Not Familiar with Los Angeles' Airports - is ONT ok?

[knick1959]

My wife and I are visiting LA in August for a hobby-related convention, then we want to explore a National Park ... or 2. I have AA award flights available I want to book quickly, and I even have options. Options are in/out of LAX and/or ONT. There is no need to be very close to our event, google maps says ONT is 45 minutes away, which is fine. We fly in the night before and can book a 1 night hotel somewhere between. LAX is closer, but I perceive also as being busier and more problem-prone. Am I wrong?

In short there any reason to avoid ONT, or select LAX over ONT?

Thanks in advance.

 

[knick1959]

I see SNA also is an option. Yah, what about SNA, too, if you know the LA airports? I'll google to see where it is. We want to spend 1 to 1.5 days starting the day after we arrive at the LA Convention Center. Then we're off to Ventura (Channel Islands NP) for a couple of days, then either roaming around the general LA area, or we may squeeze in Joshua Tree NP if the timing works out. Then home.

 

[kingabraham3]

lounge access. also "45 minutes away" in LA could mean 2 hours+, depending on traffic.

 

[projectx]

Ontario is a great airport. Easy in, easy out. SNA is is good too though I'd give the edge to Ontairo. Just remember, as kingabraham mentioned, 45 minutes away is only in theory. It's about 40 miles east of downtown LA. If you're traveling in the middle of a weekday it's not bad, but otherwise... watch out. Trust me, you want to stay close to the convention.

Ventura is 60+ miles to the west of downtown. So you're looking at a 100+ mile trek across LA traffic to get back to the airport. Pick the time you travel very carefully. Still, even if you fly into LAX you'll have to deal with the 405 getting to Ventura, which is the world's largest parking lot.

In reality though, I've flown out of LAX several times, and yes... it is very busy, but I never had a problem. In my experience the "problem prone" perception many have is overblown, and I've traveled through there during the holidays.

 

[knick1959]

Ontario is a great airport. Easy in, easy out. SNA is is good too though I'd give the edge to Ontairo. Just remember, as kingabraham mentioned, 45 minutes away is only in theory. It's about 40 miles east of downtown LA. If you're traveling in the middle of a weekday it's not bad, but otherwise... watch out. Trust me, you want to stay close to the convention.

Thanks to both of you for the help.

We will land on a Thursday evening at around 8pm. This is 11 our time. My thought is to find a hotel fairly close to the airport. We will rent a car, find our room and crash. The next morning head to LA. These conventions typically start at 10. Not knowing the LA rush hour scene, it would seem that we're at least at the trailing edge of it at 9:30 or so, yes? I mean, too, we don't have to be there AT 10 ... we simply plan a full day there starting as early as possible.

Leaving the Convention Center. Ugh. These things shut down at 6, but sometimes we leave closer to 5. Dinner in the area would be a possibility to avoid traffic ... I'll have to research the Convention Center area. I suppose a hotel close by would be a huge plus. Anyway, Saturday morning we may go back to the center (last day of the event) OR if all of our needs were handled on Friday, we can head straight to Ventura. However, this can be done at our leisure and timed however we want.

After that we are very flexible and aren't even sure how we will end our trip. As you've already perceived, avoiding traffic and large crowds is part of my motivation for considering alternatives to LAX. But only if they make sense.

Also ... not sure we need lounge access since LA is our destination and departure-point for coming home. It would apply only to getting to the airport early for our flight home, which is something we will keep in mind. Thanks again.

 

[kingabraham3]

thanks definitely a feasible plan, and i'm sure you will have a great time. for me personally it seems like way more hassle than necessary and i'm not really sure what the benefit is. I would just fly into LAX and get a hotel near the airport of convention center. SPG has a couple hotels at only 7K points a night, and if you're going after Apr. 12 you can even stay at the brand new Aloft for only 7K.

 

[projectx]

Here's a wrinkle to consider. LA traffic has what the locals refer to as "Friday morning light". Meaning that traffic isn't really light, but lighter than normal. However you pay for it on the back end. Friday afternoon/early evening traffic is a grind, especially if you're heading east from downtown. It doesn't sound like that will be a problem for your routes but keep it in mind.

Traffic Saturday morning out to Ventura should be just fine, but add in some contingency time because one accident can bring it all to a crawl.

One other thing to note... if it's not a busy time of day, traffic is hauling ass. Four lanes of heavy traffic moving 80 MPH is not uncommon.

 

[zceuxbhjutf]

All the airports tend to function well. Long Beach and Burbank also have airports.

One weird parameter is rental car fees, and an example scenario is using free rentals if you have any in a rental car loyalty program. At some of the airports a free rental is actually free, and at other airports the fees would be fairly significant. Same with other regions of the country. Do test bookings to discover the details, if you think it might matter.

 

[janetdoe]

LAX is closer, but I perceive also as being busier and more problem-prone. Am I wrong?

In short there any reason to avoid ONT, or select LAX over ONT?

You are wrong.

The only time I have seriously hated LAX was transiting from AA domestic to Virgin Australia international, which required detouring through the Virgin America domestic terminal for checkin - and that was my own fault for not investigating the connection process ahead of time and allowing my travel companions to check giant suitcases. If you are just arriving or departing, or transiting a single terminal, there should be no issues.

If you are considering ONT to avoid the 'hassle' of LAX, you will almost certainly pay tenfold in traffic hassle. If the prices are the same, pick the airports that are closest to the place you need to be and minimize the driving/uber/taxi. Think about it, you will be driving from the suburbs into the city during rush hour on the morning of the convention. 9:30 AM being towards the end of rush hour is HIGHLY optimistic, IME.

If your event is at the convention center, the only possible reason I can think of to consider Ontario would be something like, "After the convention, we're driving to a national park west of LA, and when we come back to LA for our return flight, departing from ONT will save an hour+ drive through LA traffic." And even then, that would only be for the return flight.

I can't think of any domestic airport that is so dysfunctional that I would prefer fighting LA traffic for an unspecified length of time greater than 45 minutes.

 

[knick1959]

You are wrong.

Just give it to me straight. Don't try to soften the blow!

If your event is at the convention center, the only possible reason I can think of to consider Ontario would be something like, "After the convention, we're driving to a national park west of LA, and when we come back to LA for our return flight, departing from ONT will save an hour+ drive through LA traffic." And even then, that would only be for the return flight.

Ah. Well there is a possible logistical item to consider. If we DO end the week in Joshua Tree NP (SE of the city), one of the other airports might be prudent to depart from. We're just not sure yet, but I'll figure it out quickly. And I'll check rental car returns to see if they consider this an extra one-way fee event.

Will spend this evening angling an arrive into LAX to see if I can make it work. And I'll try to get my wife to commit to an end-of-week plan.

Thanks for the input!

 

[knick1959]

Ok. I'll admit it. I'm a doof. Hmmm. Not spelled correctly. Whatever.

My event is at the ANAHEIM Convention center. So let me go back to square one and look at the maps.

 

[janetdoe]

Ok. I'll admit it. I'm a doof. Hmmm. Not spelled correctly. Whatever.

My event is an the ANAHEIM Convention center. So let me go back to square one and look at the maps.

SNA is your huckleberrry.

 

[knick1959]

My event is an the ANAHEIM Convention center. So let me go back to square one and look at the maps.

Suddenly that SNA thing is making some sense. I'm really sorry about screwing this up. LA traffic still is in play as we traverse the city, but my needs seem to be much clearer now. Normally a greater city area doesn't have more than one convention center. This is another first for me.

 

[TheSterlingTraveler]

Ok. I'll admit it. I'm a doof. Hmmm. Not spelled correctly. Whatever.

My event is an the ANAHEIM Convention center. So let me go back to square one and look at the maps.

Yes, definitely SNA or LGB if it's a possibility. Even if equal cost, I'd try to fly to/from LGB at least once to experience the awesomeness of it.

If you fly into SNA and are driving to Anaheim, then get into the carpool lane as soon as you can on the 55 and stay there. You can transition to the 5, and even exit where you need to be, in Anaheim, from the carpool lane. I've made it from the 405 (a couple of miles south of the 55) to Anaheim Stadium in about 25 minutes in the middle of rush hour doing this.

 

[Justinlca]

Hi:

I have never flown through ONT, but I live in LA and can give you perspective on the rest. You are much better off driving wise going to downtown LA on your arrival rather than waiting until the next morning. You will face significant traffic driving into downtown from Ontario in the morning. On the other hand, you will be driving in the opposite direction of most traffic at 8pm at night. Also, downtown LA is pretty happening with lots of cool hotels, bars, and restaurants. You will pay a premium for this including paying for parking at your hotel. To me, it would be worth it though.

Channel Islands are awesome! Which island are you going to? I've been to all of the openly visitable ones except Santa Barbara Island. My favorite is Santa Rosa followed closely by San Miguel, but all are cool. Make sure you have your boat trip booked asap if you haven't done so already. Like someone else said, make sure you leave plenty of extra time to get there just to be safe.

At LAX, it is possible to take a shuttle to a train that will get you downtown. It won't be fast but neither will shuttling to your rental car facility, waiting in line and driving in traffic. You could then rent a car downtown when you needed it to avoid paying for parking. Consider Turo as a car rental option that might be good for non business hours rentals.

If you have any other questions, I'm happy to help. Btw, I'm guessing Burbank airport is the closest to downtown if they have availability. And, it's supposedly hastle free.

 

[Justinlca]

Hi:

I have never flown through ONT, but I live in LA and can give you perspective on the rest. You are much better off driving wise going to downtown LA on your arrival rather than waiting until the next morning. You will face significant traffic driving into downtown from Ontario in the morning. On the other hand, you will be driving in the opposite direction of most traffic at 8pm at night. Also, downtown LA is pretty happening with lots of cool hotels, bars, and restaurants. You will pay a premium for this including paying for parking at your hotel. To me, it would be worth it though.

Channel Islands are awesome! Which island are you going to? I've been to all of the openly visitable ones except Santa Barbara Island. My favorite is Santa Rosa followed closely by San Miguel, but all are cool. Make sure you have your boat trip booked asap if you haven't done so already. Like someone else said, make sure you leave plenty of extra time to get there just to be safe.

At LAX, it is possible to take a shuttle to a train that will get you downtown. It won't be fast but neither will shuttling to your rental car facility, waiting in line and driving in traffic. You could then rent a car downtown when you needed it to avoid paying for parking. Consider Turo as a car rental option that might be good for non business hours rentals.

If you have any other questions, I'm happy to help. Btw, I'm guessing Burbank airport is the closest to downtown if they have availability. And, it's supposedly hastle free.

Oops. Missed the Anaheim convention center thing until now. Definitely fly into SNA or LGB. Maybe fly out of somewhere else if you are gonna be far north like the Channel Islands or East like Joshua Tree though.

 

[TrojanFan]

SNA and LGB are good recommendations, but I would keep ONT in the mix if the flights are considerably cheaper. It's only a few minutes further away than LGB and SNA and it would probably be more convenient if you are returning from Ventura, since you can avoid a lot of the downtown traffic congestion. And my personal opinion is to stay away from LAX at all costs, given that your event is in Anaheim. I live in So Cal and think LAX is a train wreck of an airport. I only fly out of LAX when I absolutely have to, especially since it's on the west side of LA where traffic can be a nightmare. If Ventura is on the tail end of your trip, consider Burbank airport too, since it will be the closest of all the airports to Ventura.

 

[knick1959]

Thanks to all. After a little research, and the temptation to try the LGB airport, I ended up booking a J award RT using SNA both in and out. It would have actually been slightly more advantageous to fly OUT of ONT (still trying to convince my wife to visit Joshua Tree for the last few days) ... the extra price wanted to rent a car in SNA and return to ONT was $400+!!! ($690 total). No, I didn't shop around for better. The 9-10 day rental out of SNA lists at $292 which seems fair. So I'll use that as a base line and work from there.

We'll see if AA changes this flight, like they always seem to do, giving me an opportunity to adjust after some thought. But I will be happy if it remains like this.

Thanks again!

 

[knick1959]

Channel Islands are awesome! Which island are you going to? I've been to all of the openly visitable ones except Santa Barbara Island. My favorite is Santa Rosa followed closely by San Miguel, but all are cool. Make sure you have your boat trip booked asap if you haven't done so already. Like someone else said, make sure you leave plenty of extra time to get there just to be safe.

The current (loose) itinerary calls for Anacapa Island and Santa Cruz. We're also interested in a flight to Santa Rosa for the day (need to research). We're not really sure what to expect and don't want to cheat our time there, but at the same time don't want to spend too much time ... and spend too much travel time on boats! (Did this in the Galapagos, and it was ok, but ...).

So, how do I pick your brain for some more basic info? Would PM'ing be the appropriate avenue, or should we just move to a new thread so others can benefit and/or join in?

Thanks for the info!

 

[Josh F]

Great choice on SNA, especially with going to Anaheim. Much easier to get in/out of

 

[Justinlca]

The current (loose) itinerary calls for Anacapa Island and Santa Cruz. We're also interested in a flight to Santa Rosa for the day (need to research). We're not really sure what to expect and don't want to cheat our time there, but at the same time don't want to spend too much time ... and spend too much travel time on boats! (Did this in the Galapagos, and it was ok, but ...).

So, how do I pick your brain for some more basic info? Would PM'ing be the appropriate avenue, or should we just move to a new thread so others can benefit and/or join in?

Thanks for the info!

Feel free to private message me and/or start a thread. I have opinions/advice for the Channel Islands, but I will hold off on those for now.

 

[solstys]

The current (loose) itinerary calls for Anacapa Island and Santa Cruz. We're also interested in a flight to Santa Rosa for the day (need to research). We're not really sure what to expect and don't want to cheat our time there, but at the same time don't want to spend too much time ... and spend too much travel time on boats! (Did this in the Galapagos, and it was ok, but ...).

So, how do I pick your brain for some more basic info? Would PM'ing be the appropriate avenue, or should we just move to a new thread so others can benefit and/or join in?

Thanks for the info!

Wow, you're trying to pack a lot in for such a short amount of time. Are you thinking of flying to Santa Rosa to go to wine country? It sounds like you've got only a few days after the convention and I don't know if you'd want to fly to Northern California (and Santa Cruz is not close at all to Santa Rosa). I'd say enjoy the few days in SoCal, go to the Channel Islands or Catalina and then Joshua Tree or another state park. California has way too much and is way too big to try to squeeze into 4-5 days. (I grew up in LA/OC and lived for a long time in Northern California, though I no longer live in California.)

That said, John Wayne Airport (SNA) is by far my favorite airport in the world. One Thanksgiving, it took me 3 minutes to get through security. They had 2 officers for 3-4 people.

Sigh, for those who caught the Super Bowl, you know why 1/8 of the US population lives in California. It was 80 degrees yesterday.

 

[knick1959]

Wow, you're trying to pack a lot in for such a short amount of time. Are you thinking of flying to Santa Rosa to go to wine country? It sounds like you've got only a few days after the convention and I don't know if you'd want to fly to Northern California (and Santa Cruz is not close at all to Santa Rosa). I'd say enjoy the few days in SoCal, go to the Channel Islands or Catalina and then Joshua Tree or another state park. California has way too much and is way too big to try to squeeze into 4-5 days. (I grew up in LA/OC and lived for a long time in Northern California, though I no longer live in California.)

Your state is just too big and the founders/namers simply were NOT creative enough. I didn't even think about the names I was throwing about (and had to look them up to make sure I was using them correctly).

Santa Rosa and Santa Cruz, while they may also be city names, are names of 2 of the Channel Islands. Santa Rosa is a bit harder to get to than the 2 most visited islands (Santa Cruz and Anacapa). My understanding is that it's a LONG boat ride X 2 in the same day (unless you are camping? ... which my wife doesn't ). However, it's a short puddle-jumper plane flight however more expensive (my notes have $160 RT for a day trip, but this may be outdated).

 

[knick1959]

Feel free to private message me and/or start a thread. I have opinions/advice for the Channel Islands, but I will hold off on those for now.

Excellent, thanks.

See: https://saverocity.com/forum/threads/tips-info-on-visiting-the-channel-islands-near-la.394353/

 

[solstys]

Your state is just too big and the founders/namers simply were NOT creative enough. I didn't even think about the names I was throwing about (and had to look them up to make sure I was using them correctly).

Santa Rosa and Santa Cruz, while they may also be city names, are names of 2 of the Channel Islands. Santa Rosa is a bit harder to get to than the 2 most visited islands (Santa Cruz and Anacapa). My understanding is that it's a LONG boat ride X 2 in the same day (unless you are camping? ... which my wife doesn't ). However, it's a short puddle-jumper plane flight however more expensive (my notes have $160 RT for a day trip, but this may be outdated).

Aaaahh, got it. Once you mentioned the flight, I assumed you were flying to wine country. Your plan makes much more sense now

 

[Better_by_Design]

That said, John Wayne Airport (SNA) is by far my favorite airport in the world.

I definitely won't go THAT far, but SNA is my favorite airport in the Greater Los Angeles area!

To be honest, my favorite part is telling people "I'm flying into John Wayne..." and "I'll be flying out of John Wayne." Non-SoCal people just look dismayed/confused.

 

[janetdoe]

Thanks to all. After a little research, and the temptation to try the LGB airport, I ended up booking a J award RT using SNA both in and out. It would have actually been slightly more advantageous to fly OUT of ONT (still trying to convince my wife to visit Joshua Tree for the last few days) ... the extra price wanted to rent a car in SNA and return to ONT was $400+!!! ($690 total). No, I didn't shop around for better. The 9-10 day rental out of SNA lists at $292 which seems fair. So I'll use that as a base line and work from there.

We'll see if AA changes this flight, like they always seem to do, giving me an opportunity to adjust after some thought. But I will be happy if it remains like this.

I hate shopping for car rentals, but here are a few things I would try:
-Break it up into two rentals. For whatever reason, an 8-day is usually priced as 1 week plus 1 single day, so you don't get the long-term discount on the 8th, 9th, 10th day. So don't pay a premium for one-way trip for 9-10 days when you only need it for 2-3. Also you may be able to use points/free days for a short one-way.
-Seriously consider Uber/Lyft/Taxi from SNA to your hotel near the convention center and remain carless for the time when you will be in a small localized area of the city. If you can knock 2-3 days off your rental and just keep the car for 7 days, it will be cheaper and probably easier. Don't forget to double-check if your hotels charge for parking when doing the math.
-Don't forget to check the obvious places for discounts, just clicking on the Hertz "Discounts and Coupons" page will usually give you an easy code to knock $5-10 per day off the price.
-Uber from the airport to your Anaheim hotel, then look at rental rates for non-airport locations. Some airports charge a $10+ per day airport tax/premium which can be totally avoided by renting from a city location.
-Some corporate rates (if you have access) don't increase the price for one-way car.

If you are going to Joshua Tree as your final destination, and that schedule change comes up, don't forget PSP as a possible departure point.