We are flying to Tahiti on the 1P.M ATN flight out of LAX two days before our PG Cruise. Our first flight is on a commuter flight from Ashland, Oregon arriving at LAX around 9a.m. My question is: should we check our luggage thru to Papeete or just to LAX, pick it up and take it with us for checkin at ATN? We have plenty of time to do this. I have read comments from TA's suggesting this. What are you doing? Especially all you PIPsters! Thanks for the imput. Jeanine

It's been a while, but I don't believe we were allowed to check our luggage thru from PHX. They have free luggage carts at LAX, so it's no big problem to cart your luggage over to the Bradley terminal and ATN. The Bradley terminal has lots of eating places. I could be wrong on this, because we were allowed to check our luggage thru to Singapore in March. I do know that we did not check thru going to Papeete though.

Doug,

I am not sure where you got a "free" luggage cart. I have never seen them at LAX, which is my home airport. They have the Smarte Carte rentals which are $3.00, I believe.

That's strange; we've always been able to get a free one. At any rate, 3 bucks is no big deal. The first time we did it, we wheeled our bags(4 large ones) from Terminal 1 to the Bradley terminal without a cart. Lynn was not a happy camper.

Most of the time you can find the luggage carts in the parking lots or in the terminal itself, just for the taking. :D

You can check your luggage all the way through in most cases. I used to advise against this though as for some reason it gets lost constantly. Now the lines can be so long at LAX to get your bags xrayed I am thinking it may be wiser to check it through.

So the choices (a) check it through less hassle but you may lose your bags and not get them until Raitea or even Bora Bora. (b) pick up your bags and be prepared for LONG lines to get the bags xrayed and be SURE you have enough time to go through the process.

Kathy: I want to know where to find the free luggaage carts - we go to LA 3-4 times a yr - always pay but, again, no big deal - joanna

Ngaire:

What do you recommend for our 15 hour layover before flying AF? Should we collect our bags in LA and recheck or check them all the way through form Orlando?

thanks,

I have never paid for the carts. Just keep your eyes peeled. :D

Your call Marc, choice (a) ease of checking through but risk of losing bags (b) long lines and hassle but your bags will make it.

I am going into LAX the night before so I am going to only check into LAX as I had too long a layover to check all the way through anyway. We have always done that. The lines are now just longer at LAX so it causes me to rethink that advice I have always given in the past.

Ngaire, with 5 hours between flights, should I collect luggage at LAX and check it in at ATN?
Jeanine

You have the time to collect it and then check in with Air Tahiti that is for sure so if you dont mind the hassle it may be worth it to be sure you get your bags. Any less than 2 hours time it may be pushing it to make it through the system to catch the plane. Lines can vary so much from one time to another you just never know.

Didn't find the Bradley terminal baggage checkin lines that bad at LAX for ATN. As I remember, it was not more than 20 minutes. If you're working with a partner airline to LAX prior to the ATN or AF flight to Tahiti, then checking thru is probably OK. If not, I'd re-check it. We checked all the way thru from PHX-Singapore, but we flew Delta from PHX to LAX and they are a partner with Singapore Airlines. We have never had a problem with baggage on any airline, but we use RSSC air for all cruises, never use curbside checkin, and watch our bags on all trips until they go on the baggage conveyor belt to the airplane. We don't just leave them at the security machine, as many folks do.

Doug, I always watch my bags until I see them go out of sight to the plane.

In New York at JFK, they TSA man got MAD because I stood over to the side watching and followed my baggage until after he inspected it and gave it back to the airline personnel to put on the conveyor to the plane. They did not allow you to be with your luggage as they do at LAX during inspections.

Kathy, the airport people at the Tahiti airport were very rude to the Americans going home last year. They went digging, I mean digging all in our luggage. They made us take off our hats and shoes, then stopped us a couple times more before we got on the plane. ( I know our safety is the most important) They even took out the money in my husbands wallet. :mad: Our luggage ended up topsy turvy (sp?) Maybe we all looked suspecious or something, or maybe they were just having a bad day. I have heard of this happening to many other people. I think just comply with everything they want and smile :D Have a great Cruise

Yes, I agree that Tahiti airport will not be the highlight of this trip! We all just have to be patient, and smile. This is true in both directions--getting through Customs and Immigration can be verrry slow.

Here are my tips for bearing with the Tahiti
Airport...if you are on a pre cruise--bring shorts/short sleeve shirt to change in before you land..when we landed in March I perspired profusely until we got to the IBC (even then the rooms were poorly a/c)..for departure and to beat the crowds at the airport take your luggage and recruit another couple or two and take at taxi well before (e.g. an hour) the bus (provided by tahiti nui travel) is scheduled to depart the IBC or Le Meridian or Radisson...we left the IBC at 5:30 and it took us three hours to get up to the ticket window (I had to wear a headband to deal with the humidity and I wasn't even joggin or playing tennis) Getting though the security luggage checkpoints can be brutal as posted above, but as luck would have it, we were not checked....bring some bottled water to hydrate and bring patience...r/wes

We also come in the night before. How close to the airport is the hotel room that Raddison books, and how much time do you need to get to the airport for check in to ATN?
Thanks
John

John, if you mean coming into LA the night before, it will be the airport Hilton. As I remember, it's only a few minutes from the airport. A transfer is included, but I can't remember how that works, whether it's just a ticket on the hotel shuttle, or what. If so, you have to add a few minutes, you never know how many stops it will make before you arrive at Tom Bradley.

Radisson gave us the overnight at the LAX Hilton last year (and again this June). After we had retrieved our luggage we went out to where all the shuttles pick up passengers. After waiting more than ten minutes and seeing none from the Hilton but many others (some multiple times) I went back inside and found the bank of phones to the Hotels. I called the Hilton, told them we were waiting and they sent their van right over. We had our vouchers in hand but they were never collected. In the morning they advised that we should leave by 10 am. We were ready and left around 9:30 am and were at our terminal within a few minutes.

The HIlton has good shuttle service and it's less than a mile or so from the entrance to LAX. I'd allow about 1/2 hour because LAX traffic can be like all traffic in LA - AWFUL. You do need to call for the van from the airport on the courtesy phone in baggage claim or get the phone number of the hotel and call on your cell phone. It's free to hotel and parking guests. Sometimes the courtesy phones are not easy to see from the baggage claim area.

LAX is sort of Horseshoe shaped and the Tom Bradley Internatonal terminal would be right in the middle of the U and parking (short term) and the Encounter Restaurant are in the middle area.

Our experience this past February echos what both Kathys have said. We used the courtesy phone to call the hotel and the shuttle was there within 10 minutes I'm sure. Our vouchers were never collected. When you check in, make sure you receive your vouchers for breakfast/brunch or whatever is included. We didn't realize we would need an actual piece of paper to give to the staff at the hotel restaurant and it just took a little extra time for me to go back to the desk and get the necessary vouchers after we had all sat down for breakfast. Maybe we just had inexperienced check-in staff, who knows.
Jacki

Wes, we are hoping to avoid your PPT airport experiences by using AF. We arrive at 0520 and depart at 0830; before the heat sets in.

Also, looks like less flights in am so hopefully shorter lines.

marc, perfect plan, you cruise veteran you...and
Jacki--good advice too..r/wes

Wes, I said we are "hoping" to avoid problems. Not a cruise veteran here; will let folks know how AF worked after we get back.

Marc

Let me clarify about the breakfast vouchers--I'm talking about needing them at the LAX Hilton. We just gave our room # to the service staff at the IBC in Papeete, no paper vouchers needed there.
Jacki