How to fill in a day around LAX

[zanzibar138]

We will be flying through LAX on our way home from WDW. Unfortunately we have ended up with the very early morning flight departing at 6:30am, which should get us to LAX at around 9am. Our departing flight doesn't leave until 10:30pm. We will have lounge access but obviously that will not fill in 13.5 hours lol!

Any suggestions? Does LAX have day tours that leave from the airport or anything?

 

[Bad Pink Tink 2.0]

There is a bus to Santa Monica from the LAX transport centre called LAXIT. Its called Big Blue Bus
https://www.bigbluebus.com/Newsroom/News/Riding-BBB-to-LAX.aspx

Once there Santa Monica is very walkable. The main restaurant and shopping area is a big long pedestrian street called 3rd Street Promenade. There is also a large mall called Santa Monica Place. And of course there is Santa Monica beach and Pier.

 

[zanzibar138]

My partner was actually disappointed we couldn't squeeze in a stopover as he wanted to see the beach in LA so that actually sounds like a great option!

 

[sjmac42]

Plenty of day use rooms in the hotels surrounding LAX as well. The area around the hotels on Century Bvde is a bit grim but the ones on the El Segundo side of LAX are in a nicer area.
Drop your luggage there if it isn’t checked through (no luggage storage at LAX) and Uber/lyft/bus to Santa Monica and/or Manhattan Beach which is closer to LAX. Use your lounge access the couple of hours before your flight.

 

[starry_solo]

Whatever you do, make sure to account for enough time to return to LAX!

 

[zanzibar138]

Plenty of day use rooms in the hotels surrounding LAX as well. The area around the hotels on Century Bvde is a bit grim but the ones on the El Segundo side of LAX are in a nicer area.
Drop your luggage there if it isn’t checked through (no luggage storage at LAX) and Uber/lyft/bus to Santa Monica and/or Manhattan Beach which is closer to LAX. Use your lounge access the couple of hours before your flight.

Hoping that Singapore Airlines will let us check our luggage early so we can avoid that issueMight do some more research on that.

Whatever you do, make sure to account for enough time to return to LAX!

This is definitely top of mind! The reason for the timing of our flights is actually us being extra ultra cautious because it's not a connecting flight. In case something happens with our original flight, we wanted to leave ourselves plenty of time to be able to get across the country on a later flight. Would be a shame to go to all that trouble and then miss our flight in the end because we stayed at the beach too long

 

[Sykes]

Seconding the ideas of both heading to Santa Monica for a bit, as well as getting a day-use hotel.

Singapore only staffs the counters 3 hours before departing flights. You maaaay be able to check a bag late morning when the counters open for SQ11 but I’d definitely verify that in advance if you plan to rely on it.

 

[sjmac42]

LAX will not allow luggage to be checked that early whether Singapore say they will or not. In fact airlines often say “your luggage will be checked through” but that just isn’t the case with most US airports, particularly LAX. Do yourself a favour and don’t rely on what the airline says because when they are shown to be wrong, there’s nothing they can do. I was caught out with that years ago and nothing’s changed.
I would get a day use room when you arrive (just jump on a hotel shuttle and go to the front counter, usually no need to book), dump your luggage and enjoy your day. Then return to the hotel about 5-30pm to 6pm, have a shower, catch the hotel shuttle to the airport and go to the Singapore lounge for dinner after checking in for your flight.
Trust me, no matter what the airline says, the airport will not allow them to hold your luggage all day.

 

[zanzibar138]

LAX will not allow luggage to be checked that early whether Singapore say they will or not. In fact airlines often say “your luggage will be checked through” but that just isn’t the case with most US airports, particularly LAX. Do yourself a favour and don’t rely on what the airline says because when they are shown to be wrong, there’s nothing they can do. I was caught out with that years ago and nothing’s changed.
I would get a day use room when you arrive (just jump on a hotel shuttle and go to the front counter, usually no need to book), dump your luggage and enjoy your day. Then return to the hotel about 5-30pm to 6pm, have a shower, catch the hotel shuttle to the airport and go to the Singapore lounge for dinner after checking in for your flight.
Trust me, no matter what the airline says, the airport will not allow them to hold your luggage all day.

Must be different depending on the airport then. I've definitely done this in the past and have been able to check our luggage early in the morning at Singapore airport so had kind of assumed it would be the same at LAX. Good thing we've found out now - plenty of time to make alternative arrangements.

 

[starry_solo]

There’s a local luggage storage place for those traveling out of LAX.

https://laxluggagestorage.com/

I have no idea what time you can check your luggage in via your airline. What is the earliest flight they have the day you arrive/leave? But there’s an old TripAdvisor thread from five years ago that says they only allow check in 3.5 hours before flight departure.

See
https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTop...lines_Check_in_Counter_at_LAX-Air_Travel.html

 

[Sykes]

Must be different depending on the airport then. I've definitely done this in the past and have been able to check our luggage early in the morning at Singapore airport so had kind of assumed it would be the same at LAX. Good thing we've found out now - plenty of time to make alternative arrangements.

Singapore Airlines allows luggage check-in up to 48 hours in advance at Changi, so it’s a bit different there. They go out of their way to enable people to easily venture out on a long layover.

 

[sjmac42]

Yes it’s different re checking in luggage at LAX and many other US airports.
There is luggage storage but it’s not at LAX, it’s offsite and will take you an hour or 2 mucking around for drop off and pick up and it’s $12 to $15 PER ITEM plus an Uber there and back, twice.
Day use room at LAX is the way to go, Probably be about $100 to $150.
https://www.dayuse.com/s/los-angeles-international-airport-lax?selectedAddress=Los+Angeles+International+Airport+%28LAX%29&sluggableAddress=Los+Angeles+International+Airport+%28LAX%29&placeId=eyJsYXQiOjMzLjk0MjUxLCJsbmciOi0xMTguNDA4OTcsInQiOjEsInAiOiJjdXN0b20ifQ%3D%3D%2Bd6f608d392735f7598cccd053f03e8df&checkinDate=2024-06-11&ne_lng=-118.346307&ne_lat=33.949287&sw_lng=-118.415571&sw_lat=33.914562

 

[zanzibar138]

Thanks all! Looks like day use at the Travelodge is probably the way to go. Looked up the luggage storage lockers and for the size we need it would be at least $60, plus the extra cost of getting around. Looks like Travelodge has a day use rate of $75 and offers a free airport shuttle, plus apparently there's a $5 shuttle to Manhattan Beach which stops right out the front. There's a Denny's onsite which is probably as good as any other option for breakfast, and we'll even be able to have a nap if we want before heading out (since it will be about a 3am start for us that morning!).

So glad I discovered this in advance and have been able to come up with a plan, thank you for drawing my attention to it!

 

[sjmac42]

I think that rate is ancient history, website is quoting a price rise in 2016. I’d call and check the rate, including tax.
I have used the old Travelodge on Century Bvde which was fine but it closed a few years ago. TBH the place you’re looking at looks like a bit of a flop house to me so if it’s more than 100 bucks, I’d look elsewhere.

 

[zanzibar138]

I think that rate is ancient history, website is quoting a price rise in 2016. I’d call and check the rate, including tax.
I have used the old Travelodge on Century Bvde which was fine but it closed a few years ago. TBH the place you’re looking at looks like a bit of a flop house to me so if it’s more than 100 bucks, I’d look elsewhere.

Oh, thanks for the heads up. It's the only one that appeared in a search for day-use rates at hotels around LAX. Any idea how I could do a search for such a thing? It's not really practical for me to call a bunch of hotels from Australia just to ask the question. If I can't get anywhere for less than $100, the $60 locker is probably going to get the edge.

 

[Sykes]

I’ve had success with dayuse.com for day use hotel reservations, although I’ve read reports of some hotels front line staff not being properly trained on day use rates and there being some difficulties because of that.

 

[Chili327]

Uber/Lyft south to Manhattan/Hermosa Beach. You will find plenty to do & see as well as just enjoy the weather... and everything good about SoCal.

 

[zanzibar138]

I think that rate is ancient history, website is quoting a price rise in 2016. I’d call and check the rate, including tax.
I have used the old Travelodge on Century Bvde which was fine but it closed a few years ago. TBH the place you’re looking at looks like a bit of a flop house to me so if it’s more than 100 bucks, I’d look elsewhere.

I’ve had success with dayuse.com for day use hotel reservations, although I’ve read reports of some hotels front line staff not being properly trained on day use rates and there being some difficulties because of that.

Actually it looks like that is still the rate! And it's even cheaper if you don't need the room for as long. Doesn't really bother me what the hotel is like either - it's literally just luggage storage lol! We won't be using a gym or pool (will be early Feb), and we can even wait to have showers at the airport lounge if we need to. I hate that prices on American websites are never including taxes and fees, but when I've gone through to make a dummy booking it doesn't look it would be too much extra.



There were a few nicer places from $99, so might be worth seeing what the total cost of those will be and the facilities etc for a comparison.

 

[Lumpy1106]

Why not just rent a car? A locked trunk has to be every bit as secure as a hotel room. I would not go to Hollywood Blvd. or Venice, but should be safe enough in Manhattan Beach or some other less touristy area. You'll even have enough time to head up to Santa Barbara if you want.

 

[Chili327]

Why not just rent a car? A locked trunk has to be every bit as secure as a hotel room. I would not go to Hollywood Blvd. or Venice, but should be safe enough in Manhattan Beach or some other less touristy area. You'll even have enough time to head up to Santa Barbara if you want.

Agree with all of this, except going to Santa Barbara. lol (that'll keep you in a car for most of your day)