LAX to DLR - Door to door estimate

[Princess Jes]

After hearing for years how bad LA traffic can be (both at peak hour and not) what can we expect to be a reasonable timeline from landing (international flight) and arriving at the gates.

I understand there are a million factors at play (delayed flight, unusually bad traffic outside of the normal bad traffic, delay at customs) but on average, assuming all normal factors, how reasonable does this look (or what do you suggest would be close to average):

Land from AUS at 6:40am
Get bags and clear customs by 7:30am
Get outside airport and hail an Uber by 7:45am
Arrive at HoJo by about 9am (this is possibly a bit optimistic?)
Check in (room wont be ready, so just check in and leave bags. Maybe visit the restroom for a basin bath) by 9:30am
Get to DLR by 9:40am
Start having fun 9:41am

Thoughts/Comments?

(@minniemumma )

 

[ashley0139]

After hearing for years how bad LA traffic can be (both at peak hour and not) what can we expect to be a reasonable timeline from landing (international flight) and arriving at the gates.

I understand there are a million factors at play (delayed flight, unusually bad traffic outside of the normal bad traffic, delay at customs) but on average, assuming all normal factors, how reasonable does this look (or what do you suggest would be close to average):

Land from AUS at 6:40am
Get bags and clear customs by 7:30am
Get outside airport and hail an Uber by 7:45am
Arrive at HoJo by about 9am (this is possibly a bit optimistic?)
Check in (room wont be ready, so just check in and leave bags. Maybe visit the restroom for a basin bath) by 9:30am
Get to DLR by 9:40am
Start having fun 9:41am

Thoughts/Comments?

(@minniemumma )

What day of the week? Since you're landing during rush hour, it will make a difference between a weekday and a weekend.

 

[SMD]

There's a good chance you could spend 20-30 minutes between landing and reaching the gate and then another 15 minutes to deplane if you're in the back. I've waited anywhere from 20 - 90 minutes at customs, so that's kind of a wildcard. I honestly have no idea how many flights typically arrive at that time. At that point, as PP said, you're kind of at the mercy of traffic.

 

[ParkHopper1]

45 min door to door no traffic...so your travel estimate is not too far off for a weekday morning with traffic as you are pretty much counter commute.

If you get an Uber at 7:45...be willing to bet 10am is a realistic time to be entering the gates to DL!

 

[monty]

I have arrived in LAX from Australia at around that time many times. The last few times immigration lines were well over an hour with over 2 hours a couple of days before xmas. Collecting luggage and clearing customs (as long as you have nothing to declare) were quick.

 

[otten]

We didn't go direct from LAX but rather from an LAX area hotel but it was 45 minutes from there to DLH.

 

[DharmaLou]

It all depends what time of day and what day you are going from LAX. I don't know that anyone could get your times spot on, between the times you get to the gate and depart LAX or the time it takes to drive from there.

 

[CalgaryTroy]

Y'all sound like me....

Here's a Tripadvisor post I wrote a couple years ago -
Travelled Thursday Feb.13


" OK, I'm back.....while getting in DL by 3 was ambitious, we did make it to Anaheim by 3.

Exact timing - touched down about 1:35, off the plane in 5 min, luggage and shuttle to Dollar took the longest - 20 minutes. BTW - as mentioned Dollar Express....awesome!

Was in the car at 2:15 - only 45 minutes from Dollar(LAX) to Anaheim, checking in took a little longer than expected as room wasn't quite ready yet, so we waited from 3:05 to 3:20, in the room about 3:25 for a quick wash and change into shorts and walking over around 3:30, and at the turnstiles about 3:40.

so total: plane touchdown to gates - 2 hours almost exactly "

 

[otten]

Something else to keep in mind is the likelihood of the flight being on time. The flight we took into LAX is apparently never on time. You can do a google search for your flight number that will take you to a site showing the recent history of the flight. My understanding is that delays getting into LAX are not uncommon.

 

[dina444444]

I would budget at least 90 minutes from the time you land until you are outside the terminal since it is an international flight. It can sometimes take 20 minutes for the uber to get to you after you call for it. So I would call for it once you are completely out of customs and are heading towards the designated uber pickup location on the departures level. For getting from LAX to Hojo I would expect it to take anywhere from 1 to 1 and half hours.

 

[Princess Jes]

It all depends what time of day and what day you are going from LAX. I don't know that anyone could get your times spot on, between the times you get to the gate and depart LAX or the time it takes to drive from there.

The times are in the OP... bolded... in blue.

Thanks everyone.
I forgot to mention we arrive on a Tuesday in mid August.
So based on the above, 10am is probably more reasonable? Which isn't far off the estimate anyway?

 

[Malcon10t]

Most taxi/uber/execucars can make the trip in 45-60 mins. I usually land about 720am and am at DL by 9. BUT, I am not doing customs. My drive is usually 45 mins (I usually use an Execucar.) What will determine everything is how customs does. With our current issues, it will take longer than it has in the past.

 

[DharmaLou]

The times are in the OP... bolded... in blue.

Thanks everyone.
I forgot to mention we arrive on a Tuesday in mid August.
So based on the above, 10am is probably more reasonable? Which isn't far off the estimate anyway?

Yes, I saw your OP with the times - but you didn't state what day. My response is that there is no way to ever really know for sure with LA traffic. It's going to take longer on a Tuesday than it would on a weekend because of rush hours.

 

[Princess Jes]

Yes, I saw your OP with the times - but you didn't state what day. My response is that there is no way to ever really know for sure with LA traffic. It's going to take longer on a Tuesday than it would on a weekend because of rush hours.

Yeah, I understand that, I live in a city that has infuriating traffic also. But for example, even with "normal" traffic, I can estimate my drive. As I mentioned in the OP, I understand anything can happen and that's fine, I was just wondering what an "average" travel time is like, with normal LA traffic, excluding unusual circumstances like a pile up or whatnot.

 

[Princess Jes]

Most taxi/uber/execucars can make the trip in 45-60 mins. I usually land about 720am and am at DL by 9. BUT, I am not doing customs. My drive is usually 45 mins (I usually use an Execucar.) What will determine everything is how customs does. With our current issues, it will take longer than it has in the past.

The first time we came to the states in 2014, we had to clear customs in LA (stopover on the way to Orlando) and it took us almost 2 hours (they were having refurbs or something) but last year, it was much quicker.

 

[dina444444]

Yeah, I understand that, I live in a city that has infuriating traffic also. But for example, even with "normal" traffic, I can estimate my drive. As I mentioned in the OP, I understand anything can happen and that's fine, I was just wondering what an "average" travel time is like, with normal LA traffic, excluding unusual circumstances like a pile up or whatnot.

LA traffic is unpredictable, I leave for work around the same time very day and some days it takes under 40 minutes and others over an hour.