13 Hours Transit At LAX!! Please Help!

[TheNakedTrader]

Dear all,

I'm scheduled to come in to the States to do my FAA PPL training in September this year. Air tickets are booked with Delta Air.

I will arrive at LAX at 9.40AM on the 2nd of September 2012 and will depart LAX at 11.20PM on the same day, for Orlando, MCO.

Given that I am a foreigner, I understand that I need to get fingerprinted by the TSA/AFSP before any flight training can commence.

Originally, I was of the intention, to visit a fingerprinting facility near LAX to get fingerprinted even before I reach Orlando. That way, I can shave a day off the waiting time for TSA to give me the final approval.

However, now, I'm told by my wife that while in transit, passengers are not allowed to leave the airport terminal complex. I'm not sure if this is true but I certainly hope not. I intend to get fingerprinted as well as check in to the nearest Super 8 motel to have a good shower and nap before my next flight to MCO.

Please let me know, if anyone of you are familiar with, the transit regulations in LAX.

[Noxegon]

I can't speak for LAX, but I've personally left the airport during layovers in several US airports in the past. It hasn't been a problem.

In fact, if I remember EWR correctly, the international arrivals unloaded into the public area of the airport, so you had to clear security with new passengers rather than in a transfer area.

[darkroomsource]

You should be able to leave the airport, however I don't think you'll have enough time to do what you plan...

the flight arrives at 9:40? assuming it's on time, that's when it lands... not when it gets to the gate, I've been in/out of LAX with 30 minute taxi times before.

You have to be at LAX 2 hours before flight (it's one of the few airports where that was needed before 911 because of the queues and distances you have to travel between checkin and the gates)

Getting in/out of LAX can take hours in traffic.

If you're lucky, a 13 hour layover will give you 3 or 4 hours to do your errand.

As long as you don't get lost (don't rely on a taxi driver), you might get your fingerprinting done... unless you have to wait when you're there. I had to have mine done at the police station, and had to have an appointment, and then it still took all morning to get it done. The actual fingerprinting took about 5 minutes, but I waited in the office for 2 hours before they would do it, even though I had an appointment.

[Bealzebub]

You won't be "in transit." LAX will be the port of entry into the USA and you will clear US immigration and customs at that port.

Your next flight will simply be a domestic flight from LAX to MCO.

You will be fingerprinted on arrival as part of the normal immigration process. Your Visas (if required) and any necessary authority to travel (such as an ESTA) will have already been obtained by you in Singapore well in advance of leaving.

With that length of layover you should sensibly allow 2 hours after arrival to clear immigration and customs. Similarly you should allow at least 2hours to be at the airport prior to your onward flight to MCO. There are plenty of hotels ( at all price points) near to LAX to get some rest in the intervening 9 hour period.

Given how busy and spread out the area around LAX is, I wouldn't plan on achieving anything else until you arrive in Florida. Your school should then be able to direct you accordingly.

[waffler]

If you have time go to the beach.
It is just at the end of the runway.
Take a bus to Venice beach, hire a bike and cycle to Santa Monica, about 25 minutes.
Enjoy the view enroute.
Relax,you are in California.

[EastMids]

I don't think you'll have a problem.

Arrive on Delta at 09:40 and all being well you should be out of the airport by 11:00-11:30. As has already been said, you clear customs and immigration at LAX and can then either go straight to the departures area or walk out of the terminal and come back later with your boarding pass for your MCO flight and just go straight to the security check.

For a 23:20 domestic departure on DL to MCO, and as you should already be checked in and have a boarding card as a result of checking in for our first flight, you should be aim to be at the Delta terminal (terminal 6 I think) no later than 22:00.

So at worst case that should give you ten hours land side in the LAX-area.

This topic outlines the process for finger printing (and a lot of other things) for flight training in the US:

http://www.pprune.org/private-flying/278995-guide-obtaining-jaa-ppl-us-part-1-a.html

It seems to suggest you need to go to a Sherrif office to have your finger prints taken... Have you worked out where you can go to do this near LAX? If so and it's nearby, great. If not, find out exactly where you have to go and try to find something near - traffic around LAX can be VERY bad at times, particular in the morning and from mid-afternoon to evening, so the nearer you can do this to LAX the better.

All being well though and if there's a location you can have your finger prints taken nearby to LAX, there shouldn't be an issue with arriving, clearing immigration, getting the finger prints done, getting back to LAX, spending a few hours in a hotel and still making your MCO flight.

[Flightmech]

Is the Wild Goose still open??:E

[blaggerman]

Spend the day at In-N-Out Burger!

[spannersatcx]

Rebook, SIA to MAN then VS to MCO, you'll have about 3 hours at MAN instead of 13 at LAX!

[rareair]

+1 for In and Out Burger

By far the best way to spend any layover at LAX

There's one a 15 minute walk away (or cheeky ride on a Parking Spot "Sepulveda" shuttle bus)