from LAX upon our return. Will we have enough time to get from the pier to the airport....it will be on a Wednesday. Thanks.

Agreeing with the previous posters...

 

Only if every single solitary thing goes perfectly and works like clockwork.

 

Otherwise, I would never advise anyone to book a flight that early.

Try to get something at about 1 PM or later.

That is the safest bet.

[Keith1010]

Do not book such an early flight.

 

We have seen first hand some ships delayed due to the customs process where not enough agents come on the ship.

 

As others said, you need to arrive to LAX by 9:00 AM to make an 11:00 AM flight.

 

It is a weekday morning.

 

Go with an afternoon flight.

 

Enjoy the cruise.

 

Keith

[Cruisin Kay D]

I don't think alot of people have a clue as to how large LA is and how bad the traffic can be any time of day!!! Especially if they are used to cruising Caribbean from various ports -- such as Ft. Lauderdale, where the airport adjoins the cruise port, OR Miami, where airport is fairly close to port. Taking an 11 AM flight out of Ft. L is pushing it and the distance to airport is perhaps a 10 min or 15 min drive!!!

OR else they don't fly very often and don't realize how much time you need now checking in and going through security at large airports.

We were delayed at security nearly an hour at LAX a couple years ago when we were flying to Mazatlan on a weekday!

[Sally Forth]

Last year Air Canada changed our 1:30 flight to 11:30. We got them to change it to a later flight. We were off the boat by 9. As we were in a very long security check line at LAX, we heard our original flight being announced. We were SO relieved we had changed to the later flight.

 

Viv

[critterchick]

No.

If the ship comes in at 8, the first people might not be off before 9, depending on customs clearance.

 

Most of the ships I've sailed are in port by 6:00 am and disembarkation starts by 7:00 am. I think an 11:00 flight is quite doable, although a surprise immigration check could ruin everything.

 

Even if traffic is a mess, you'll be in the carpool lane (We Angelenos don't carpool much, so the lane is usually wide open). Any good cabbie will have an alternate route or 3 to speed up the trip if there's an accident or other tie up.

 

I wouldn't do it, though because I'm a Nervous Nellie, and because I've been on a couple of cruises where immigration messed up our plans to disemark early.

[cruiserbryce]

personally I would book a later flight...you may be able to sneak on but why rush the morning...try taking the next flight...no reason to ruin the last day at sea worrying about your travels the next day

[yvqchick]

As a fellow Canadian it is frustrating to try and book flights home from the US. We are booked on a flight that departs LAX at 1140 on a Saturday. Is that ideally when I would like to depart, no but we have a 4 hour drive home after we arrive at the airport so we are going to take our chances.

With stopovers and flight changes we don't arrive in Edmonton until 1730 and with the wait for luggage and customs and the one hour time change (we live in SK) we will be lucky to get home by 2300 with winter driving conditions in February!

Bottom line I think maybe 1100 is a bit too early especially with week-day traffic.

Sorry, wish I could be more hopeful.

[NEW 2 CRUISIN]

We solved the "poor flight selection back to the East Coast after the cruise" dilemma by simply staying over a night after the cruise and leaving the next morning on the flight we really wanted!

Fully refreshed after another day of relaxing in San Pedro! :D

 

Not an option for all, I realize, but I bet for many it works!

Don't rule it out!

 

GOOD LUCK!

 

:)

[Cuizer2]

Thinking of booking an 11:00 a.m. flight from LAX upon our return. Will we have enough time to get from the pier to the airport....it will be on a Wednesday. Thanks.

 

For an international flight you have to be at the airport two to three hours prior to the flight. That means you have to be the airport by 9:00am at the latest.

 

On a Wednesday morning it is going to take you an hour to go from the pier to the airport. So that means you have to be stepping into the taxi with your luggage already in the trunk by 8:00am.

 

If you have the status to be the first off the ship you might make it. Otherwise I would suggest you look into an afternoon flight or stay overnight and fly home the next morning.