Air Transportation

There are 6 (six) airports (used by commercial airlines) that serve the Los Angeles metropolitan area:

• Los Angeles International (LAX) which is closest to the Westside of L.A;
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• Bob Hope Airport  (BUR) -- formerly known as "Burbank Airport" -- which is closest to Hollywood and downtown Los Angeles;
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• LA/Ontario Airport (ONT) which is located in the Inland Empire, approximately 35 miles east of downtown Los Angeles;
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• LA/Palmdale Regional Airport (PMD) which is in the northern part of Los Angeles County. It is in an area known as Antelope Valley or High Desert. It is a commercial airport used by United Express etc.
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• Long Beach Airport (LGB) which is south of downtown Los Angeles; and
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• John Wayne Airport (SNA) -- formerly known as "Orange County Airport" -- in Santa Ana, CA (southeast of downtown L.A.)  SNA is the closest airport to Disneyland. (But Long Beach is about the same distance as John Wayne)
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• Van Nuys Airport (VNY)  is a public airport located in the San Fernando Valley, north of downtown Los Angeles.  No commercial airlines fly into this airport. It is used by private, chartered and small commercial aircraft. It is one of the world's busiest general aviation airports.

a. By far, the largest L.A. area airport is LAX and it is the main portal for international travelers. The airport is divided into 7 numbered terminals (#1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7) as well as the Tom Bradley International Terminal which is located between Terminals 3 and 4.  The terminals are arranged in the shape of an arch with the Tom Bradley Terminal at the top of the arch and the numbered terminals making up the sides of the arch -- Terminal #1 is at the lower right end of the arch and the terminals are numbered in a counterclockwise direction  For a diagram of the terminals, go here.  While most international flights arrive at the Tom Bradley Terminal, not all of them do and many DEPARTING international flights leave from the numbered terminals.  All of the terminals are connected by a walkway.  It takes about 2 minutes to walk from one to terminal to the one adjacent to it.  There is also a free AIRPORT CONNECTIONS shuttle bus that connects the terminals.  NOTE: this bus travels in a counterclockwise direction (along with the street traffic in the airport).  In this way, if you need to transfer from terminal 3 to terminal 2 and you decide to take the shuttle bus, it will first stop at the Tom Bradley Terminals, then terminals 4,5,6,and 7 and then terminals 1 and, finally, 2.

b. BUR has discount flights from New York, Texas and elsewhere on Jet Blue (www.Jetblue.com) as well as flights on Southwest (www.southwest.com) which are discounted from time to time. Planes from other airlines land there as well. If you are arriving via NY, Texas or one of the other states that is served by these airlines, consider landing at BUR. The airport serves 1/10 the number of passengers as LAX so the crowds are less and the "long walks" are shorter. Also, as previously mentioned, it's closer to Hollywood and downtown L.A. than LAX.

c. LGB also has discount flights from Jet Blue as well as flights from other carriers. Long Beach is about the same distance to downtown L.A. as LAX but is farther from the Westside of Los Angeles. If you are connecting with a cruise ship in Los Angeles, LGB will be your closest airport since cruises depart from Long Beach (all Carnival Cruises) or adjacent San Pedro (all other cruise companies). (More about the cruise ports, below). Long Beach is by far the least crowded airport available.

d. ONT is the farthest airport from L.A.(about 40 minutes) but sometimes there are more convenient flights arriving at this airport. It is also one of the least crowded airports in the region. Southwest Airlines (www.southwest.com) offers some discount flights into and out of this airport, from time to time.

e. At SNA demand for parking is high. You should call ahead for parking status or check the website for more information For ground transportation info regarding SNA, go here now.  Click on "Ground Transport" in the left column of SNA's webpage for a list of ground transport options.

Upon arrival at one of these airports, you have 4 choices for getting to your hotel destination:

1. Rent a car (see the INSIDE LOS ANGELES section on "LOCAL TRANSPORTATION")

2. Take a taxi. For the most part, a meter inside the taxi calculates the fare by using the trip's mileage plus the number of minutes that the taxi is not moving (like when it is stuck in traffic or is standing at a red light).. Sometimes, a "fixed rate" fare is agreed to in advance of the trip; this fare does not vary no matter how long it takes to make the journey.

3. Take local city or county transit. This will be the least expensive way to travel. Single rides are $1.25 or you may buy a $5 DAY PASS which is good for unlimited rides on the metro buses and metro rail trains for the day. NOTE; You may need to take more than one bus or train to reach your destination.Go to www.metro.net for bus and metro rail schedules and routes. To access these conveyances, you must transfer out of the airport property via free shuttle buses:For the 'green line' metro rail train, take the "G Shuttle --Metro Green Line / Aviation Station" bus to the train station. For all other bus connections, take the "Lot C Shuttle -- Airport Parking / 96th Street" bus to the LAX Transit Center (a fancy name for the bus depot next to the airport). When taking this shuttle, get off at the first stop outside of the airport -- in parking lot C. Walk back out of the lot, to the sidewalk and turn left. Walk down the sidewalk and the "Transit Center" will be on your left just ahead. If the MTA.NET website has directed you to a "dock #". That is simply the parking space # that the bus is parked in. In spite of directions to the contrary on MTA.NET, the free shuttle buses stop at ALL terminals -- not just at the Bradley International Terminal. So, if you are planning on taking one of these free shuttles, it will pull up in front of your terminal.

4. Take a privately-owned shuttle bus or sedan. Two popular companies providing this service from all airports is Supershuttle (Get a quote from them at: this site or Primetime Shuttle (www.Hudsonltd6.com/cgi-bin/ptla1/res).

They offer three types of conveyances:

a. A shared van (where you may have a delay getting to your hotel as the van picks up and drops off other passengers in neighborhoods that might be a little bit away from your destination)

b. An exclusive van (where only you and your party occupy the van so you go directly to your hotel. When you arrive at the airport, you call the company and they will dispatch this previously-reserved van to you shortly afterward).

c. A sedan car where the driver of the car meets you in Baggage claim, helps with bags and escorts you to the car -- maximum passengers: 4

LAX FLYAWAY BUS  -  (1 866 IFLYLAX or 1 866 435 9529) 

From LAX, exclusively, there is also an express bus to downtown referred to as "the Union Station Flyaway". It is a red, white and blue bus with the "CoachUSA" logo on the side. In the front window of the bus is a sign that says: FLYAWAY UNION STATION. (Make sure you get on the right bus. There are similar looking buses called the "FLYAWAY VAN NUYS" and "FLYAWAY WESTWOOD".  Read the sign in the front window of the bus carefully). This service is scheduled to pick up at the airport (as well as downtown's Union Station) every 30 minutes on the hour and the 1/2 hour. The bus stops at all 8 terminals at LAX to pick up or drop off passengers. Expect delays when traffic conditions are extreme -- during "rush hours" or during national holidays.

Transferring to Union Station not only provides access to downtown (city centre) but also links LAX with the Amtrak and Metrolink regional and national train (rail) lines as well as to the red line and gold line metro rail (local) trains which in turn connect with green line and blue line trains.

To transfer to a hotel in the "Hollywood and Highland" area in downtown Hollywood, the above services would approximately cost as follows

• a. Shared van: First passenger: $16; additional passengers: $16 (Total for 2 passengers: $32; total for 4 passengers: $48
• b. Exclusive van: $80 (for up to 7 passengers. Remember, this van expresses to your hotel).
• c. Sedan: $87 (town car, up to 3 passengers -- including an 18 percent tip); $76 (sedan, up to 4 passengers)
• d. Taxi: $45-$55
• e. City/County bus: $2.50 ($1.25 per ride: 2 or more buses or metro rail trains are needed in succession to reach most popular destinations)

For a hotel in Santa Monica, the fares would be:

• a. Shared Van: $15 per person
• b. Exclusive Van: $80 (up to 7 passengers); $76 (up to 9 passengers)
• c. Sedan *up to 3 passengers including tip): $76; Sedan (up to 4 passengers, excluding tip): $74; Town Car: $84.96 (up to 3 passengers, including tip)
• d. Taxi $30-$40
• e. City bus: 75 cents.

For a downtown (Los Angeles) hotel, the fares would be:

• a. Shared Van: $15 per person
• b. Exclusive Van: $80 (up to 7 passengers); $80 (up to 9 passengers)
• c. Sedan (up to 3 guests): $75.52; Sedan (up to 4 guests, excluding tip)): $74; Town car (up to 3 guests, excluding tip): $84.96
• d. Taxi (price-fixed rate. Ask for this!): $42 + 15% tip = $48 (With a price-fixed rate, you will not be charged more if the taxi is slowed down by traffic)
• e. Flyaway Bus: $4 + cost of transfer from Union Station to your hotel (by metro rail: $1.25; by taxi: $5-$8).  Flyaway Bus rates will increase to $6 after 01 Jan 2009.
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To transfer to a hotel in Beverly Hills, the fares would be:

• a. Shared Van: $16 for one passenger; $32 for 2 passengers; $48 for 3 passengers;
• b. Exclusive Van: $80 (7 passengers); $80 (9 passengers)
• c. Sedan (up to 3 passengers): $77.88 -- including an 18 percent tip; Sedan (up to 4 passengers, excluding tip): $80 Town Car (up to 3 passengers, including tip): $87.32
• d. Taxi $45-$55 (including 15% tip, depending on traffic)
• e. Westwood Flyaway Bus: $4 + cost of transfer from Westwood to your hotel (by Wilshire Bl (eastbound) bus #20, #720 or #920): $1.25; additional buses may be needed; by taxi: $8-$12)
• f. City bus: $2.50 (Two buses are needed, in succession). To reach the first bus, you must transfer out of the airport, as indicated previously.

To transfer to a hotel in Century City, the fares would be:

• a. Shared Van: $14 for 1 passenger; $28 for 2 passengers; $42 for 3 passengers; $56 for 4 passengers
• b. Exclusive Van: $80 (7 passengers); $79 (9 passengers)
• c. Sedan (up to 3 passengers -- including an 18 percent tip): $75.52; Town Car (up to 3 guests, including tip): $84.96; Sedan (up to 4 passengers, without tip): $74
• d. Taxi $38-$48 (including 15% tip, depending on traffic)
• e. Westwood Flyaway Bus: $4 + cost of transfer from Westwood to your hotel by taxi: $8-$12)
• f. City bus: $2.50 (Two buses are needed, in succession). To reach the first bus, you must transfer out of the airport, as indicated previously.

Los Angeles is served by two rail companies: Amtrak (www.amtrak.com), the nationwide rail company (Note: there is no "c" in AMTRAK), and Metrolink (www.metrolinktrains.com), the regional rail company Here is a map of the L.A. area stations that are served by both of these companies: http://metrolinktrains.com/new_rider/... The most popular stations for tourists are: Los Angeles (Union) Station in downtown Los Angeles, The Van Nuys station and the Burbank Airport Station

How the trains connect to the airports...

RAIL CONNECTIONS FOR LAX PASSENGERS...LAX does not have rail service nor is there any nearby.

The closest rail connection is either Van Nuys (via the Van Nuys Flyaway Bus Service at LAX) or Union Station (via the Union Station Flyaway Bus Service at LAX)

RAIL CONNECTIONS FOR BOB HOPE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (BURBANK) PASSENGERS... Passengers arriving at Bob Hope Airport can pick up an Amtrak or Metrolink train at the airport (a short walk from the terminals) to all destinations that metrolink and Amtrak serve (you may need to connect with a second train at Union Station).

RAIL CONNECTIONS FOR ONTARIO AIRPORT PASSENGERS... Passengers arriving at Ontario Airport can transfer to Ontario-area rail stations or Union (Rail) Station in downtown Los Angeles. For transfer to Union Station, take a shuttle van, a taxi or rent a car.

For a list of local shuttle van services, go here: http://www.lawa.org/ont/dtd_Van.cfm

For access to local Amtrak or Metrolink trains, take a taxi ($10-$15) or use the local bus system, Omnitrans. For access to Omnitrans, take the free airport shuttle bus to Economy Lot F and tell the driver you wish to get off at Omnitrans, There, you will find the #61 bus which will take you to the local Amtrak station or the Metrolink station as follows:

For Amtrak, take the #61 westbound to the corner of Euclid and Holt (9 minutes. $1.15 fare). Continue walking 2 blocks west and then 2 blocks south to the Amtrak station at 228 S. Palm. NOTE; The Ontario Amtrak station does not have trains that go to Los Angeles! You can only go east from this station. (There is only one Amtrak train per week that arrives in Ontario from Union Station and that is on Fridays at 2:30 pm. The fare is only $7 to $9 for the one hour ride: a true bargain!)

For Metrolink, take the #61 bus eastbound to the Ontario Mills Mall and connect with the #75 northbound to the Metrolink station (total time: 34 minutes, fare: $2.30). Metrolink runs limited trains from Ontario to Union Station, Monday through Friday, only. Trains leave Ontario station for L.A.’s Union Station at 8:36 am and 3:28 pm for the 1 hour trip costing $7.75 for adults and $4 for seniors and children. Trains depart Los Angeles Union station for Ontario, Monday through Friday at 1:15, 4:15, 4:55, 5:25, 6:05 and 6:35 in the afternoon/evening. For local Ontario bus information, go to www.mta.net. (You may use ONTARIO AIRPORT, ONTARIO METROLINK and ONTARIO AMTRAK as starting and ending points on this web page).

RAIL CONNECTIONS FOR LONG BEACH AIRPORT PASSENGERS... Passengers arriving at Long Beach airport, can take taxis, van shuttles or public transportation to the Metrolink and Amtrak Stations. For a list of these conveyances, go here: http://www.longbeach.gov/airport/tran...

Prime Time Shuttle, for example, offers a “shared ride” van to L.A.’s Union Rail Station for $15 per person each way. To use the metro rail (L.A.’s local metro system) to reach Union Station, you must first take a taxi to the closest metro rail station, Wardlow Station, which, as of this writing, March of 2006, costs $12. The cost of the metro rail train (the blue line) from Wardlow to 7th Street in downtown (city centre) Los Angeles is $1.25 and then the connecting metro rail train (the red line) from 7th Street Station to Union (Rail) Station is an additional $1.25. Total cost of the public transit route: $12 + 1.25 + 1.25 = $14.50 -- a ride of about 1 hour, 15 minutes (plus connection time). The van shuttle is a much better option at only $15 (and about 30 - 45 minutes).

Both Amtrak and Metrolink provide service from Los Angeles to the Disneyland area via the Fullerton and Anaheim rail stations. See the INSIDE LOS ANGELES section entitled "AMUSEMENT PARKS" for route and schedule info.

RAIL CONNECTIONS FOR VISITORS STAYING IN DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES...Take a taxi, bus or metro rail train to Union Station (which is the eastern most stop on the metro rail “red line”)

RAIL CONNECTIONS FOR VISITORS STAYING IN HOLLYWOOD OR MID-WILSHIRE... Take a taxi, bus or “red line” metro rail train to Union Station (which is the eastern most stop on the metro rail “red line”)

RAIL CONNECTIONS FOR VISITORS STAYING IN OTHER PARTS OF CENTRAL LOS ANGELES. (West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Century City, Beverly Grove, Farmer's Market).. Take a taxi, or bus to Union Station

RAIL CONNECTIONS FOR VISITORS STAYING ON THE WEST SIDE OF LOS ANGELES... (Santa Monica, Brentwood, Westwood, Bel Air, etc). Take a taxi or bus to either Union Station or (if your trip is northbound) to the Van Nuys Amtrak station. (Consult the staff at your hotel for recommendations).

TAXI SERVICE THROUGHOUT LOS ANGELES

For the most part, taxis do not roam the streets of the city. You must call for taxi service (except at high-volume tourist or entertainment areas, e.g., at the 4 major airports or at the Sunset Strip nightclub area on weekend evenings). If you plan on using taxis, keep a list of taxi phone numbers with you. Your hotel's reception/front desk personnel can provide these phone numbers or you can go to www.taxicabsla.org  for a list of licensed taxi companies.

** Note:  The original information for this thread came from the following forum thread: