LAX - 7 hour layover - ideas?

Hi all,

I've got a 7 hour layover in LAX at the end of this week, and wondered what people would recommend to do to kill some of the time? I'm arriving on AA at 10.30am, and leaving on VS8 at 5.30. Bags will be checked through, thankfully (hopefully!).

From what I remember, terminal 2 is pretty poor - Burger King & that's it - and the ANZ lounge doesn't open until 1pm, so I don't see much point in heading through before then. So I am open to suggestions!

From searching the forums, I've come up with the following:

* In n' Out
* The Encounter
* TBIT (the bits open to the public, which seem to be the reLAX lounge and the food court)
* a beach (Venice? Manhattan?)

I've never visited any of them; anyone got any experiences, and which would they recommend as the best place to while away an hour or three?

For example, I'm sure the In n' Out is lovely, but I guess I'd find it difficult to spend several hours there (or more precisely, I'd be worried if I'd still fit into my seat after spending several hours there...!).

The other option seems to be to trek down to Venice beach or something (Hollywood etc being too far away); I've never been, but I am not really a beach person and a little unsure if I want to heft my hand luggage (v heavy laptop!) all the way down there...

Any help appreciated

Cheers

Drew

Will you actually have that much time to play with?
Venice Beach has IMHO become a bit of a dive (and I've been there twice in the past 6 months) full of hobos, beggars and touts trying to sell "substances" to cure all known physical ailments. Santa Monica Beach is a much nicer beach and nicer to walk about generally.
How will you travel? Cab?
DL

You'd probably make down town in that time. Venice is also worth a visit if you've never been.

Be careful with your check in for the VS flight as the queues there and at security can get very long sometimes!

Also had a feeling baggage wasn't checked through LAX for international flights?

W.

Are you in UC or do you have access to the ANZ lounge?

Really, if you arrive at 10.30 am and given delays and that the AA is T6 or something at LAX, I'd got to Encounter for lunch or brunch then simply have a leisurely time in the ANZ lounge, which is fine, at least a fine way to spend several hours.

Seven hours is not so long.

I'm with Slinky on this one, ANZ lounge is a nice enough place to while away a few hours, (and some nice NZ wines:) ). Shame you haven't got a little bit more time otherwise i'd recommend the Queen Mary as a rather appropriate place to visit before your trip across the pond.

[Scrooge]

I would jump into a cab and hit in'n'out, then head for the NZ lounge.

The 405 can be murder so down town reals (when combined with checking in etc ) may be out of reach.

Also, as far as I know you have to recheck your luggage going from AA to VS.

Also, as far as I know you have to recheck your luggage going from AA to VS.

And if that is the case you will have to wait until 1.30 for the VS desks to open (website says desks open 4 hrs prior to departure) so that might impinge on your plans.

I would jump into a cab and hit in'n'out, then head for the NZ lounge.

The 405 can be murder so down town reals (when combined with checking in etc ) may be out of reach.

Also, as far as I know you have to recheck your luggage going from AA to VS.

I had to re check my luggage when I flew AA and VS in April.

Thanks all for your advice; I think that with a (realistic) 4 hours to kill, I'll head to the Encounter or In 'N Out and grab some decent food and people watch; I'd be too paranoid about traffic to enjoy myself any further out. If I remember, the ANZ lounge served cold-cuts only last time I went, so a hot brunch sounds like a plan.

And of course if my bag can't be checked through then all bets are off anyway - but I am on a single PNR (with the ticket issued by VS) so fingers crossed. I've managed it before with Vegas, SFO and JFK (first sector on Delta or United though) - out of interest, why is LAX/AA particularly difficult about this?

I'll report back next week if anyone is interested!

Thanks again

Drew

If you're on a single PNR you're bags will be checked through to LHR. We flew Tampa - JFK - LHR with AA/VS and our bags went straight through.