Now, I've got a few questions.
1) Do the passengers need to reclaim their baggage at Terminal 1 and check it in again at Terminal 2?
2) How long does it take to get to Terminal 2 on shuttle and how often do they run?
3) How long are the lines for security check getting into the terminal, typically around midday on Saturday?
I've contacted both airlines and LAX airport information, no-one seem to know what the exact procedures are.
Also the people doing this trip are my parents, who doesn't speak a word of English and they are extremely concerned.
Does anyone use LAX for transit frequently who can tell us what to expect?
Any little info will be greatly appreciated !
Thank you.
You need another travel agent!
If you are flying from Las Vegas your travel agent should have booked you on Northwest flight 627 which is a once a day flight from Vegas to LAX specifically scheduled to feed Northwest flight 1 to Tokyo (Vegas is very popular with Asian tourists). This way you connect entirely within T2 at LAX with no need to retrieve and recheck your bags.
As has been mentioned I would try to get to the airport in Las Vegas to standby on an earlier flight to LAX. One hour won't work when you are connecting to an international flight. Two hours would be far more comfortable.
One thing in your favor is T1 to T2 is a 5 minute walk door to door and security at T2 is not terribly hectic mid-day.
Immediately re-book an earlier flight out of LAS. While LAX terminals 1 and 2 are a few hundred yards apart on the north side of the airport, an hour plus is not sufficient time to reclaim baggage at terminal 1 and then check into your international Northwest flight in terminal 2. Allowing for Murphy's Law it is advisable to have a two-and-a-half hour window if you are traveling Y class and ninety minutes for Business or F class.
The aging terminals and infrastructure at Los Angeles were designed in the early 1960's at the dawn of the jet age and the architectural design of the George Jetson facility doesn't translate well into our TSA age of terrorist screening and baggage identification requirements on international flights. Depending on your time of departure expect long lines, irritable airline workers and crowded departure gates.
1) Do the passengers need to reclaim their baggage at Terminal 1 and check it in again at Terminal 2?
Once their bags are checked in at LAS with US Airways (America West), they should be "interlined" or transfered to Northwest Airlines with no need to pick them up at the connection. Their bag tags should say Tokyo. However since Airways is a Star Alliance airline and Northwest is a OneWorld carrier, you should verify they will be interlined when they leave them at the US Airways counter in LAS. To confirm, call US Airways at 800-428-4322 and ask.
If they must recheck them, an hours time is definitely too short. An hour was a bit short to begin with although it can probably be done (remember int'l check in times are 2 hours while domestic is 1). If US Airways is late (which is often on the times I have flown them), that creates a very tight connection for passenger who may not be able to get assistance with a language barrier. As mentioned, an earlier flight might be a good idea although they will charge you $100 per ticket to make a change to their itinerary. (For that you could buy two tickets on Southwest to arrive earlier!) Call Airways and ask about their standby policy.
2) How long does it take to get to Terminal 2 on shuttle and how often do they run?
Terminal 1 and 2 are a five minute walk apart. There is no need to take the terminal shuttle as it would be a ride of a few hundred yards at best. (Unless they have difficulty walking of course.) They also could very well spend twice the time waiting for the shuttle bus as it would take to walk it. It's that close. I routinely walk between terminals 8 and 4 and it takes me 6-8 minutes.
And yes, they will have to go outside security, hang a right, then walk via the curb a few hundred feet to Terminal 2 and go through security again. (Sorry!)
As non-English speakers, my suggestion is to print them a map of the airport, http://www.lawa.org/lax/terminalMap.cfm and write instructions for them on it. Get the exact gate numbers for their flights if possible by calling the airline and jot that down on it too.
3) How long are the lines for security check getting into the terminal, typically around midday on Saturday?
That depends. Spring break is on so the lines can be a bit longer than usual. Unless one has a crystal ball, it's hard to predict with any real accuracy.
BTW- I agree, that travel agent didn't do the best job with this one considering your parents can't speak English.
I'm pretty sure that if they're coming from Vegas heading Internationally i dint think they need to check baggage since it could have been checked all the way to their final destination but they need to find their way around the airport/terminals. Don't know much about the security checkpoints but would suggest to check LAX airport website about it
You folks are actually lucky, except one hour won't be enough.
If you purchased TWO separate tickets (one from LAS to LAX with one airline and another ticket from LAX to (international), that will be the major problem.
If you travel agent booked your tickets from LAS to (international) via LAX, just hope that the luggages will make it to the other airline.
Terminal 2 is a short walking distance from Terminal 1.
If they do not carry any luggage during transit , no problem.
But again ONE HOUR ????? , If USAirways comes late from Vegas.......your parents have a major problem on hand.
My guess the travel agent doesn't know very well his business. An extra hour would be a lot safer and less worries.
Have them leaving Vegas on an earlier flight (USAir flies every hour from Vegas to LAX)
As for the bags it depends on what airlines you are using if you are using Southwest from LAS to LAX then yes they will have to reclaim and recheck your bags as Southwest does not have baggage agreements with anyone. If they are on America West/US Airways then they should be able to check the bags through to the final destination (if you have 2 tickets show both tickets at time of check in)
Terminal 1 and 2 are right next to each other and the distance is just a short walk otherwise they can take a shuttle bus they run about every 5 minutes. Can not tell you about security lines but they tend to be long in LAX.
They should only have to go through security one time, and that's the initial trip. Once they are 'in' they shouldn't have to go to security again. They shouldn't have to pick up their bags either. They should be checked all the way through to the final destination. Not sure about travel times between terminals, but I'm sure the LAX web site would have info. Also, call the agent that booked the tickets. He or she should know as well.
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