3.5 Hour Layover in LAX

[tarheelmjfan]

I have a 3.5 hour layover, from 9:00am - 12:30pm, at LAX on my way to Sea-Tac. What is there to do to fill the time? Any suggestions will be very much appreciated. :)

[silverado44]

There is a strip club about a 1/2 mile from the airport entrance.

[Keith1010]

There really is not much to do. Maybe you want to pay the fee for the airport lounge if your airline has one.

 

Keith

[tarheelmjfan]

Thanks to both of you for your replies. :)

 

There is a strip club about a 1/2 mile from the airport entrance.

 

I'm female, so I think I'll pass on that one. ;)

 

There really is not much to do. Maybe you want to pay the fee for the airport lounge if your airline has one.

 

Keith

 

That's not good! Isn't it a large airport? I was hoping to at least be able to shop & maybe grab a bite to eat. :confused:

[Keith1010]

Yes, you can have a meal there or walk around the stores to kill time. But after you do that if your flight was on time you may have quite a bit more time to kill. LAX is not one of your nicer/modern airports. It's been around a long time. So, that is why I mentioned an airline lounge. So if you don't want to use an airport lounge I would bring a good book or magazine to read.

 

Keith

[Curt Jerome Wild]

I was hoping to at least be able to shop & maybe grab a bite to eat. :confused:

Why don't you just hop on over to Encounter Restaurant?

http://www.encounterlax.com/

It's re-opened now - a one of a kind and awesome in general.

Great way to get good California Cuisine, in a place designed by Disney Imagineers.

Take pictures, it's pretty cool in there.:cool:

[kenish]

A more budget-minded alternative is In-n-Out Burger. For the amount of time stated, take a cab over there, order "to go" and bring it back. The excursion should take 30 minutes (10 for the meal, 10 minutes each way in the cab). I would do "to go" to get back to the terminal as soon as possible, also it might be hard to get a cab at In-n-Out.

[Keith1010]

A more budget-minded alternative is In-n-Out Burger. For the amount of time stated, take a cab over there, order "to go" and bring it back. The excursion should take 30 minutes (10 for the meal, 10 minutes each way in the cab). I would do "to go" to get back to the terminal as soon as possible, also it might be hard to get a cab at In-n-Out.

 

I would go with Curt Jerome Wild's recommendation for several reasons.

 

I have found him to be one of the true experts of this area. He has given me excellent advice.

 

Second, I would just not leave the airport. It's not worth it.

 

Third, the challenge is that 3 1/2 hours is a long time at this airport which is why I first mentioned the airline lounge. I think Curt's suggestion would break up the time so that one could spend a good deal of time at the restaurant and then browse some stores and walk around a little bit. To me, there is nothing around the airport worth going to for such a short period of time and I just wouldn't want to waste the time.

 

Keith

[tarheelmjfan]

I've never used an airport lounge, & don't know anything about them. This is by far the longest layover I've ever had, when travelling alone, so it's never been an issue. I wouldn't know where to begin to go that route. :o

 

Encounter Lax sounds great! Unfortunately, it looks like they're only open for lunch & dinner & my flight leaves at 12:30pm. I would have definitely eaten there, if the timing had worked out.

 

Thanks again for all the help. I really appreciate it!

[Keith1010]

I've never used an airport lounge, & don't know anything about them. This is by far the longest layover I've ever had, when travelling alone, so it's never been an issue. I wouldn't know where to begin to go that route. :o

 

Encounter Lax sounds great! Unfortunately, it looks like they're only open for lunch & dinner & my flight leaves at 12:30pm. I would have definitely eaten there, if the timing had worked out.

 

Thanks again for all the help. I really appreciate it!

 

I'm sorry I meant Airline Club Lounge rather than Airport lounge. Some airlines allow you to purchase a day pass which provides admission to their airport lounge on the day you travel which provdes a quiet setting while you wait for your plane.

 

Keith

[jasmith52]

I've never used an airport lounge, & don't know anything about them. This is by far the longest layover I've ever had, when travelling alone, so it's never been an issue. I wouldn't know where to begin to go that route. :o

 

Encounter Lax sounds great! Unfortunately, it looks like they're only open for lunch & dinner & my flight leaves at 12:30pm. I would have definitely eaten there, if the timing had worked out.

 

Thanks again for all the help. I really appreciate it!

 

Although the Encounter restaurant/lounge may be a great place to kill a couple of hours, be forewarned that (in my opinion) it is very expensive.

 

What I would do personally, is go have lunch at one of the Century blvd (airport) hotels to get away from the airport noise and conjestion. You can catch any of their free shuttle(s) right outside the baggage claim area. They will also bring you back to the airport. The Sheraton, The Marriott, or the Westin are pretty nice places to go have some lunch or a drink. I have eaten at the Sheaton and the Marriott. They are both pretty nice for airport hotels and won't charge anything like the Encounter restauant. Of course you won't have the same view.

 

If the hotel thing is too much, then Taco bell is also right there. I can personally recommend it as I have eaten there many times. Tell Edwardo that I sent you and recommend the number 5 combo. If you are lucky he will throw in some extra hot sauce.

[kenish]

Keith- CJW indeed knows a lot about LAX, but so do others. :) Also, there is a great thread and photos of In-n-Out from CJW himself...he has great tips on how to get there and plane watch!

 

I agree Encounters is good but I got a hint the OP may be budget-conscious, making In-n-Out a better choice time permitting (which I also outlined) and they will want lunch being on FL time. There is really no time difference between walking to Encounters or a cab to In-n-Out. You have to exit security either way, In-n-Out is about 1.5 street miles from the terminals, and traffic is light at that time even on weekdays. If we were talking about Santa Monica or Redondo, I would fully agree there's not enough time leeway.

[jasmith52]

After your In-N-Out gastronomic burger lunch you could top it off with a classic randy's donut. I personally can attest to the high quality and am personally recommending the Bear Claws (and only $1). It's just a short ride east on Manchester from In-N-Out (at Manchester and the 405).

 

 

 

 

[Cruisin' Chick]

After your In-N-Out gastronomic burger lunch you could top it off with a classic randy's donut. I personally can attest to the high quality and am personally recommending the Bear Claws (and only $1). It's just a short ride east on Manchester from In-N-Out (at Manchester and the 405).

 

 

 

 

 

That was a Jeopardy clue the other day. The sign was shown and the contestants were supposed to say which airport is it near.

[Curt Jerome Wild]

I have a 3.5 hour layover, from 9:00am - 12:30pm, at LAX on my way to Sea-Tac. What is there to do to fill the time? Any suggestions will be very much appreciated.

 

A more budget-minded alternative is In-n-Out Burger. For the amount of time stated, take a cab over there, order "to go" and bring it back. The excursion should take 30 minutes (10 for the meal, 10 minutes each way in the cab). I would do "to go" to get back to the terminal as soon as possible, also it might be hard to get a cab at In-n-Out.

Although the Encounter restaurant/lounge may be a great place to kill a couple of hours, be forewarned that (in my opinion) it is very expensive.

You're either going to have to pay for two cabs, and/or one to sit and wait with you for your food. Add that $$ up, and it's not much more budget minded than my suggestion of Encounter.;)

In the meantime, if people decide to do this, here's the original In-N-Out Thread:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=951178

Pictures in there, of food, and my pics of the actual LAX In-N-Out.

What I would do personally, is go have lunch at one of the Century blvd (airport) hotels to get away from the airport noise and conjestion. You can catch any of their free shuttle(s) right outside the baggage claim area. They will also bring you back to the airport. The Sheraton, The Marriott, or the Westin are pretty nice places to go have some lunch or a drink. I have eaten at the Sheaton and the Marriott. They are both pretty nice for airport hotels and won't charge anything like the Encounter restauant. Of course you won't have the same view.

Well see, my point in this line of thinking...

If you are going to just eat any "any old restaurant", why leave the airport at all? Just eat at one of the regular restaurants in the terminals.

Those are just regular restaurants in a regular old hotel. I mean at that rate, they've got Wolfgang Pucks and such in the LAX terminals.

At least at Encounter - it's an EXPERIENCE. Great California Gourmet Cuisine. Incredible Outerspace Jetson's/Austin Powers-like fun. Great views of the airport and planes landing and taking off. All in one place.

If the hotel thing is too much, then Taco bell is also right there. I can personally recommend it as I have eaten there many times. Tell Edwardo that I sent you and recommend the number 5 combo. If you are lucky he will throw in some extra hot sauce.

And I hope you are joking here? Tongue in Cheek, right?

There's already Taco Bell's and such in the terminals? Why go out of security for that? I don't get it, unless you're kidding without a smiley.:D

Keith- CJW indeed knows a lot about LAX, but so do others.

kenish! How rude.:p Keith was just agreeing with my ideas!;)

 

Randy's I can get behind, because it's a total LA landmark! So great tourist pictures to be had, much in the same way as Encounter!

[tarheelmjfan]

Thanks again for all the suggestions. :) I really didn't have a budget in mind. I'd definitely go to EncounterLAX, if it was open early enough. Is there a place in the airport that is sort of unique to Cali that serves food between 8:30 am & 11:00 am? I fly out at 12:30 pm. I've decided to take my laptop to surf the net & pass some time, but I'll still be looking for food. Coming from the east coast, it will be lunch for me.

[megr1125]

3.5 hours may not be that long if your 1st flight is late...if you leave the a/p you will have to re-clear security and that could take an hour.

 

i would wander around....get some magazines and a bite to eat and just suck it up.

 

really, i wouldn't want to risk missing the flight....security can get backed up...especially during the hours you will be there.....

 

 

and i consider CJW my LAX area expert..................:p

 

 

 

here's a link to the airport............happy reading.

 

http://www.lawa.org/welcomelax.aspx

[Cuizer2]

I have a 3.5 hour layover, from 9:00am - 12:30pm, at LAX on my way to Sea-Tac. What is there to do to fill the time? Any suggestions will be very much appreciated. :)

 

Thanks to both of you for your replies. :)

 

 

 

I'm female, so I think I'll pass on that one. ;)

 

 

 

That's not good! Isn't it a large airport? I was hoping to at least be able to shop & maybe grab a bite to eat. :confused:

 

LAX is a large airport. However, it is made up of several terminals that are not connected to each other. So, in order to take the full tour, you'll have to exit security.

 

I was going to suggest the Proud Bird Restaurant, which is at the east end of the south runways. Getting there is easy & free because it is right next to parking lot B and there is a free shuttle that can take you to the parking lot and back to the airport. HOWEVER, lunch is not served until 11:00am and you have to figure about one hour to clear security and I allow 30 minutes for the shuttle bus (it doesn't take that long, but that is how much time I figure into the equation when I am deciding what time to arrive at the parking lot).

 

There is a McDonalds next to the Holiday Inn (which also offers a free shuttle). You don't want to take a cab because that will cost you more than the breakfast will. There is also a Carl's Jr. next to the strip club someone mentioned earlier. I have no idea what time the strip club opens, but I assume it is not open for breakfast. Carl's Jr. is open for breakfast, but I don't know any inexpensive way to get there.

 

I bring a laptop computer and play games. If you don't have a laptop and if you don't have plans to buy one soon, then I suggest a good book.

 

If you get desperate, you can always follow George Carlin's suggestion. You know there is a spy at the airport. Your job - find him/her.

[Curt Jerome Wild]

Thanks again for all the suggestions. :) I really didn't have a budget in mind. I'd definitely go to EncounterLAX, if it was open early enough. Is there a place in the airport that is sort of unique to Cali that serves food between 8:30 am & 11:00 am? I fly out at 12:30 pm. I've decided to take my laptop to surf the net & pass some time, but I'll still be looking for food. Coming from the east coast, it will be lunch for me.

Yeah. Each terminal has different restaurants, but all usually have at least one decent sit down one. So you can just do that.

 

I know that Encounter is too early for you, but I recommend it for others reading this in the future - as you can just walk over the bridge from the terminals. You don't have to wait for any cabs or shuttles, so you are in control of your own time frame.

 

Inside (for reference), there are the most cool international restaurants with California Twists in The Tom Bradley International Terminal.

 

My personal favorite is Sushi Boy! Fresh California Style Sushi.

Daily Grill is a Los Angeles/Hollywood original.

El Paseo and La Cantina are there, as well as Hamada.

 

In other terminals, look for:

Backlot Deli, California Pizza Kitchen, Chili's, El Cholo, Home Turf's, Malibu Al's, Monet's, Redondo Brewing Co., and my other LA favorites - Ruby's, and Wolfgang Puck's.

 

Those are all the good places, Cali-Style in the various terminals.

Good info to bookmark!;)

 

And LOL to Meg and Cuizer2!:D

[yogi2929]

Pictures in there, of food, and my pics of the actual LAX In-N-Out.

 

 

 

There is an In-N-Out built into a parking structure at LAX. I think it is a 'Spot' parking lot. If someone here can point out the correct one you could take the lot shuttle back and forth.

[jasmith52]

And I hope you are joking here? Tongue in Cheek, right?

There's already Taco Bell's and such in the terminals? Why go out of security for that? I don't get it, unless you're kidding without a smiley.:D

 

kenish! How rude.:p Keith was just agreeing with my ideas!;)

 

Just to be clear, Taco Bell was indeed my little warped way of having a funny.

 

Regarding why go to one of the airport hotels for lunch. The reason I suggested it as an option is that it gets you out of the airport. Out of the airport zombie-zone to somewhere calmer and somewhat more normal to relax a little prior to the airport thing without spending the kind of money that Encounter wants. They are (as you suggest) just hotels, but moderately nice ones considering. It's just an option for the OP or any traveler with a longish layover to consider.

[jasmith52]

removed

[Curt Jerome Wild]

Just to be clear, Taco Bell was indeed my little warped way of having a funny.

Awesome!:D I thought so...;)

Without the "smileys", sometimes it's hard to tell though (even from my own posts).:o

Regarding why go to one of the airport hotels for lunch. The reason I suggested it as an option is that it gets you out of the airport. Out of the airport zombie-zone to somewhere calmer and somewhat more normal to relax a little prior to the airport thing without spending the kind of money that Encounter wants. They are (as you suggest) just hotels, but moderately nice ones considering. It's just an option for the OP or any traveler with a longish layover to consider.

I think between all of us here, we've given lots of great ideas and options, not only for the OP - but for anyone doing a "search" and reading this in the future!

We've covered lots of different possibilities.:)

I've personally bookmarked this, so I can link to it for others in the future as well!

Way to go LA Locals! Putting our ideas together!:cool: