V-Flyer

Going to SFO in a couple of months.

Will be short of gold by a couple of TP points (and this is after already doing it as a four flight trip)

Looking to do a VX or DL from SFO to LAX (looks to be shortest route)

Anyone with any experience of doing a turn around at LAX?

How much time to allow?

Any other nearby airports that might make it easier?

In theory it's easy as there's a good chance both flights will operate from the same gate area so it's as simple as disembarking one plane straight into the gate area and boarding the next (maybe even the same plane). It's not like LHR or LGW where arrivals are separated from departures and you have to reclear security.

VX domestic flights all use T3 so that should be a piece of cake. With DL the only snag is they use both T5 & T6 so if you're unlucky you'll arrive in one and depart from the other. It's no big deal - they're connected airside - but it could involve a 15 minute walk which could scupper a really tight connection. You should be fine though.

Are you flying VS to London? If so, DL use t5 for the sfo lax flight and VS use T2( see http://www.stunningplace.com/lax-intern ... rminal-map). You would have to change terminals at LAX(there is no airside route) and clear security at T2. Last time I went through(9/15), VS had no priority security channel at T2. Also, DL SFO-LAX flights have a very poor on time record, they seem to be the easiest to cut or delay when either SFO or LAX has weather issues. If you want to fly DL, suggest you look at OAK to LAX, ontime record is much much better. It takes about 15 mins to walk from T5 to T2, there is a shuttle bus but it can take up to 45mins.

tonty is flying VS into/out of SFO, not LAX, so needs a short domestic round trip out of SFO.

Which, with DL, means LAX or at a push Seattle or Salt Lake.

A few more options with VX - Portland, Vegas or San Diego.

Thanks gumshoe - that's what I wasn't certain about - if I could just get off and get on again as a back-to-back and not having to re-clear security

Might not work for you, but another TP accumulation strategy is to fly lhr-lax-oak-lax-lhr. lhr-lax on VS lax-oak on DL. In paid UC you get 16TP for the rt. Usually no more expensive than lhr-sfo-lhr to buy, and often considerably cheaper as OAK works a bit like the DUB trick.

Buy a DL F class LAX-SFO. It will cost you about GBP150 each way but gets you 3 TP each way. That is by far the cheapest and quickest way to get TP's. Flight takes about 90b mins each day.

Tonty- I presume you have already factored in the extra tps from the summer bonus tp promotion? I'm sure you'll have seen it but just in case!

mrsw wrote:Tonty- I presume you have already factored in the extra tps from the summer bonus tp promotion? I'm sure you'll have seen it but just in case!

Have only just seen it. I need to check the flight numbers are included in the offer.

I've read the T&Cs but can't see if it says it has to be booked on VS (or the DL) website or just have the right flight numbers. I'm doing an ex-eu as well just to over complicate things!

As long as it has the right flight number, and most TATL routes (if not all) appear to be included. Z fares seem to qualify also:D