Is an 11:35am flight out of LAX on a Saturday cutting it too close?

[chamima]

I would never normally think this was a problem but when I look at airfares on Princess EZAir this flight isn't offered as an option.

The earliest flight they show is 1:50.

Does anyone have recent experience with getting to LAX from San Pedro?

Thanks!

Edited May 14, 2019 by chamima

[jondfk]

This is probably doable though I'd likely not cut it quite that close.  Travel time to LAX on a Saturday should be roughly 35 minutes.  Depending on whether you're checking bags (either off the ship or at the airport) would probably make the difference.  If you have checked luggage (either on the ship or at the airport) I'd say it's too close.  If you have neither likely you'll get away with it.

 

Perhaps look for options out of Long Beach (LGB) as an alternate?  A very small airport much closer to the pier.

[skynight]

Below are the Princess guidelines. Your flight is not within the guidelines, so it isn't offered by EZ Air. If you take early walk off, wheel all your own luggage, and then a private taxi/Uber, you should be at LAX by 9am. Have a back up plan. Things can happen and do. The freeways can have delays even on Saturday. Are you on a domestic or international flight? Also consider flights from John Wayne Airport.

Disembarking Passengers
For voyages arriving in San Pedro at 6:15 am, the earliest flight departure 6 hours and 15 minutes after ship's arrival for domestic flights.
For voyages arriving in San Pedro at 7:00 am, the earliest flight departure 5 hours and 30 minutes after ship's arrival for domestic flights.

Edited May 14, 2019 by skynight

[JF - retired RRT]

Saturday = less traffic (unless there's an accident).

As stated above, it's doable, if all the stars are aligned.

Can't fly in the day before?

 

BTW: which is it? 11:35 or 1:50??

Edited May 14, 2019 by JF - retired RRT

[cruzsnooze]

If you do self debarkation you will have time. Walk off between 7 - 7:30 and it's about 30-40 minutes to the airport. Saturdays are less traffic then mid week. 

[Pam in CA]

It’s interesting that whenever this question is asked, people who don’t live in the LA area say, “Sure. Go ahead as long as you do self-disembarkation” yet those who are familiar with LA traffic say, “Maybe.” 

 

If everything goes right and there are no delays, accidents on the 110 or 405, construction, etc., you’ll make an 11:30am flight. 

 

My flight home last Saturday arrived just after 4pm at LAX, my luggage came quickly. The @50-minute drive home took almost two hours. The HOV lane was worse than the regular lanes. 

 

Make sure you have a plan B. 

[cr8tiv1]

LAX is under constructions.  Lots of driving alerts (aka delays/closures/etc).  Buyer beware.

 

[cruisingrob21]

Also worth keeping in mind is whether you will need to go through some form of customs.  You didn't mention what voyage you were on but some voyages have more details USCBP inspections than others - particularly those that arent roundtrip from LA or are canal voyages.

[brucedodge]

We disembarked Golden Princess on Saturday May 4th.  Ship arrived as scheduled at 7 am, and disembarkation began at 7:30.  Traffic was light, and using Lyft we were over three hours early for our 11:50 flight at LAX.

 

HOWEVER, ours was a transpacific cruise and we cleared immigration/customs in Honolulu so didn't have to face that hurdle at San Pedro.  I find immigration delays at US ports (could be foreign ports as well) to be the biggest unknown.  We've been delayed for this reason several times. Keep this in mind along with the other factors others have mentioned.

Edited May 14, 2019 by brucedodge
Ship name was in error

[chamima]

First of all - I just realized I wrote 11:35 and the flight is actually at 11:55.

We are on a round trip LA-Hawaii-Tahiti-LA cruise next February so I don't expect any customs issues. (And we both have Global Entry)

The 11:55 flight is not only more convenient but less expensive.

According to our scheduled itinerary we are to arrive at 6:15 so Princess parameters would put us at a 12:30 domestic flight.

 

Edited May 14, 2019 by chamima

[4cats4me]

We disembarked, doing walk-off at 7:15, drove out of the parking lot at  7:35.  We took the 405 to 5, but the freeway was already bogged down near LAX at 8:15 am on a Saturday.

As long as there aren’t any snags, you should make it, but one never knows.  

[cruzsnooze]

1 hour ago, Pam in CA said:

It’s interesting that whenever this question is asked, people who don’t live in the LA area say, “Sure. Go ahead as long as you do self-disembarkation” yet those who are familiar with LA traffic say, “Maybe.” 

 

 

Not to be contrary but as you can see I live in Los Angeles and didn't say maybe. It is highly doable and I wouldn't hesitate to book an 11:55 flight. 

[Pam in CA]

1 minute ago, cruzsnooze said:

Not to be contrary but as you can see I live in Los Angeles and didn't say maybe. It is highly doable and I wouldn't hesitate to book an 11:55 flight. 

An 11:55am flight is more doable than an 11:35am flight. That twenty minutes is a nice cushion. 

[satxdiver]

It always amazes me people trying to get an early flight out of LAX after a cruise.  I understand the wanting to do this.  My suggestion is to get out the beads and start pressing them hard if you try this. 

[Pam in CA]

It also makes a big difference which pier you’re arriving at. The Royal uses Pier 91 and 92. When you disembark, you walk all the way from Pier 92 to the other end of Pier 91 to go through Immigration. With any lines, this could add a significant amount of time to disembark. 

[hpeabody]

1 hour ago, chamima said:

First of all - I just realized I wrote 11:35 and the flight is actually at 11:55.

We are on a round trip LA-Hawaii-Tahiti-LA cruise next February so I don't expect any customs issues. (And we both have Global Entry)

The 11:55 flight is not only more convenient but less expensive.

According to our scheduled itinerary we are to arrive at 6:15 so Princess parameters would put us at a 12:30 domestic flight.

 

 

I believe You WILL go through Immigration because you arrive from a foreign country (Tahiti).  San Pedro DOES NOT have Global Entry.

[lx200gps]

We self-disembarked off the Royal at Pier 91/92, among the very first walk-offs, a week ago. Walked right up to the Customs "table" and were on the curb 5 minutes after leaving the PES Disembarkation lounge. Walked up to a waiting Supershuttle van without a reservation, which sat a further 5 minutes waiting to fill up, and were on the road headed up to LAX. The driver told us it would take 20 minutes and he was correct to the minute. The 100 and the 405 flew by and we were checking in for our 11:40 flight before 8AM. I had failed to note that our usual TSA- Pre-Check was missing from our boarding passes, so we spent a good 10 minutes in the "regular" security line  but still had hours to kill sitting at the gate.

 

Yes, LAX traffic is unpredictable, but for those of us with VERY few flight options owing to unusual end destinations, I would not hesitate to take such an early flight again.

[skynight]

4 hours ago, chamima said:

First of all - I just realized I wrote 11:35 and the flight is actually at 11:55.

We are on a round trip LA-Hawaii-Tahiti-LA cruise next February so I don't expect any customs issues. (And we both have Global Entry)

The 11:55 flight is not only more convenient but less expensive.

According to our scheduled itinerary we are to arrive at 6:15 so Princess parameters would put us at a 12:30 domestic flight.

 

You will have to go through immigration, but as you say probably no delays, just the normal process.

We sailed from San Pedro this past February/March. There was no Global Entry line at that time.

Your Emerald sailing returns on Feb 29th. It looks like the Royal will also be in port that day. Your ship should be at Berth 93 which has the larger and better terminal. I believe the Royal is too large for that berth and has to berth at the smaller terminal berth 92/91.

Edited May 14, 2019 by skynight

[cruzsnooze]

Last week   walking off to the curb was 5 minutes as stated by someone else. Immigration and customs didn't even slow the line down. Even an 11:25 flight would have had me waiting at the airport  by 8:15 and would be walking off around 7:15 am. Factor in your transportation, will they be curb side ready to pick you up?  I would go with the 405 freeway and exit Century Bl which takes you straight into the airport circle and follow the level for departures then your specific terminal. 

[polmcs]

I’ve gotten off a ship at San Pedro before and been back home in San Diego (about a 90 minute drive) before 10:30AM and that is without using walk off.

 

As for PREcheck, that won’t help at San Pedro, but it will certainly help going through TSA at LAX once you get to the airport. 

[Haboob]

"Can it work?"  Yep.

 

"Will it work this time?"  ::shrugs::  Freeway traffic?  Back-up at Customs?  'Propulsion' issues? Stop to assist crashed plane like Regal did recently?  No-show Uber driver? ... Fog?

 

[Lucky TGO]

On 5/14/2019 at 12:12 PM, Pam in CA said:

It’s interesting that whenever this question is asked, people who don’t live in the LA area say, “Sure. Go ahead as long as you do self-disembarkation” yet those who are familiar with LA traffic say, “Maybe.” 

 

If everything goes right and there are no delays, accidents on the 110 or 405, construction, etc., you’ll make an 11:30am flight. 

 

My flight home last Saturday arrived just after 4pm at LAX, my luggage came quickly. The @50-minute drive home took almost two hours. The HOV lane was worse than the regular lanes. 

 

Make sure you have a plan B. 

 

 Believe me take Pam‘s advice she has never given me bad advice.  She is one of  Cruise Critics wealth of knowledge!!

Tony

[Pam in CA]

8 minutes ago, Lucky TGO said:

 

 Believe me take Pam‘s advice she has never given me bad advice.  She is one of  Cruise Critics wealth of knowledge!!

Tony

Thanks for the vote of confidence, Tony. I’m sometimes wrong, however. 🙂 I can only give from my own personal experience. 

 

Before I moved out here from the Boston area, my sister always warned me about the 5 and the 405. Having commuted from the North Shore into Boston and later to Cambridge, I thought nothing could be worse than the Tobin Bridge or the Sumner Tunnel. I was wrong. You’d think that 6-8 lanes in each direction would be more than enough. All it does is make the “parking lot” wider. This morning, I drove from home to Santa Ana at about 10:30am. Eighteen (18) miles on the 5 and then the 405, almost all of which was highway with a speed limit of 65mph. Took me almost forty (40) minutes. And the traffic wasn’t bad. It’s just constant.