How much time needed-- these days-- to get from the Delta (terminal 2) to fly to Tahiti (Tom Brady terminal)?

[Dunner]

Just wondering with Covid in the picture is taking longer these days to get to your next flight?

 

LAX:

Option # 1--- arrive 10:23  Delta terminal 2--flight to Tahiti (I think it is the Tom Brady terminal)is at 4:30----6  hours between flights

Option# 22  arrive  12:06  Delta terminal 2--flight to Tahiti is at 4:30---4 1/2 hours between flights

 

Return from Tahiti--8:20 am   Option #1---take the 12:00pm flight home--3 h and 40 min. between flights

                                                    Option#2--- take the 2:05pm  flight home--5 h and 40 min. between flights

                                   

                                       We are Canadian citizens so the customs line is much longer than the line for U.S. citizens.

[MrRandal]

Tom Bradley (not Brady) is the International terminal at LAX. If you are coming from Canada, you will be arriving there as well as departing from there. It is a massive terminal, and customs lines can be short or long, and the distance between gates can be fairly short or a 20 minute walk. Give yourself plenty of time. I would think 3 hr and 40 minutes would suffice, but I haven't traveled through Bradley since before Covid, so no idea.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

21 hours ago, MrRandal said:

Tom Bradley (not Brady) is the International terminal at LAX. If you are coming from Canada, you will be arriving there as well as departing from there. It is a massive terminal, and customs lines can be short or long, and the distance between gates can be fairly short or a 20 minute walk. Give yourself plenty of time. I would think 3 hr and 40 minutes would suffice, but I haven't traveled through Bradley since before Covid, so no idea.

Flights from Canada are not international.  Customs and Immigration are done in Canada, at least for major airports.  So no, they won't be arriving in Tom Bradley, and will just have to change terminals as domestic travellers.

 

Dunner, all of these times look sufficient to me, but I haven't yet travelled in the time of Covid. I would probably choose the shorter layovers, but that's just me, and again, not knowing what getting around LAX is like these days.

Edited December 7, 2021 by Wendy The Wanderer

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Of course, I should add, that coming back you do have to go through Customs.  And yes, the lines can be very long, although I believe now that Canadians don't have to be in the same line as the rest of the (non-U.S.) world.  Or that was the way it was last time we came back, pre-pandemic.

[MrRandal]

3 hours ago, Wendy The Wanderer said:

Flights from Canada are not international.  Customs and Immigration are done in Canada, at least for major airports.  So no, they won't be arriving in Tom Bradley, and will just have to change terminals as domestic travellers.

 

Thank you Wendy, I was not aware flights from Canada were not considered International flights. However, here is some interesting info for anyone flying Delta in or out of LAX in the foreseeable future. It can be a bit confusing.

https://eyeoftheflyer.com/2021/05/03/delta-lax-tips/

 

[Dunner]

Thanks to both of you for your insight.  Wendy, I read thru the Delta info, but I will read thru it again since it is quite detailed. 

[Wendy The Wanderer]

18 hours ago, MrRandal said:

 

Thank you Wendy, I was not aware flights from Canada were not considered International flights. However, here is some interesting info for anyone flying Delta in or out of LAX in the foreseeable future. It can be a bit confusing.

https://eyeoftheflyer.com/2021/05/03/delta-lax-tips/

 

I'm just thankful I don't have to fly in or our of LAX right now.  Here's the scoop on internationa pre-clearance:

 

https://www.cbp.gov/travel/preclearance

[Dunner]

Oops- thanks  MrRandal for the website and Wendy for the pre clearance info.

 

I keep going back and forth on flight choice depending on what I read. It really shouldn't be that big of a choice!! I think we would probably be ok with arriving at noon LAX and catching the 4:30 flight to Tahiti, but in the back of my mind I keep wondering if our Delta flight leaves late for any reason(not weather because we are going in Sept.) then our 4 1/2 hour cushion would be compromised. 

 

On the return from to Tahiti to LAX 3 1/2 hours should work to get the noon flight to Detroit,. if the plane is on time, and Canadian citizens do indeed have a different line than the other non U.S. citizens. 

 

We will have a connecting flights from and to Detroit so luggage will be sent straight thru. On the return there is a flight two hours later in the event we miss the noon flight, but not sure if there would be room for the 6 of us?

Glad we are driving from and to Canada from Detroit and not flying. 

Ideally you don't want to be sitting longer in an airport than you have to, but then again you don't want to say--I wish we had given ourselves more time. I need to take a --decision pill!!!

[Wendy The Wanderer]

The departure area at Tom Bradley is pretty nice as I remember.  So if it makes you feel anxious, then go for the longer layover.  The last thing you need is stress.

[Dunner]

After I finished typing my last post I was thinking the same thing. The longer lay overs will be much more relaxing. Plus, there is always a possibility of a flight being late which would throw all of my plans out the window.  In addition, with this Covid climate who knows if they might add something else that has to be done that would take extra time?? I have finally decided what to do!!! Good grief-- who knew it would take me this long for such a simple decision!

[MrRandal]

On 12/8/2021 at 8:07 AM, Wendy The Wanderer said:

I'm just thankful I don't have to fly in or our of LAX right now.  Here's the scoop on internationa pre-clearance:

 

https://www.cbp.gov/travel/preclearance

 

We're flying Air France to PPT out of LAX next September, but we drive to LA from San Diego. Tom Bradley is bad enough as a departure terminal, I would hate to have to make a connection there. The first time we flew on Air Tahiti Nui, we left from a gate that was a good 20 minute walk from security, then we had to board a bus to take us to the airplane that was just sort of parked on the tarmac. I don't know if ATN has actual gate privileges now, or if that was a one time thing. 

[Wendy The Wanderer]

21 hours ago, MrRandal said:

 

We're flying Air France to PPT out of LAX next September, but we drive to LA from San Diego. Tom Bradley is bad enough as a departure terminal, I would hate to have to make a connection there. The first time we flew on Air Tahiti Nui, we left from a gate that was a good 20 minute walk from security, then we had to board a bus to take us to the airplane that was just sort of parked on the tarmac. I don't know if ATN has actual gate privileges now, or if that was a one time thing. 

The times we've been there, yes, AF is right down at the end of the row of departure lounges. But there's been no bus that I remember. If we ever went again, we'd get a ride there.

[MrRandal]

On 12/10/2021 at 9:16 AM, Wendy The Wanderer said:

The times we've been there, yes, AF is right down at the end of the row of departure lounges. But there's been no bus that I remember. If we ever went again, we'd get a ride there.

 

The bus from the gate to the plane was when we flew Air Tahiti Nui. When we have flown Air France we boarded at an actual gate. And yes, both gates were a pretty far away from security. Some airports/terminals are well designed and passenger friendly, Tom Bradley is not one of those.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

16 hours ago, MrRandal said:

 

The bus from the gate to the plane was when we flew Air Tahiti Nui. When we have flown Air France we boarded at an actual gate. And yes, both gates were a pretty far away from security. Some airports/terminals are well designed and passenger friendly, Tom Bradley is not one of those.

Aside from the distance to the AF gate, I think they've done a great job on the departure level at Tom Bradley.  

[Cruisedreamer1]

One incentive for arriving early to Tom Bradley Terminal is when the ATN desk opens and there is space in Business Class you can upgrade for a relative low amount ($900 each. Well worth the extra cost. Never could get the upgrade going home.