Question about Mexico Cruise Flight

[twinkle toes]

Hi, can anyone tell me whether I am tempting fate by booking my return flight from LAX leaving at 10:45AM? Has anyone tried to leave the airport this early after the boat docks? Thanks, Sue.

[Colo Cruiser]

Hi, can anyone tell me whether I am tempting fate by booking my return flight from LAX leaving at 10:45AM? Has anyone tried to leave the airport this early after the boat docks? Thanks, Sue.

 

 

No we take a 10:30 flight everytime we cruise from LA.

Do the self disembarkation carrying off your own luggage in the first group that gets off around 7:00am. get a cab to the airport (approx $60).

 

Have a backup plan.

[Dreamer333]

As long as the ship docks on schedule, you should have no problem.

[Working 2 Cruise]

As long the ship docks in time, no surprise Coast guard inspections are held, there is no traffic, no accidents or any kind of delays (customs or otherwise), you may be ok. Any of the above, and you're out of luck.

 

In my opinion, you have a 70% chance of missing your flight. Traffic can be horrendous on the way to the airport.

 

Can it be done, yes... Should it be done, absolutely not. You'd better have a back-up plan...

 

Personally, I wouldn't book a flight earlier than noon. I'd hate missing a flight.

Edited August 23, 2014 by Working 2 Cruise

[shredie]

Are you familiar with LAX and the local traffic? Yes, it is possible to get to a flight that early, but there are many things that can go wrong. If you can book a later one, you probably should.

[caribill]

As long the ship docks in time, no surprise Coast guard inspections are held, there is no traffic, no accidents or any kind of delays (customs or otherwise), you may be ok. Any of the above, and you're out of luck.

 

 

In my experience the Coast Guard inspections do not affect disembarking guests, but can hold up embarkation.

[Working 2 Cruise]

In my experience the Coast Guard inspections do not affect disembarking guests, but can hold up embarkation.

 

Maybe so... but so many things can go wrong with such an early flight...

 

On top of that, OP doesn't realize it's a 40 minute drive to LAX... without traffic. Assuming he can walk off at 7:00, which is a stretch, go through Customs (15 to 30 minutes) and getting a taxi, he probably would be on his way around 7:45. Add the drive time, and he's cutting it very close. If any work is being done on the freeway or an accident...

[Pam in CA]

Are you familiar with LAX and the local traffic? Yes, it is possible to get to a flight that early, but there are many things that can go wrong. If you can book a later one, you probably should.

It's interesting how people who don't live in the LA area say, "Oh, no problem!" yet those who live here and deal with LA traffic all the time say, "Only if everything goes perfectly."

 

Do the math. I've disembarked in San Pedro many times and often, disembarkation doesn't start until after 8am. There are usually several self-disembarkation groups so let's say you disembark at 8:15am carrying your own luggage. By the time you go through Immigration and grab a cab, perhaps it's 8:40am. It's a 40-minute drive to LAX and that's without an accident or CalTrans working on the roads... which is more likely than not. Get to LAX by 9:30am. Go through check-in (if you haven't done it while onboard) and then Security which can take 15-30 minutes. So, now, it's 10am. Get to the gate and it's 10:10am and the plane is either boarding or about to board.

 

The above is with no glitches or delays. Both of which are very possible. I've had it take 30 minutes to just get from the entrance to LAX to the terminal. I've seen the 110 and/or the 405 literally stopped so it takes half an hour to go five miles. Neither of these are unusual or exceptions but rather what most people who live in the region expect and plan for.

 

If you book the 10:45am flight, make sure you have other options and plans in place.

[M4dC0w]

Dont know why people alway try to make a 10 or 10:30 flight. Its not worth the stress, of waking up so early, then hauling all your luggage trough the elevators or terminal. The looking for a cab or car service.

 

Enjoy your last morning, go for breakfast, then find your luggage at the terminal.

 

If you need to ask if you can or cannot make a flight, just book a later flight and be done with it. Why make things any more stressfull than they need to be?

[shredie]

This is the upper road into the airport. There's another one below it. These are people coming to get to their arrival terminals (one of eight plus Itn'l.) before they have checked in or gone through security. This picture looks like a pretty average day to me. Pam is correct in saying that it can take a half hour to get from, say, terminal two to terminal four.

 

Edited August 23, 2014 by shredie

[M4dC0w]

And thats not including the delay if LAPD and CPD is at the entrance of the airport doing their checks

[OldSeaDog]

I live near LA and I know all the shortcuts and ways around snarled traffic I would NOT book a 10:45 departure following a cruise.

[Dreamer333]

Even though I live in Chicago, I've taken several Mexican Riviera cruises and have never had issues getting to LAX. I would book a 10:45am flight if the price was right.

Good luck! Hopefully everything works out for you! Enjoy your cruise!

[BEFdoc]

I live near LA and I know all the shortcuts and ways around snarled traffic I would NOT book a 10:45 departure following a cruise.

 

 

Ditto!

[Cruisin' Chick]

Dont know why people alway try to make a 10 or 10:30 flight. Its not worth the stress, of waking up so early, then hauling all your luggage trough the elevators or terminal. The looking for a cab or car service.

 

Enjoy your last morning, go for breakfast, then find your luggage at the terminal.

 

If you need to ask if you can or cannot make a flight, just book a later flight and be done with it. Why make things any more stressfull than they need to be?

 

They say that Karma bites. Well, Murphy's Law can, too. As a native Angeleno who spent many years commuting on our infamous freeways...I would strongly advise anyone not to top off a hopefully relaxing vacation with a mad dash to the airport. Odds are, it will be the sailing that customs or immigration officers hold up disembarkation (a few cruises ago, the process started over 45 minutes late, and it wasn't because there were a zillion other ships in San Pedro at the same time, just one other ship), the day a major accident jams up the 405, the time security at the airport takes forever.

 

There's a reason why all of the cruise lines that use the Port of LA recommend flights after 1 (12:30 earliest), and it's not because they don't want cruisers to take advantage of cheaper flights.

[shredie]

Even though I live in Chicago, I've taken several Mexican Riviera cruises and have never had issues getting to LAX. I would book a 10:45am flight if the price was right.

Good luck! Hopefully everything works out for you! Enjoy your cruise!

 

You are the luckiest guy on the planet. Go buy a lottery ticket!

[Working 2 Cruise]

:confused:

Even though I live in Chicago, I've taken several Mexican Riviera cruises and have never had issues getting to LAX. I would book a 10:45am flight if the price was right.

Good luck! Hopefully everything works out for you! Enjoy your cruise!

 

So far, you've been lucky. Make sure to have a back-up plan because one of these days, you won't make it.

[Dreamer333]

So many negative nellies, lol.

[Dreamer333]

You are the luckiest guy on the planet. Go buy a lottery ticket!

 

I am a woman (hear me roar), and yes, I am very lucky.

[SadieN]

What day of the week? They just started a MASSIVE construction project around the airport to bring the Metro to LAX. Need to build in extra time in case of lane/street closures.

 

You'd have to be at the airport by 8:45 domestic, 7:45 International.

 

Some times it has taken us an hour to get to the Bradley terminal at the top of the horseshoe.

[SadieN]

I am a woman (hear me roar), and yes, I am very lucky.

 

 

You are also a dreamer, lol.

[Pam in CA]

What day of the week? They just started a MASSIVE construction project around the airport to bring the Metro to LAX. Need to build in extra time in case of lane/street closures.

 

You'd have to be at the airport by 8:45 domestic, 7:45 International.

 

Some times it has taken us an hour to get to the Bradley terminal at the top of the horseshoe.

Yup. Forgot about the construction. Here's the alert from LAX:

 

http://www.lawa.org/laxdev/roadalerts.aspx

 

I would much rather wait an extra hour or two at the airport than have the stress of sitting in traffic. And lest you think the HOV lane will be faster, think again.

 

Last March, after my Mexican Riviera cruise on the Sapphire, the first people were off the ship (self-disembarkation) after 8am. We disembarked at 9am and it took us about 30 minutes from exiting the ship until we got through Immigration.

[critterchick]

As long the ship docks in time, no surprise Coast guard inspections are held, there is no traffic, no accidents or any kind of delays (customs or otherwise), you may be ok. Any of the above, and you're out of luck.

 

In my opinion, you have a 70% chance of missing your flight. Traffic can be horrendous on the way to the airport.

 

Can it be done, yes... Should it be done, absolutely not. You'd better have a back-up plan...

 

Personally, I wouldn't book a flight earlier than noon. I'd hate missing a flight.

 

I would say that OP has a 20% chance of missing the flights but I'm just pulling a number out of my....hat. If OP books a private car service (which can be had for not much more than the $60 that Keith quoted), then the driver can take the coastal route if s/he gets word of traffic, and OP won't have to worry about the meter going out of control.

 

It's interesting how people who don't live in the LA area say, "Oh, no problem!" yet those who live here and deal with LA traffic all the time say, "Only if everything goes perfectly."

 

Do the math. I've disembarked in San Pedro many times and often, disembarkation doesn't start until after 8am. There are usually several self-disembarkation groups so let's say you disembark at 8:15am carrying your own luggage. By the time you go through Immigration and grab a cab, perhaps it's 8:40am. It's a 40-minute drive to LAX and that's without an accident or CalTrans working on the roads... which is more likely than not. Get to LAX by 9:30am. Go through check-in (if you haven't done it while onboard) and then Security which can take 15-30 minutes. So, now, it's 10am. Get to the gate and it's 10:10am and the plane is either boarding or about to board.

 

The above is with no glitches or delays. Both of which are very possible. I've had it take 30 minutes to just get from the entrance to LAX to the terminal. I've seen the 110 and/or the 405 literally stopped so it takes half an hour to go five miles. Neither of these are unusual or exceptions but rather what most people who live in the region expect and plan for.

 

If you book the 10:45am flight, make sure you have other options and plans in place.

 

Well, it's the people who love out of town who take those flights, so they are the ones with actual experience to relate.:)

 

Would I do it (I live near the pier)? Only if I HAD to be on the early flight and it was a few hundred dollars in savings, at least. I have Global Entry, which gets me Pre-Check so I can use the "express" lines through security at the airport. It's never taken more than 15 minutes, and usually only takes 5. Best $100 I've spent in a long time.

 

We drove to LAX last weekend and there was no construction delay. That, of course, could change by the time you sail.

[Pam in CA]

Well, it's the people who love out of town who take those flights, so they are the ones with actual experience to relate.:)

Well, I moved to CA seven years ago and before that, lived in the Boston area so I took many cruises out of San Pedro and took transfers to LAX for flights back to MA so I do have actual experience. I never booked a flight before Noon. Sometimes I had a couple of hours to wait, sometimes I had maybe half an hour before boarding.

 

Granted, my actual experience isn't recent. However, I am familiar with the 110 and 405 and while I don't drive it often, it's often enough.

Edited August 24, 2014 by Pam in CA

[shredie]

Well, it's the people who love out of town who take those flights, so they are the ones with actual experience to relate.:)

I think we've had three, four people say they had no problems? Not a very big sample size. LOL. People ask often about this issue. We give them our best advice, gained by our experiences, and if they choose to go for the best-case scenario, they are welcome to do that. I suppose some of them might just be looking for reassurance that all be well, but most of them want to know the realistic chances of making a flight, I think. BTW, I never take a flight from a San Pedro cruise, but I do use LAX for a lot more. The place is a nightmare, plain and simple. It rivals Heathrow for congestion, crowds, noise and inconvenience. There is getting to the airport, and then there is getting through the airport to the plane.

Edited August 24, 2014 by shredie