I Hate Los Angeles !

[Malathos]

... well, to be exact, I hate Los Angeles Airport !

I've spent too much time there is dismal transfer lounges at 3 in the morning waiting for my connecting flight to New Zealand. And now, when my GF is finally coming home after 5 months in New Zealand, I find they don't even have a flight information listing on their website !!!

I know her plane has left Auckland - I can see that on the flight listing for Auckland Airport - but nothing for LAX.

So now I can do nothing but wait for her inbound flight to appear in Heathrow's flight listing in about 24 hours time

[Samia Starbright]

I feel for you ... those lounges are terrible and flight listing dreadful!

I hope she is home with you as soon as possible.

/hugs

[Koutarou]

Yeah, transiting at LAX is bad, but what is WORSE is transiting international to domestic there.

I live in japan and used to usually transit through LAX when visiting my parents on the east coast US (previously new jersey, now dc area). Going from terminal 5 (international) to terminal 1 is often impossible when you have to clear customs, recheck your baggage, and then get to your domestic connecting flight in the most remote terminal from international.

A couple years ago thankfully nonstop flights were introduced from narita to newark and narita to bwi.

[Malathos]

Yay !

She made it to London ok.

I know I shouldn't be surprised, but even after the amount of flying i've done , I still expect something to go wrong on a flight plan that takes you half way round the world.
She'll be back home for valentine's day (unintentional she says)

[Chenier]

Personally, I think you're nuts to complain. The revamp at the Int'l wing at LAX is awesome, especially with the new security measures prohibiting non-flyers beyond gates in the domestic terminals where you could actually GET to a sitting or shopping area to kill time.

And transferring around LAX is exceeeeedingly easier than any other major airport in country - been to O'Hare, Atlanta or New York lately? Especially New York - that involves a TAXI to transfer.

The LAX terminals, however, are bunched together in a U shape - you can't get that many terminals any closer together....

[scarbrowed]

The other secret you need to know in LAX is that there are people driving those little carts near the end of each terminal. They are mostly for the disabled, but they are happy to help the late as well. I've begged them for rides a couple of times to make a connection.

[Malathos]

I've had a couple of bad experiences at LAX - both on international transfers, but my main objection yesterday was the complete lack of an internet accessible listing of incoming flights, something that most international airports have managed to achieve.

However, seeing as my GF got through ok, i'm in a slightly better mood now

BUT, after 7 years of being treated as a foreign immigrant, she finally came through UK passport control with a British passport (Dual UK and NZ nationality now) this morning, only to find that they've now got a spearate channel for long term residents - so she had a minor rant with the officials about why they didn't have this 10 years ago ...

... and to think, in 6 weeks we have to go through the whole process in reverse for the both of us

[Chenier]

Granted, LAX needs a major overhaul altogether...and I did plans for a completely redone airport (ready in like 2025 or something silly), building west towards (or in, with new land mass) the ocean, with the existing terminus area being for administration and parking - then major tram action to new terminals...but who knows...