taxi or uber from LAX - very tight schedule for funeral

February 12, 2016 8:14 AM

I got very short notice for a funeral. I can fly into LAX tomorrow, Saturday, and arrive 11:45 am. The service is at the USC Campus chapel and starts at 2 pm I've been told this may not be enough time.

What is most likely to get me there on time - Uber or a taxi? I am not sure why I think it might matter, but where better to ask than here?

I am not familiar with LA or LAX, but I am studying the terminal map
I am flying Southwest, terminal 1

posted by egk to Travel & Transportation around Los Angeles, CA (15 answers total)

Arrive 11:45? You'll clear the terminal by 12:15, at the latest. PLENTY of time to get to USC from LAX on a Saturday.
posted by notyou at 8:24 AM on February 12, 2016 [2 favorites]

You have enough time. I have no thoughts on Uber or taxi, but in general, Uber comes much faster than a taxi in LA. If there's a taxi stand at LAX (I've never looked for one!) that is fastest. But the hotels where taxis hang out are right outside the LAX entrance, so I imagine sorting a car is easy?

I'm sure 1 hour is PLENTY of time to get from LAX to USC, but now I'm going to check routes because you've made me paranoid...
posted by jbenben at 8:24 AM on February 12, 2016

You'll be fine either way as long as your flight is on time and there's not an unexpectedly catastrophic incident on the freeway.
posted by something something at 8:25 AM on February 12, 2016

Is there something going on in LA on Saturday that I don't know about? Are you checking like 15 bags? Because I can't imagine how you don't have PLENTY of time to get there.

Taxi will be faster to get from LAX because you just walk up to the taxi stand (available at every terminal) and get in the first one. But probably more expensive.

For anything else uber is probably faster to get but taxi is ready and waiting at LAX.
posted by magnetsphere at 8:26 AM on February 12, 2016 [1 favorite]

It might be a wash for which is faster.

It's been a bit of a battle to allow Uber pickups at LAX, but they just started allowing UberX and UberXL at the end of January, but taxis obviously have dedicated taxi stands and I'm guessing they do petty things like box out identifiable Uber cars. So pickup will be faster for a taxi.

But on the other hand, with Uber you can input the address and don't have to worry about the cab driver knowing the USC area, so it'll probably be faster on the drop off end.

But I agree with other posters that you should be fine on time. President Obama flies out of LA to Palm Springs today, so there shouldn't be any road closures or delays due to that.
posted by bluecore at 8:29 AM on February 12, 2016

You should have enough time (assuming you don't have a ton of checked baggage), but I don't think the difference between a taxi or a ride-hail service is going to mean much. That said, Uber has just (as in, a couple weeks ago) been allowed to start picking up passengers around LAX, ending Lyft's exclusive contract with the airport. This means that an Uber driver may or may not yet be familiar with the pick up protocol around the airport, and cell service can be spotty on the lower level, but I still think you'll be totally fine.
posted by Diagonalize at 8:29 AM on February 12, 2016

Agreeing taxi. They are lined up at every terminal, and as this isn't a major holiday, and there's no big weather situation happening, you will be in a taxi 30 seconds after exiting the terminal.
posted by BlahLaLa at 8:30 AM on February 12, 2016

Response by poster: whew, ok. I don't know why they told me that was tight. But anybody has more info with LA than I do. thank you
posted by egk at 8:31 AM on February 12, 2016 [1 favorite]

It would be tight if they were imagining you were going somewhere first to change before the funeral, but if you're going straight from the airport, there should be enough time.
posted by Diagonalize at 8:35 AM on February 12, 2016

Best answer: LAX baggage return is pretty slow in Terminal 1. So do not check a bag, it could cost you 45 minutes. But it you are just walking out and grabbing a cab you should be all right.
posted by SLC Mom at 9:00 AM on February 12, 2016 [3 favorites]

Tomorrow (2/13), there will be street closures and congestion around the campus because of the US Olympic Marathon Trials. Runners should be clear of the campus by 1 pm, though there will be some street closure till 2 pm. You should be okay.
posted by mogget at 9:10 AM on February 12, 2016 [2 favorites]

Definitely agree - do not check a bag and you should be fine.
posted by visual mechanic at 9:11 AM on February 12, 2016

There are a ton of events in LA this weekend (Olympic Marathon trials then LA Marathon then Grammys), so maybe that's why they thought it would be a tight timeline? Even so, barring some horrible freeway catastrophe, an hour on a Saturday afternoon should be plenty of time, if you're not making any stops along the way and you're not throwing yourself on the mercy of the baggage return. Taxi's probably your fastest/least stress option in terms of quickly getting out of the terminal and on your way.
posted by yasaman at 10:42 AM on February 12, 2016

^This is definitively not true and is a slur on the good timely people of the great City of Los Angeles.
posted by SLC Mom at 12:27 PM on February 12, 2016 [3 favorites]

I take taxis from LAX all the time, its easy/fast. Every terminal has a taxi stand area, usually with a big line of taxis waiting (depends a bit on how busy airport is). This will be your easiest/best bet.

(I've never taken Uber anywhere, so I can't compare, but I think trying to coordinate where to meet the Uber would be more work than just going to a well-labeled taxi stand at an unfamiliar airport)
posted by thefoxgod at 3:53 PM on February 12, 2016