Long LAX Layovers: Don’t do them

I usually don’t mind layovers. There’s something exciting to me about being in an airport surrounded by people coming and going from all over. Better yet, layovers that are more than a few hours long let you go out an explore a new destination.

Unfortunately, that’s not true at Los Angeles International Airport in California, USA. At least if you have a checked bag.

My flight to Wellington from Baltimore was all on the same booking and with partner airlines. However, I had to pick up my bags in LAX because I had a 12 hour layover. No big deal, I thought; I’ll either check my bags through to my next flight or pay to drop them off somewhere.

Unfortunately, I ended up doing neither because I’m moving on a budget and well, I don’t have $100 laying around.

But in case you want to know what your options are with baggage at LAX, here they are

1. Check your bags through to your destination 

This may be harder than it sounds, especially flying internationally at LAX because the ticketing counters in the Tom Bradley International Terminal change. That means, if you’re flying a smaller airline (like Fiji Airways, in my case) there may not be an assigned counter when you arrive because there are no scheduled flights. Furthermore, some airlines won’t take your baggage until a certain time.

2. Pay a company to watch your baggage offsite

There are no lockers at the airport for security reasons in our post-9/11 world. All are at least a mile away, but you do have options:

• LAX Luggage Storage: I almost used this company because of it’s sheer convenience. For $5 per bag LAX Luggage Storage will pick up your bags from the airport, and for another $5 per bag you can have them drop it off as well. This doesn’t include gratuity or the price of storage (around $10 a day per bag.)

• LAX 24/7 Locker Rentals: This option is far more affordable, but be advised it is quite a walk if you’re one person with 3 bags. For a maximum of $24 a day, you can rent a large locker which can fit your full-sized checked bag and likely another small item. If you need more than that you’ll have to pay for another locker, and walk those suckers to and from the airport

3. Rent a car 

Honestly, this may be your best option. For about $45 a day you can rent a car and drive it to the sites you want to see. And it comes with a storage option: your trunk. The only downside to this is traffic and the price of parking (if you can find it.)If you do choose to use a baggage drop off, remember that doesn’t include your transportation, and most of what you want to see is at least a $10 Lyft ride each way. However, there is an In & Out near the airport so, you could always do that.

As for me, a nice family flying our gave me one of the sodas they couldn’t take through security, so at least that is a win.

Now, if I had been able to get my hands on a Nintendo Switch, getting stuck at the airport wouldn’t be a problem.