Flyaway literally saved my bacon. The Sunset Limited I was on was over 5 hours late getting into L.A giving me and hour and fifteen minutes to get to the airport. Got tot he airport in a half hour and caught my flight on time

@Thom-TRA

Жыл бұрын

Flyaway allowed me to film my Arrow video, so I was very grateful as well

So Van Nuys is a general aviation airport as the airport doesn't have any commercial air service. But it is one of the busiest general aviation airports in the world with around 230K takeoffs and landings annually! Van Nuys is the only one with a proper FlyAway terminal building. When the building opened in 2004, it was actually designed to be a remote LAX terminal with space for airline ticketing and checked baggage services for a time in the future. FlyAway used to have even more routes! They had an Irvine Transportation Center service from November 2009 to August 2012 (which stopped because the route's operator Coach America declared Chapter 11), an Expo/La Brea service for an Expo Line connection from July 2013 to September 2014 (ended due to low ridership), a UCLA service between June 2007 and July 2019 (ended because of a preference for ride-sharing and a parking lot fee of 12 dollars), Hollywood/Vine for a B Line connection between September 2014 and March 2020, Santa Monica between July 2014 and September 2016 (ended because Santa Monica's Big Blue Bus route 3 covered LAX), and Long Beach between December 2015 and March 2020.

@kjhuang

5 ай бұрын

As a current Irvine resident I would kill to have that Irvine FlyAway back.

@transitengineer

2 ай бұрын

Yes, as an engineer working in transit, I remember when lots of Flyaway routes were being designed and implemented. However, because of where, I live about 12 miles east of downtown Los Angeles, I have only used the Union Station Flyaway service. When traveling by myself and my flights into and out of Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) are between the hours of 9 a.m. and 9 p.m., this is my favorite way to travel (smile...smile).

When I moved 2 years ago to be closer to the Gold Line, I was so happy to have the FlyAway be an option for us. There are times I even shift a flight from Burbank to LAX simply because it is easier to get to LAX with FlyAway compared to only the handful of trains a day that serves BUR. Honestly, $10 is a pretty good deal for solo travelers and even couples, especially when *leaving* LAX. Only a few times has Uber/Lyft or parking at LAX (usually with a group of people) been worth it since FlyAway became more accessible to us. Took it recently after coming back from an international trip, and it was great that the FlyAway pickup at TBIT was literally right outside the international arrivals door. On top of it arriving about 5 minutes after I got the curb, it was a great convenience after an 8 hour flight.

@josephdominguez2814

Жыл бұрын

There also is a third option from USC to LAX

@xyz-pg3zd

5 ай бұрын

$10 not bad

I just took the Metro A line from Pasadena to Union Station and then took the Flyaway. Worked really well and a lot cheaper than parking at LAX. Next time I will try the A line to the C line and then get off at the LAX metro stop and catch the Lot G shuttle bus to the airport since that will cost $1.75 total.

@transitengineer

2 ай бұрын

Think you are really supports to pay twice ($1.75 for both the A-line and C-line light rail trains) but do not worry, I will not tell Metro. Plan to travel for two (2)-hours if, you are using Metro Rail service to travel to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). In Southern California, it is always a choice between time and money (smile...smile).

I took the FlyAway from Union Station to LAX and it was much cheaper than taking an Uber, and I took the red line from Metro Center to Union Station. Would I do this again? Yes, as I was able to save some money compared to an Uber or Lyft. There used to be 2 lines that went to Hollywood & Santa Monica but those lines were discontinued.

@Thom-TRA

Жыл бұрын

Uber prices to the airport are a scam. It shocks me how many people do it when there are cheaper alternatives.

@r.s.4672

Жыл бұрын

There was a Flyaway bus from LAX to Westwood, and that was also discontinued.

I have it so good living on the east coast. Being a DC resident for most of my life. I'd just hop on the Yellow Line and be at the airport in like 20 minutes. If I absolutely had to, I could take a MARC (or Amtrak if I'm feeling bougie) to BWI and of course now the Silver Line to Dulles. I'd always assumed the majority of the country was like that. BOY WAS I WRONG LOL

@ofallsadwords3207

Жыл бұрын

I really, really miss living in the northeast. The corridor between DC and Boston is really unlike anywhere else in the country for transit.

Hotels and cleaning fees are getting so crazy that one day air trips are a thing. I'm going NYC to DC this summer for $45 each way on United and I will have ten hours in DC and I won't even have to get up early. And Jacksonville Transit Authority dropped a PM peak trip to the airport costing me $30. I Hate When That Happens.

I was involved in motorcoach tour companies early in my career. The Prevost is a great coach (pronounced pree-vo, for future ref... the s and t is silent). The only other major coach manufacturer prevalent in the US is MCI (Motorcoach Industries). There are others. ❤ your comment about being a moral citizen. Keep on traveling, Thom.

@johnward4557

Жыл бұрын

Correct on the pronunciation! 😊 Prevost is a Quebec-based company owned by Volvo.

The Prevost coaches are among the finest in the bus world. The MCI J series are a close second.

@Thom-TRA

Жыл бұрын

Thank you! Good to know

Thanks for this video, some nice updates on the new stuff being built, last time I was in LAX was before Covid.

It's a shame that the Blue Line is having such problems right now. As for LAX, most LAX users aren't coming from downtown so I don't think that's a real problem. Downtown LA is not the "center" of the city. It's off to the East side and would present a significant deviation for most LA residents. Eventually the Crenshaw line will go north to Hollywood and connect w the Purple Line to Downtown and Mid-Wilshire/West LA, and the Red Line into the Valley. I think that those are a more useful and faster connections than a direct connection to Union Station. The Crenshaw Line will also continue south to Redondo Beach and the South Bay. Eventually the Sepulveda Line will connect LAX to West LA and Van Nuys. The Green Line on the Century Frwy will serve LAX and connect LAX to the South LA and Gateway cities area, unfortunately it won't connect the add'l 2.5 miles to the Norwalk Metrolink line from Orange County. One huge problem I have with the LAX transit connection is the K Line station at LAX which is budgeted at $1 billion! That does not include the People Mover station that LAX is paying for. That is the same as it cost to build 101-story St Regis tower that opened in 2020 in the Chicago Loop. That is half the cost of the entire Crenshaw Line to date, more than half the cost of the downtown Regional Connector, and 2/3 the cost of SF's new Central Subway. This is an above ground simple 2-track light rail station w a bus bay. LA Metro already owns the land. Something is seriously wrong at LA Metro and these kinds of out of control expenses hobble transit development in the long run.

Yup, I can confirm that was Hoover Dam! What an engineering feat that dam is, especially for the time it was built! Imagine a four-foot-wide sidewalk wrapped completely around the Earth at the equator. That’s a lot of concrete! That’s how much concrete it took to build the Hoover Dam! The dam is 726 feet tall and 1,244 feet long. The cooling process for said concrete was sped up thanks to an incredibly large refrigeration system capable of producing an average of 1,000 tons of ice each day. And if it wasn't for Hoover Dam, Boulder City wouldn't exist! The city was built in 1930 solely to house the 5,000 workers employed to build the dam. The city was built on federal land, and it wasn't until 1960 that it was officially incorporated.

@Thom-TRA

Жыл бұрын

Dam, that is a lot of concrete!

This video was so helpful! Thank you for sharing!

@Thom-TRA

2 ай бұрын

Glad it helped!

I really enjoy your chill personality sir. Also next episode; hey guys its me, Thom, today I have become an actual train, hop aboard! lol

Good narration and film footage to go with it.

Welcome To California 🌈Thank You So Much. I hope you enjoyed your visit!!🌴

@Thom-TRA

Жыл бұрын

I did!

Great information for visiting LA, which we plan to do soon!!! Thank you!!!

@Thom-TRA

Жыл бұрын

Enjoy your trip! Any ideas what you’re going to do?

@ck4426

Жыл бұрын

@@Thom-TRA hopefully a little trip north and back on Amtrak 🤞

Good morn I enjoyed the video👍👍

That prevot is considered the top of the line in motorcoachs

@Thom-TRA

Жыл бұрын

Good to know!

LA is so spread out, that while transit does work, but it might not help everyone if not everyone's going Downtown. Downtown LA is so small, likely due to urban sprawl. This makes transit tricky when it’s spread out over a large area, but not insurmountable.

@Thom-TRA

Жыл бұрын

A mono centric layout is not a requirement for good transit. In fact, Chicago serves as a good example that it might actually work adversely.

@collectivelyimprovingtrans2460

Жыл бұрын

@@Thom-TRA I understand, however, how would you implement a good corridor to the airport if it’s so spread out?

@Thom-TRA

Жыл бұрын

@@collectivelyimprovingtrans2460 something like Schiphol Airport in the Netherlands. Where a few key corridors stretch out to nearby regional hubs, with one of those being downtown. Honestly the K/G line system is not terrible.

@Alejandro-vn2si

Жыл бұрын

While it is true, still LA metro needs exoansion on both service as well as frequency. There are lots of improvements that needs to happen in los angeles metro system in order to make it a truly functional system.

Flyaway is great, but expect the trip to take up to an hour because the bus usually runs into traffic on the 101 and the LAX roads

@Thom-TRA

Жыл бұрын

I got lucky

Thank you for this fascinating video ! Flyaway does seem very good at serving all the terminals at LAX, even if a bit pricey. The Prevost coaches are excellent, and clearly offer a smooth and comfortable ride.

@Thom-TRA

Жыл бұрын

It was very comfortable!

I have taken the bus from LAX to Union Station and bus from Kennedy to Grand Central Station. No need to waste money being stuck in the same traffic as you would be in an Uber Those buses are fairly standard. Pretty comfortable and usually good places to store your luggage In my entire life over 60 years LAX has always been under construction. Every time over decades LOVE Union Station! I think it’s attractive on the East end as well but closer to the Central Jail, Lol! Hang out there or go to Olivera Street

The city of Phoenix has the Skytrain. It connects to the Valley Metro light rail. It works pretty well. I have used the Flyaway bus at LAX. I think the people mover will connect to the Metro system before the start of the Olympics.

@Thom-TRA

Жыл бұрын

Hopefully it does! The infrastructure is all there already

@nbroverman

Жыл бұрын

@@Thom-TRA The people mover is supposed to open next year, but it's not clear if the connection to K Line will open by then; it may be 2025.

I love how you just get up and take a plane to Chicago to Los Angeles just to spotlight the LAX Airport Shuttle to Union Station. Union Station services the Metro and MetroLink trains that go throughout L.A. For instance, I live in Riverside, so going to Union Station is a very convenient way to travel way out there directly by train. Also the MetroLink trains go to Simi Valley, Palmdale, and San Bernardino direct from Union Station. Plus, they may make a direct subway line to the airport from Union Station but that will be a while a way.

@Thom-TRA

Жыл бұрын

I actually filmed a bunch of videos while I was in LA! And I came back a month later for a wedding. Loved my time there :)

@erik_griswold

Жыл бұрын

At 4:00 you pass the scene of the stuck motorists dance in “LA-LA-LAND”

I live in the Twin Cities. I can get to the airport via express bus or light rail, even coming from St. Paul. The light rail is free between Terminal A and B (technically 2 different airports) if people need to go between them.

I can't speak from direct experience, but my friends in bands tell me that they prefer Van Hool buses to Prevost ("preh-voh") buses by a slight amount. I'd be happy with ANY big, comfortable bus, though. Seeing the situation at LAX makes me appreciate the access to transit here at ATL even more. Not only is it the world's busiest airport, but it has a direct connection to the city and points E, W and N via MARTA heavy-rail. There's also the "Plane Train" people-mover between the 6 concourses, the N and S domestic terminals, and the newer international terminal. The newest is the people-mover between the domestic terminals and the rental-car center. It's a great airport...and one of the few things that Atlanta really "got right."

That bus is good and a friend of mine drive this type of bus for a tour bus

@paulcastillo1310

Жыл бұрын

Back in the 1970's there was my service at took you from from downtown Los Angeles to LAX service was established by the former predecessor of LA it was that Southern California rapid Transit know as scrtd but I don't know what year it stop

Currently sitting on a flight into LAX and was wondering how/where I would pay for the bus ride to Union without installing a new app or making a new account. Thanks to your video I now know I will have to pay AFTER I take the ride. Thanks for saving me the trouble of roaming around LAX looking for a kiosk!

@Thom-TRA

9 ай бұрын

Glad it helped! Have a good trip

I only use Flyaway between LAX and Union Station. Have done it two or three times and I recommend it to all my friends and family whenever they say that they are going to LA. I was really shocked researching LA years ago and finding that they didn't have any trains that linked the city with their airport. That is unheard of for a major city. Cleveland, where I am from, was the first major city to have a train run from the airport to downtown.

@Thom-TRA

Жыл бұрын

I never realized Cleveland was the first!

Maybe the most expensive public option, but way cheaper than taxis and ride-hail app cars. Mentally speaking, way better than driving to the airport

@Thom-TRA

Жыл бұрын

For sure. But in my world, I try to ignore driving.

Los Angeles is so big that there are multiple city centers that are popular with tourists. Not everyone stays in downtown LA, so i don't personally see the issue with not having a direct Metro line from Union Station to LAX. Once the LAX people mover is completed and connected to the Metro's C/K Lines, a trip into downtown LA will take two transfers, for about an 1hr overall time. And the cost would be much cheaper than the LAX FlyAway bus. Currently a 1-way Metro w/transfers is only 1.75. Keeping in mind that Union Station is a bit isolated from the major tourist areas of Downtown LA, it would make sense to take the Metro from LAX than the FlyAway.

@Thom-TRA

Жыл бұрын

You’re forgetting a few things: It’s not just tourists that fly out of LAX. People coming from the suburbs could take Metrolink to Union Station and then transfer to metro. Second, the one area where you want to reduce traffic is downtown. So to do that you need an attractive alternative. A metro that would stop at several locations downtown then go to the airport would be a huge game changer. Third, I said downtown not Union station.

Hi Thom! Way back in a previous life (1980s), I drove charter buses (between Greyhound layoffs) in the L.A. area. One company I worked for operated a fleet of Prevost Le Mirage coaches. Prevost Car is a Canadian company based in St. Claire, Quebec. I have been reminded more times than I care to admit, that it’s not pronounced, PREE- VOST. It’s pronounced PREE- VO. The S and the T are silent. Before you say it, I will. “Yeah, whatever!”

@OntarioTrafficMan

Жыл бұрын

I'm Canadian so I pronounce it "pray vo" (like in French) but I'm not sure how they intend Americans to pronounce it.

Took Flyaway in 2010 and 2013 ad they took cash. The advantage of a "non stop" bus between Union and LAX is that when traffic is bad on one route, they can take another route to/from airport. The "people mover" will also being people to car park sand car rental lots that are moved out of the core terminal area. And when you have a number of terminals, it can make sense to had a main single point of entry with people mover to each (group of) terminal when terminals are sufficiently far away. (same with New York JFK). Yet, direct trasit t airport is better but that only really works on smaller more compact airports. (one solution is to bring transit t most popular terminal and use people mover to then distribut to other terminals, you then get markleting advantage of single seat ride to airport, and peope see the peopl emover as convenient to get to other terminals if needed as opposed to a necessity because transit dropped you off in middle of nowhere.

I always just take the free shuttle to the Aviation/LAX Metro stop and get on the train there, never had issues with it yet... Knock on wood! $9.75 is too rich for my blood and it's not that much faster, plus I'm rarely going to the Union Station area. I guess if that's the part of downtown you're headed to it might be more convenient but I just bristle at the price, especially now that the Metro is moving to a fare-capping model soon.

@ofallsadwords3207

Жыл бұрын

Also, I visited Chicago for the first time recently and had a hell of a time even finding the Blue line at ORD! There was no signage until I was already basically at the right place. The train did show up when I finally found it though, lol.

I've ridden on this!

I think this is brilliant, it’s good now there is a decent service…

I think a criticism I heard is that the people mover terminal stops will be in the middle of the loop not along the building.

If you're taking public transit to or from LAX, it's much easier at present to take the green line shuttle (which circles all the terminals) to Aviation station rather than going to the city bus center. If time isn't an issue, it's definitely the cheapest way, and with the new regional connection only one change is required. You can get to Union Station for $1.75. On the other hand, you probably need to budget at least an hour (and up to an hour and a half) for the trip. I'm curious what was up with the blue line in Chicago when you needed to get to the airport. I've taken it in the wee hours many times, and while it's always slow at that time, I've never seen it actually not show up. It's supposed to have half-hour service overnight, and that's generally what I've found it does have.

Van Nuys airport is a general aviation airport, there are no commercial flights. It's true the Van Nuys Flyaway terminal is across the street from the airport terminal but that's most likely because LA World Airports owns the land. The Van Nuys Flyaway Terminal has a multistory parking garage that's only $5.00 per day. As friends and family don't want to drive to from the San Fernando Valley to LAX it's common to drop people off or drive, park at the Flyaway terminal and take the bus to LAX.

@Thom-TRA

Жыл бұрын

I think it’s probably because they’re both owned by LAWA

My Airport has two separate train stations. Underneath terminal 1 and another right next to it. The original underground station is only called by regional rail and S-Bahn Trains and at least once by a charter train. It used to serve long distance trains until 2001. That’s why platforms 2 and 3 are 400 meters long. Now long distance trains call the second surface level station next to the terminal. To avoid confusion with the old underground station platforms are numbered 4 to 7. Some regional train and some additional S-Bahn service stop here during peak time. During detours all S-Bahn service stop at this station. There is a heated discussion for a third train station only service terminal 3 on the southern side of the runways. T1 and T2 are on the northern side. For many years the state government and the municipal government demand the airport to build the station. The airport itself doesn’t want to pay for it and hence demand the state and municipal government to building it. The funny thing about it that the state and municipality hold a combined 51% of the airport share. They have a controlling majority which makes the discussion who will pay kinda pointless. They can basically force the airport to build and pay it. We’ll see what will happen

@Thom-TRA

Жыл бұрын

Do you live in Frankfurt?

@Acevolt

4 ай бұрын

I have taken the S-Bahn to Hamburg from the Frankfurt airport, very nice trip and so convenient having the train right at the airport,

The crazy thing is that none of the region's major airports are particularly accessible via public transportation. There's the situation regarding LAX, and it's even worse at John Wayne Airport in Costa Mesa (only one OCTA bus line serves John Wayne Airport and the nearest train stations are in Irvine, Tustin, and Santa Ana, with the closest Greyhound stop at the Santa Ana train station). And in San Diego, there's also no direct access via rail and only two bus lines, one from downtown (MTS 992) and one from Ocean Beach (MTS 923) serve the airport (with only MTS 992 serving the main terminal). The major difference between the situations in Los Angeles and San Diego is the distance between the airport and downtown, because LAX is about 15-18 miles from downtown Los Angeles, while the airport in San Diego is only a couple of miles from downtown.

LAX nowadays is much better. I remember I missed one Flyaway bus and I thought the next one will come within an hour, but I was wrong... I ended up waited for 2 hours but it is too late to catch another coach from Union Station to Las Vegas. I booked myself a hotel nearby and took a plane there the day after......... They had service to Hollywood before COVID... Another time I missed the Flyaway bus from downtown. Instead of waiting for an hour Google map suggested me to took 438 to Aviation/LAX and took the shuttle back to airport... much cheaper but it is a peak hour only service..

You’ll have to come back out here next year when the LAX Peoplemover and the 96th Street transit hub open. LAX will finally have a rail connection to the metro and the peoplemover train will also connect with the new rental car / intermodal center. Hopefully that will take a decent amount of vehicles out of the horseshoe, especially if the connector trains run every 2 minutes like they’re promising. The K line will also take over the southern part of the C (Green) line and run from Expo-Crenshaw down to Redondo Beach Blvd.

@Thom-TRA

8 ай бұрын

I’m very excited to see all these developments!

@jammes122

8 ай бұрын

@@Thom-TRA And also the first three stations on the D / Purple line subway extension are set to open next year too. Quite a bit to look forward to!

@Thom-TRA

8 ай бұрын

@@jammes122 LA makes me optimistic, not something I ever thought I’d say

I stopped relying on the Blue Line to get to the airport unless I give myself an extra hour more than normal. It’s sad what CTA has become these days. They used to be good.

@Thom-TRA

Жыл бұрын

During the daytime the blue line has become reasonably reliable recently. But at light and in the early morning, they’re atrocious.

The Van Nuys Flyaway is massively useful for residents of the San Fernando Valley. In the old days you parked there for $1 a day and paid $4.75 for the trip to the airport. Parking is more expensive now but still a great deal compared to LAX parking prices. You lucked out on catching a FlyAway bus quickly at LAX. Once the people mover is complete you’ll be able to quickly leave your terminal, and catch a flyaway bus at a designated spot where it will be waiting and will leave at scheduled times, just like the trips to LAX from Union Station or Van Nuys. Anyone who has a problem going from your terminal to the people mover station on a moving walkway has serious issues. Then catching the people mover train that leaves every four minutes and a maximum ride of 10 minutes to the furthest station. Finally, you’ll take the K line to the E line to get downtown. The best Metros in the world all depend on connections . There’s nothing wrong with a single Metro connection to take you to the 7th St/Metro station (the heart of downtown), or to City Hall, Bunker Hill or finally to Union Station.

I'm no motorcoach expert but they use Prevost buses like that on Red Arrow here in Ontario and they are great as a rider. The ride is quite smooth and they don't rattle.

@Thom-TRA

Жыл бұрын

This one was very comfortable. And I think it’s a Canadian company!

@OntarioTrafficMan

Жыл бұрын

@@Thom-TRA Yes they are from Québec

Airport transit in Vancouver Canada is pretty amazing there is the Canada Line branch to YVR that runs there on every second train and it connects to the airport right between the domestic and international terminals.

$9.75 for half an hour's journey seems to compare very favorably with Heathrow Express. Nice quality bus too for a journey of that length, though high floor coaches are never best for accessibility

What kind of car was this Lyft in the beginning of the film and what color was the car? I think it was a Kia or a Hyundai but I’m not sure

someday I might see you on transit and I'll say hi !

@Thom-TRA

Жыл бұрын

I’d love that!

And what kind of car and color was the Lyft that you mentioned at the end of the video?

They did try an extensive Flyaway network including services to Irvine and Hollywood - lack of demand.

@Thom-TRA

Жыл бұрын

Sadly the car remains very powerful in SoCal…

Prevost bus is considered the best motor coach shell in the world for last 20 years or so tops in ride, handling and comfort. They have stainless steel monocoupe and a independent front suspension and make two chassis the H3-45 and X3-45. MCI is a close second to Prevost with similar high anti-corrosion abilities Way down the list at number 3 is Van Hool. Van Hool makes the famous double decker bus used by MegaBus. Looking at a Van Hool it is hard to tell why the bus community looks down on them compared to a Prevost or MCI, but they do. There are some smaller players in the US motor coach market the most exciting new entry being Mercede's Tourrider just now in 2023 coming into the USA. Motor coaches are looked at as significantly differently from transit buses. Motor coaches in the USA are considered to sometimes drive at 80 mph and Prevost and MCI appear to build their buses with that in mind. A transit bus may not even reach 65 mph and have different manufactures. The H3-45 has huge storage bays causing it to have a lower ceiling height, higher center of gravity and slightly taller in height than the X3-45. The X3-45 is considered slightly better handling and riding than the H3-45, but on the Interstate this may make no difference. The X3-45 is the top pick for touring entertaining groups such as bands. The outside skin of the X3-45 is stainless steel. The H3-45 is fiberglass. Prevost provides the premium shells to premium motor home bus converters. There may not be any production motor coach RV converters that are not using a Prevost shell, that's how dominant Prevost is at the top end of the motor coach chassis market. A Prevost shell is about $600,000 from Prevost. After the conversion they sell for about $2 million. Prevost is owned by Volvo and since about 2014 replaced its better liked Detroit Diesel for a Volvo D13. In 2014 no USA HD over-the-road Diesel was meeting the 2010 emission requirements and providing a reliable drivable Diesel long term. It had gotten better since 2010, but it was a serous problem. It was 2018 before Detroit Diesel was reliable. Cummins is top in drivability, reliability, durability and serviceability, but also had on going issues that have mostly disappeared when the X15 came out. A Volvo D13 is a livable engine, but it is known to develop reliability issues concerning its USA emission systems after about 200,000 miles and gets the towards the bottom of the big four HD over-the-road Diesels in fuel economy. Volvo also dropped it high horsepower D16 engine from the USA market that had the 600 hp desired for motor coaches pulling trailers or other vehicles. The DD13 Detroit Diesel and D13 Volvo in USA road trim put out between 450 - 500 hp. That appears to work fine for the most part when it is working just as a bus, but for pulling a trailer or vehicle at least 600 hp is desired.

@Thom-TRA

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for the in-depth response! Very helpful and knowledgeable

Provost are excellent buses

Took a Flyaway bus from Hollywood to LAX five years ago. it was the most miserable transit experience i ever had. First the bus had completely worn shocks making the ride extremely bouncy even at slow speeds. I told a fellow rider that a stagecoach would have been smoother. Perhaps because of this the driver never took a single freeway, just surface streets with the infamous LA traffic all the while blasting rap music over the bus speakers. The trip took twice as long as advertised and this passenger even suffered some back pain because of it. Not sure if the line is running anymore but would rather walk to LAX the subject myself to this again. However have also taken the Flyaway route to and from Union Station a few times previous and found it problem-free

@Thom-TRA

6 ай бұрын

That does sound miserable

is the word "people mover" some kind of slang or an actual vehicular transport system? I keep hearing this word as I am searching for various bus transit system around LA.

@Thom-TRA

6 ай бұрын

It is the American English term for an automated, rubber-tired, small capacity train.

@Justmyopinionlol

6 ай бұрын

I am from Arizona and I have never heard this word before in my entire existence.@@Thom-TRA

I don't know if it's a good coach but it looks like a standard intercity type coach although it's not going intercity (unless LAX is technically in a separate city from LA but then a bus from Cambridge to Boston would be intercity!).As for airports making people pay for inter terminal connections you obviously haven't been to Sydney Airport in Australia 🦘.... indeed they do this between the international terminal and the domestic if you do it by the train.I'm not sure how far it is to walk between the two.I understand that the fare isn't cheap either although I have only been to the international terminal .

@AML2000

Жыл бұрын

The LA airport is still inside the city limits. The city of El Segundo is just south on the other side of Imperial Highway.

To get to LAX, I've taken the free airport shuttle from Aviation Station on the Green Line.

@Thom-TRA

Жыл бұрын

That’s the one i was waiting for. It never showed up sadly.

Yes indeed an H345 is a high end coach. Generally speaking when I fly into LAX and need to get to downtown LA I take the route 6 bus to the Expo rail line.

So it seems to operate on a trust basis? Get off the bus, and *then* buy your ticket, and there doesn't seem to be anyone making sure that you do. But they still manage to make a profit?

@Thom-TRA

Жыл бұрын

You can’t leave the bus station without passing through the ticket area

I swear there were FlyAway Buses to Hollywood and UCLA, possibly more.

@Thom-TRA

Жыл бұрын

There were! They cut a lot of service

Lga and jfk nuff said

DULLES!!! ⚪️

Reminds me of another reason why I hate flying.

I think that having the metro transfer to a people mover is a way better option than having it go direct to a terminal. Airport people movers excel at frequency and effectively distributing people between terminals. Having a single station where this transfer happens makes it easy for metro riders to understand where to get off, then they can deal with getting to their specific terminal. I wonder what the metro extension means for the viability of Flyaway? Will it still make sense?

@Thom-TRA

Жыл бұрын

Your reasoning makes a lot of sense. I wonder what will happen to Flyaway. I assume they’ll still operate, since they serve a different market.

Great video, Thom, and thank you for all the Los Angeles content (I'm a local). The FlyAway is a god-send, but I live on the Westside so the Santa Monica and Culver City municipal buses are good options for my family if we have time. When the K Line and airport station open, that will be our method. When the K Line extends to Hollywood and West Hollywood, those neighborhoods will have nearly direct (via people mover) LAX access. Fun fact: the FlyAway used to run numerous routes -- to UCLA, to an E (Expo Line) station, and to Hollywood, but all were discontinued save for Van Nuys and Union Station.

@Thom-TRA

Жыл бұрын

Hoping the K Line connection opens soon for you guys! And I have quite a bit more LA content coming :)

I thought the CTA Blue Line was 24/7!!!🙄

@Thom-TRA

Жыл бұрын

“24/7”

@kevinb8881

Жыл бұрын

@@Thom-TRA Ok

It's always amusing how people from elsewhere place way more importance on DTLA than those of us who live in the area actually do.

@Thom-TRA

Жыл бұрын

Well I had to take a train and the train leaves from DTLA

@nbroverman

Жыл бұрын

It is important as a business, entertainment, and cultural center, but yes--many fliers into LAX are heading to Santa Monica, Century City, Hollywood, and Anaheim.

@AutonomyCentral

2 ай бұрын

​​@@nbrovermanMost of which are easily accessible from Union Station in DTLA

I took Flyaway and basically that's your only option. It's not amazing but it's a lot better than most areas. Unless you want to catch a cab or Uber Flyaway is the best deal and available every half hour or so. Problem is Van nuys is a lot more frequent than LAX. I think they will build a metro connection soon.

@Thom-TRA

Жыл бұрын

Pretty sad when a $10, half-hourly bus to just two locations is an airport’s best option…

I thought the El was frequent in Chicago. I can't speak for US made buses but Volvo Van Hool or Volvo Designline are my favourites but the latter is only found in the Pacific market. You need USB outlets as many users will be international arrivals with European Two Pins, Australia Pacific Three pin or GB/IRL/CY/M/IND/PK and East Africa Three pin plugs. Does the Supershuttle minibus service to places like Anaheim, Long Beach and Santa Monica. As for Airport transit in Plymouth well the existence of an hourly rail service to London taking 3hr to 4hrs and connecting at Reading for a Train to London Gatwick and a RailAir Coach to London Heathrow or a change at London Paddington to the Heathrow Express or Elizabeth Line meant the airport closed in Plymouth and now everyone mostly travels by train to London for the vast range of flights.

@Thom-TRA

Жыл бұрын

The L unfortunately is almost never very frequent… at least, I don’t consider 15 minute headways frequent for a city of 3 million. Could be worse though, my brother just went to Atlanta and said he had to wait 24 minutes at the airport for a subway train…

Wait , don’t they have one taking you to Hollywood & Vine

@Thom-TRA

Жыл бұрын

Not anymore

Looks like luck was not on your side

@Thom-TRA

Жыл бұрын

You mean for the return trip?

@history_leisure

Жыл бұрын

@@Thom-TRA well you need to take a Lyft to both O’hare and back to LAX

Surprised by your comments. Under $10 is too much for the Flyaway trip? I know of nothing cheaper. Do you? This thing runs every 30 mins, day and night (except in the wee hours). Not frequent enough for you? I live much closer to BUR, but the Flyaway makes LAX much more convenient. Frankly, methinks you got jinxed by flying Spirit. Flew with them 3x, and it ruined my day every time. Never again.

@Thom-TRA

Жыл бұрын

10 dollars for a trip that’s a half hour long, on a bus using public roadways, is sheer highway robbery. Doesn’t matter if there are no cheaper alternatives. And waiting 29 minutes is a long time if you’ve arrived at the airport and you need to get where you need to be. I can’t really think of any other serious Airport connection that runs that infrequently, most will run every 10 minutes. Just my thoughts though. It is a very convenient service.

@stevenhutson871

Жыл бұрын

@@Thom-TRA The Flyaway means that I don't have to drive and fight traffic. I don't need to beg a friend to give me a ride. I don't have to pay for airport parking. I walk outside from the baggage claim, and my ride is there. Are you aware of a better (or cheaper) option in LA?

@Thom-TRA

Жыл бұрын

@@stevenhutson871 the world is larger than LA. I am aware of countless cheaper and better options around the world. My criticism is that Los Angeles does airport connections incredibly poorly, if Flyaway is the best it has to offer.

@stevenhutson871

Жыл бұрын

@@Thom-TRA Agreed, the ground transport options to and from LAX are very limited and mostly lousy. The state took 40 years to build a new freeway with a direct connection to the terminal, and then stopped about a half-mile short. In the meantime, what would you suggest as a better option, to get there from downtown or Van Nuys?

@Acevolt

4 ай бұрын

The cheapest option from LAX would be to take the Lot G shuttle bus to the Metro C line to the Metro A line. That would cost $1.75.