LAX - Thanksgiving Weekend

[Cookie2boys]

I'm not good at this at all. Just wanted opinions. Want to take a Thanksgiving cruise. Ship returns on Sunday (Thanksgiving weekend) at 9 am. Would I be pushing it to make a 1 pm flight out of LAX. This would be the latest I could leave to get home the same day, travelling from west to east coast and having to be back at work on Monday.

[greatam]

I'm not good at this at all. Just wanted opinions. Want to take a Thanksgiving cruise. Ship returns on Sunday (Thanksgiving weekend) at 9 am. Would I be pushing it to make a 1 pm flight out of LAX. This would be the latest I could leave to get home the same day, travelling from west to east coast and having to be back at work on Monday.

 

What airline??? If it is terminal 1, US Air and Southwest, you are REALLY pushing it. Lines frequently out the door both for check in and security. I don't give you much chance if you are flying out of terminal 1.

 

Otherwise, you have a fair chance. About 60% if the ship is on time, IMHO. Sunday after Thanksgiving is one of the most heavily traveled days of the year. LOTS and LOTS of people in all airports. You probably won't be off the ship until 10-10:30AM. 45 minutes to the airport.

 

You need to have transfer options (shuttle, rental car, car service/limo, taxi) lined up WELL in advance. You need to know EXACTLY what you need to do, how to get there. Look at the airport maps, so you know where gates, security, etc. are. Be well prepared. And if possible, you may want to use "luggage valet/luggage direct" whatever your ship calls it IF your ship and airline offers it. The cruise line takes your luggage on the last night, gives you your boarding passes and luggage tickets, you walk your luggage through Customs on arrival in Los Angeles at the port and then you don't see your luggage until you get to your home airport. You only have to get through security with your carryon. It is an additional fee, but would be worth it with a very tight schedule.

 

Lots to consider.

[wrp96]

With a 9am arrival, I'm guessing you are looking at Splendour. Have you looked at flights out of Long Beach which would be closer to the pier?

[iggy's mom]

LAX, like most airports, is crazy busy the Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend. While you might be able to make a 1pm flight, you certainly would be pushing it. If at all possible, you might want to look into a flight at Long Beach airport.

[Clay Clayton]

I hate to disagree with the previous posters, but my experience last year at Thanksgiving was completely different. Our biggest worry on the cruise was whether we were pushing it to be on a 12:50 flight from LAX. Little did we know it wouldn't be an issue.

 

We were on NCL Star and docked on time or perhaps a little ahead of time. We took advantage of the express departure and were leaving the ship at 8:30 and on our shuttle by 9. We arrived at LAX by 9:30 and the three who were flying USAirways were there in time to standby for an earlier flight - 10:40? and made it, getting home 2 hours earlier than planned. Those of us on Delta experienced no delays - walked right through security and were there early enough to take an earlier flight to Atlanta and there was room BUT they couldn't guarantee our connecting flight so we decided to fly our original flights so we had a long wait.

[greatam]

I hate to disagree with the previous posters, but my experience last year at Thanksgiving was completely different. Our biggest worry on the cruise was whether we were pushing it to be on a 12:50 flight from LAX. Little did we know it wouldn't be an issue.

 

We were on NCL Star and docked on time or perhaps a little ahead of time. We took advantage of the express departure and were leaving the ship at 8:30 and on our shuttle by 9. We arrived at LAX by 9:30 and the three who were flying USAirways were there in time to standby for an earlier flight - 10:40? and made it, getting home 2 hours earlier than planned. Those of us on Delta experienced no delays - walked right through security and were there early enough to take an earlier flight to Atlanta and there was room BUT they couldn't guarantee our connecting flight so we decided to fly our original flights so we had a long wait.

 

You were able to leave the ship by 8:30AM. BIG difference between a ship that probably docked between 6-7AM and a ship that won't even dock until 9:00AM.

 

I fly through LAX at least twice a month. It is a crowded, crowded airport, ESPECIALLY terminal 1 and TBIT (the international terminal). Sunday after Thanksgiving is a risk, any way you look at it. People DELIBERATELY book weird flights on that particular day JUST to get vouchers when the planes are overbooked. If you have the time, the vouchers often pay for your next vacation flight.

[FlyerTalker]

By Thanksgiving, Delta is planning to have the NW operation currently in T2 moved over to T5. So, there should be the increased volume at check-in and security for any DL/NW flights.

 

As Greatam mentioned, T1 is a mess at all times.

 

Yes, it is possible. Is it probable? Would likely agree with the 60% figure without more details. Is that acceptable odds? Only you can make that determination.

 

Providing destination cities and airlines always helps when asking for advice.

[Keith1010]

I'm not good at this at all. Just wanted opinions. Want to take a Thanksgiving cruise. Ship returns on Sunday (Thanksgiving weekend) at 9 am. Would I be pushing it to make a 1 pm flight out of LAX. This would be the latest I could leave to get home the same day, travelling from west to east coast and having to be back at work on Monday.

 

My suggestion is for you to first call the cruise line. I don't think the ship returns at 9:00 AM. That would be too late to start the disembarkation process. So, contact the cruise line and find out what time the ship is scheduled to arrive and what they mean by 9:00 AM. (eg., is that the time that disembarkation begins).

 

Find out from them what they they recommend for the earliest flights.

 

Ideally, it would have been better to avoid a flight on Sunday or to have a flight that is a bit later than 1:00 PM.

 

As others have said also see if Long Beach is a possiblity.

 

If you do have to go with the 1:00 PM time, and you have to leave out of LAX then be sure to spend the money and have a car at the pier waiting for you.

 

Again, start by calling the cruise line.

 

Keith

[wrp96]

My suggestion is for you to first call the cruise line. I don't think the ship returns at 9:00 AM. That would be too late to start the disembarkation process. So, contact the cruise line and find out what time the ship is scheduled to arrive and what they mean by 9:00 AM. (eg., is that the time that disembarkation begins).

 

 

Keith, I suspect they are on Carnival Splendour which really does have a 9am arrival time. There has been discussion about this on the Carnival boards.

[nparmelee]

We end up using LAX a lot for family visits and such. Never really know what you're going to get there so we always plan for the worst case scenario. We've gotten there at 1:00 in the afternoon for a flight home and been though security in 15 minutes, other times its taken closer to an hour. There does not seem to be any real rhyme or reason to it.

[Cookie2boys]

Thanks for the responses so far. Sorry I left out a couple major details. Carnival Splendor returns at 9 AM. We looked at an Airtran flight that leaves at 12:50 and would get us back to Newport News at 10:14 pm. I prefer to fly out of Norfolk using Delta or US Airway. I keep watching prices hoping they will lower a bit. From what I can tell (with the time zone difference), I will have to leave CA no later than 1pm in order to get back to VA on the same day. It would be great if I could find a later flight getting us back the same day. I may just have to change my cruise date to a couple weeks before Thanksgiving. Thanks again.

[kenish]

Geography and time zones "are what they are". You're correct that you have to leave CA by early afternoon to get to the East Coast on the same day. Changing the dates of the cruise probably won't solve the problem.

 

The only solid solution is spend the night in LA and take an early flight, or take a redeye.

 

BTW disembarkation of our Carnival cruise was a disorganized fiasco. We were not off the gangway until 1030, even though we docked at 0600. Fortunately we only had a 40 minute drive home. In our case there were Customs delays and it was out of Carnval's control.

[FlyerTalker]

If you use ITA, you will be able to get a graphical presentation of when flights operate and the prices involved. matrix.itasoftware.com Likely better than looking at rows of flight times in terms of numbers.

 

You are pretty much SOL....the last connect that gets into ORF on Sunday leaves at 12:45pm on DL. Otherwise, the first arrival on Monday morning is on US at 8:42am.