LAX Flight change question
 

5 of us are off around the world on business in a couple of weeks. Our business travel centre has arranged our itinery, and it includes a United flight to Sydney, via Los Angeles, where we change flights. Itinery allows 43 minutes for the flight change in LAX. I thought as LA was our point of exit, we'd need to reclaim our luggage, and check in again. I dont think thats possible in 43 minutes, but our travel centre says they've checked and it's
"do able".

Can anyone confirm this?

Thanks in advance.

Is that international->international, or domestic->international?

If the latter, it may well be possible (although still unlikely). Check UA's own website and see if the connection comes up - if it does it's legal and should be OK, although your bags will probably be at greater risk of misconnecting than with a longer transfer time. Domestic->international will not require you to collect and re-check your bags.

Despite my own distaste for UA, they did pull off one of the more impressive baggage handling feats at SFO and LAX once when I was re-routed on the way back to LHR - despite being booked onto an SFO-LAX that was already late and ready to go (and which went inside 20 minutes) and then onlining onto an LAX-LHR with a 35 minute connection time, my bag did follow me onto both flights.

If it's an international->international connection, I don't see how it can be done. You need to clear immigration and customs and then re-check - no direct airside transfers in the US any more.

Hi Globaliser,

Its domestic-international. More frequent flyers than me say we will have to reclaim our baggage, then checkin.
I dont see how its possible.

:(

If as you say its Domestic, then international, then it should be ok. I have done ATL-ORD-LHR a number of times, once bags are checked in at ATL, next time l see them it's LHR.

You and your bags will be checked through at the point of departure, including boarding passes for LAX-SYD. No need to even exit the secure area since UA international flights use the same terminal as domestic. It's a legal connection although I personally try to avoid tight timings, 'legal' or not. Probably be OK.

A year ago I did AKL-LAX-LHR on round the world tickets with Air NZ and then Virgin. Had to reclaim baggage at LA, clear immigration, customs and food then queue for my boarding pass at the Virgin counter. Never again am I going via the US I say. They have no concept at LAX of transit passengers. Talk about bringing on more risk to themselves. Why we couldn't all stay airside and wander to our next gate is beyond me.

If it's domestic to international, you're fine. You'll have connecting boarding passes and everything - no need to leave the terminal area at all.

I once did JFK-LAX-SYD on UA and the JFK-LAX was about an hour late leaving me with a four minute connection. I made it easily; walked up the ramp from the 767, turned left, handed over my connecting boarding pass and walked down the ramp to the 777 at the next gate.

So you should be okay ;)

The only reason I can think of: It's to punish us for having the temerity to arrive on the sacred soil and not wish to remain there for the rest of our mortal lives, or at least until the INS deports us in shackles.

Otherwise, it beats me, too. Totally potty.

Thanks for all your replies guys. I contacted United direct and they said it can be done with only a 30 min window. So at 43mins we can stroll it!

Still packing a change of clothes in hand luggage though! :)

Many people share the opinion that LAX is an abomination of an airport from the passengers' viewpoint. Apart from the above-mentioned absence of in-transit facilities, the whole place has a run-down feel about it, and it was irritating before all the post-9/11 security umm... enhancements. Now, it's just a nightmare and a political football like a number of US airports, sadly. You might want to postpone reading this until after you've been there :uhoh: