Busy 24+ Hours

Above, the Van Nuys Flyaway station. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Tomorrow's the day that the purchase of the home in Jamestown, New Mexico closes.

I have to put on a 24-hour hold on packing to fly to Albuquerque tonight, pick up a rental car and then drive the 125 miles to Gallup. I have a car reserved (and paid for) at the Albuquerque (much thanks to "Mustang Susie") Airport. Then, I have to find a motel room.

I am going to be rather busy once I get there. In the morning, I have to make sure that power is turned on so that I can use the electric heater in The Beast during the time I am waiting for the movers to bring my stuff. I bought a 30 amp extension cord for The Beast the other day at Niel's RV in North Hills.

Above, my new kitchen.

Following that, we will be making a final walk-through of the house to make sure everything's in order. Then, in the afternoon, the papers will be signed and the final payment is made.

Once that's all done, it is a drive back to the Albuquerque Airport to return the rental car and then catch my flight back to Los Angeles.

Above, the kitchen dining area.

Before I even head to LAX today, I have a dinner (more of a lunch) to attend. It is the annual FIDDC dinner. Last year, we held it at the Tilted Kilt Pub & Eatery in Northridge. We'd be back there again, but some jackass decided to set fire to the place and it is not reopening. So, we will be at Lulu's Restaurant in Van Nuys. This works out great for me as it is not too far from the Van Nuys Flyaway station. There, I will catch a bus to LAX.

It is currently 31° in Jamestown. It will get down into the teens tonight. Brrr!

TSA Fiasco Is Causing Major Lines At Airports

Above, the Van Nuys to LAX Flyaway bus. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

There's one thing about the upcoming Hawaii trip that I am not looking forward to: the long lines at the TSA security checkpoint. I have reported on this before, but apparently the problem is getting worse with long lines going out of air terminals to the sidewalks and other concourses at some airports. This fiasco is causing hundreds of travelers to miss their flights.

According to an article in the New York Times:

Security lines at airports are getting longer — much longer — and wait times could reach epidemic levels when air travel peaks this summer, according to airlines, airports and federal officials. 

A combination of fewer Transportation Security Administration screeners, tighter budgets, new checkpoint procedures and growing numbers of passengers is already creating a mess at airports around the country. 

While federal security officials say they are hiring and training hundreds of additional screening officers, matters are not expected to improve anytime soon.

Since the article recommends getting to the airport at least two hours before the departure time, we will be heading to the Flyaway bus terminal in Van Nuys an hour and a half before. The morning traffic down the I-405 to LAX is horrendous in the morning.

If it turns out that our security screening process goes fast and smooth, we can always kick back in the terminal and have breakfast.

I remember the "good ol' days" in L.A. when there were helicopter shuttles to LAX from downtown until the choppers started crashing.

To read more, go here.

Today's The Day!

Above, the Van Nuys Flyaway bus at LAX. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Today's the day that I pick up my new toy.

My taxi will be here in a half hour to take me over to the Van Nuys Flyaway for the bus ride to Los Angeles International Airport to take a one-hour flight (actually, more like 45 minutes) to San Diego. There, the dealer will pick me up from the airport to take me to the dealership.

At the dealership, all the paperwork will be signed and the cashier's check handed over. After this, they will give me a detailed walk-through of the motorhome to show me all the features and how to operate them.

Fortuately, I had a Gulf Stream motorhome 25 years ago, so I know the basics on motorhome operations.

As I did when I bought the Gulf Stream, I will video the walk-through so I have it for future reference.

Above, the new toy.

Once I am done with the walk-through, I will be doing some shopping for items for use in the new motorhome. I have some camping equipment items, but there are some I still need to get.

After all this, I will be driving back to L.A. En route, I will make a stop in Mission Viejo (which is on the way to L.A., just off Interstate 5) to visit my aunt and cousins. I haven't been there in a while, so this will be a good opportunity to pay a visit.

It will be interesting to see the changes along the coastal route of Interstate 5. I haven't been there for several years.

Should be a fun day!

Santa Monica Flyaway Bus Service Starts Tomorrow

Above, a Van Nuys Flyaway bus at LAX. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

One of the most convenient things the City of Los Angeles has is the Flyaway bus system.

The Flyaway is a low-cost bus service that takes travelers from Van Nuys, Westwood, Union Station, Expo/La Brea to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). I use the Flyaway bus service out of Van Nuys.

Starting tomorrow, the Flyaway bus service will take people from Santa Monica to LAX.

CBS-Los Angeles reported:

SANTA MONICA (CBSLA.com) — The city of Santa Monica Monday announced a new, low-cost bus service providing transportation directly to LAX. 

The FlyAway shuttle will begin hourly operation Tuesday. Buses will run from 5:45 a.m. to 11:45 p.m. daily, including weekends and holidays. 

Buses will depart from LAX and the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, 1875 Main Street, 15 minutes before each hour. 

“The new FlyAway bus service will give Westsiders a convenient and cost-effective way to get to and from LAX,” said Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti. 

A one-way fare is $8, with children five years and under free.

I have found the Van Nuys Flyaway very convenient as I can leave my car at the Flyaway parking structure for only a few dollars a day and be taken to and from LAX in a comfortable bus.

To read more, go here. 

LAX Construction and Inconveniences

Above, the Van Nuys Flyaway bus gets me to LAX cheaply and hassle-free. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) has been undergoing some construction projects lately, and more are coming.

Condé Nast Traveler has an article detailing the renovations that the airport will be undergoing. They say that LAX is not one of the easiest airports to navigate and will get much worse. Fortunately for me, I am very familiar with LAX. As a teen, I spent time riding around the LAX terminals on bikes with friends (you can't do that anymore) and we hung out inside the gate areas watching planes (you can't do that either). These were the days before the airport added the top deck (before the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics) and September 11. We all lived fairly close to the airport (at least within biking distance).

I don't even bother driving to LAX from the Valley. I use the convenient (and inexpensive) Flyaway bus service from Van Nuys to LAX. This saves me from having parking headaches. They also have bus service to LAX from Downtown Los Angeles (Union Station) and Westwood.

Anyway, back to the article.

Condé Nast wrote:

How many of you like flying to, from, or through Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)? Anyone? That’s what I thought. 

It’s true that LAX isn’t considered the easiest airport to navigate, but it’s about to get a lot worse. The airport has been under construction for years, but the construction is moving to a phase that will have a greater impact on travelers. How is LAX dealing with this? By launching a new ad campaign. 

Yep, that’s right. The previous campaign, LAneXt, talked all about the $4.1 billion in improvements and ongoing projects: the new Tom Bradley International Terminal concourse (now serving caviar cocktails), major renovations, etc. And now, it appears they need a new campaign to tell people just how much traveling through LAX will be miserable in the short term. It’s called LAX Is Happening. 

Now, I’m not opposed to the campaign itself. It's all about providing details about which construction projects are happening when, and how to make airport travel suck just a little bit less. But I really don't get the slogan’s relevance at all. 

The point is this: If you’re flying into, out of, or through LAX, you should be aware of what’s going on. There are three big projects that are going to make things messy right now.

To see what the three big projects are, go here. 

Los Angeles Flyaway Expansion

Since I reside in the Los Angeles area, whenever I fly to somewhere out of Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), I make use of the Flyaway bus shuttle service.

The Flyaway I use is the Van Nuys Flyaway.  The rates for the round-trip bus from Van Nuys and LAX is very reasonable as is the daily parking rate in the enclosed parking structure.

There's good news for travelers who live near the La Brea Station of Metro Rail's Exposition Line.

The Flyaway has expanded to include shuttle buses from the La Brea Station to LAX.  Flyaway buses bound for the airport leave La Brea Station every two hours between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m.  The return trip leaves Terminal 1 every two hours between 7:00 a.m. and 11 p.m.  Introductory one-way fares cost $6.00 each way (the price will increase in January by $1.00).

 

For more information, call (866) 435-9529 or www.lat.ms/1402VN6.

Van Nuys Flyaway: Convenient and Cheap

Photo: City-Data.com

Back in the days when I lived in the South Bay area of Los Angeles County, whenever I had to fly somewhere, I would either take a taxi or have someone drop me off at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).  Since I moved to the San Fernando Valley, there's a service that I have found to be very convenient.

It is the Van Nuys Flyaway.

The Van Nuys Flyaway is a bus service from Van Nuys to LAX.  It costs only $7.00 (but it is going up to $8.00 in July) to be bused from the San Fernando Valley to LAX.  Additionally, one can park their car at the Flyaway's long-term parking structure for only $4.00 per 24 hours.

Map: Van Nuys Flyaway.

Starting at 4:30 a.m., buses leave the Flyaway terminal every fifteen minutes.  At the terminal, your luggage is tagged for the different airline terminals.  When a traveler returns to LAX from their trip, the Flyaway buses can be found at stops in the lower level bus stops.

The Van Nuys Flyaway has a nice, modern terminal building.  I remember the days when the Flyaway was basically a driveway alongside a tiny white building (about the size of a small house).  Even though the Flyaway is in a modern facility, at least it is still convenient to use and cheap.

For more on the Van Nuys Flyaway, go here.