Flyaway Bus LAX: Cheapest Transportation From LAX Airport
Flyaway Bus LAX is your cheapest option from LAX to Hollywood. The LAX Flyway Bus costs $10 or less depending on your destination (there are LAX Fly Away destinations.
Getting around Los Angeles is difficult without a car. To get from LAX airport to Hollywood, Long Beach, Westwood, Union Station or Van Nuys is super easy and cheap with the LAX Flyaway bus.
If you are boarding the LAX FlyAway Bus at LAX, you DO NOT NEED a ticket to board. They don't sell tickets at LAX. You have to buy the tickets from kiosks at the LAX FlyAway Terminals. Since they have 4 destinations, it would be one of these:
You can board the LAX Fly Away Bus from every Arrivals Terminal at LAX. That means there's a bus stop at the arrivals level at Terminal 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and at Tom Bradley International Terminal (TBIT).
As of 2020, they have changed the boarding locations and you can find the boarding area on the sidewalk closest to the terminal departure areas. There are plenty of signs and it's easy to find. Additionally, they have stopped services for the Westwood FlyAway bus.
If you're using the LAX FlyAway to get to LAX, remember to check if you have the right bag when getting off the bus. I had ended up in a nightmare situation when the LAX Flyaway gave me the wrong bag.
Flyaway LAX Bus Cost
Flyaway LAX Bus Prices depend on the destination. These are the following LAX FlyAway Bus Routes that run in both directions. One-way prices are:
- Hollywood to LAX <-> LAX To Hollywood $8
- Union Station to LAX <-> LAX To Union Station $9
- Long Beach to LAX <-> LAX To Long Beach $9.75
- Van Nuys to LAX <-> LAX To Van Nuys $9.75
- Westwood to LAX <-> LAX To Westwood $10
Kids under the age of 5 are free, but it's conditional. For each paying adult, there can be up to 2 free kid tickets (under the age of 5) when using the Flyaway Bus LAX.
All sales are final (no refunds) and LAX Flyaway Bus tickets expire 30 days after they are purchased.
LAX FlyAway Bus Routes are limited to/from these 5 destinations: Hollywood, Union Station, Long Beach, Van Nuys and Westwood.
LAX FlyAway Bus Van Nuys
Flyaway LAX Bus Prices for Roundtrip Tickets
Flyaway LAX Bus Cost for round trip tickets are the same price as 2 one-way tickets. Technically, those LAX Flyaway bus tickets are worse because they expire in 30 days. It's easier to just buy a one-way ticket whenever you need to use the Flyaway bus LAX.
Credit Cards Only For LAX FlyAway Tickets (And solutions)
Weird, right? You need a credit card to officially buy a ticket for the LAX flyaway bus. Don't worry though, you can indirectly use cash
But, there are three ways to buy a LAX Shuttle tickets:
1. From The LAX FlyAway Terminal Kiosks
You can buy LAX FlyAway Bus Tickets from Kiosks at the station terminals. Buying tickets at LAX is not an option. So if you're going from LAX to Hollywood, Union Station, Westwood, Long Beach or Van Nuys, you can board the FlyAway Bus LAX without a ticket.
Most people buy tickets at the kiosk, so if you're bus is crowded expect a wait! Typically there's 4 kiosks to buy tickets with only 1 actually working.
LAX FlyAway Ticket Kiosk
2. Online At the Official FlyAway Ticket Website
For an official website, it doesn't look very official. It works though. Sometimes while on the LAX to Hollywood shuttle, I'll just buy the ticket online so I don't have wait in line at the kiosk
3. You Can Buy A Ticket With Cash From The Help Of A Stranger
You'll need a credit card to buy a ticket for the FlyAway LAX Shuttle Bus. But if you only have cash, your best option is to ask someone for help. Just tell them you don't have a credit card but have cash and need help purchasing a ticket. It happens pretty frequently and I've helped a few people this way too.
LAX Flyaway Ticket Van Nuys
LAX Fly Away Schedule (Every Day)
LAX To Hollywood
The ride from LAX to Hollywood can take 60-90 minutes on average. Starting times are departing from Terminal 1 LAX to Hollywood.
| 5:15 am | 10:15 am | 3:15 pm | 8:15 pm |
| 6:15 am | 11:15 am | 4:15 pm | 9:15 pm |
| 7:15 am | 12:15 pm | 5:15 pm | |
| 8:15 am | 1:15 pm | 6:15 pm | |
| 9:15 am | 2:15 pm | 7:15 pm |
Hollywood To LAX
The ride from Hollywood to LAX can take 60-90 minutes on average. Departing from the Hollywood Bus Stop To LAX every day:
| 6:15 AM | 11:15 AM | 4:15 PM | 9:15 PM |
| 7:15 AM | 12:15 PM | 5:15 PM | 10:15 PM |
| 8:15 AM | 1:15 PM | 6:15 PM | |
| 9:15 AM | 2:15 PM | 7:15 PM | |
| 10:15 AM | 3:15 PM | 8:15 PM |
LAX To Long Beach
The ride from LAX to Long Beach can take 50-70 minutes on average. Starting times are departing from Terminal 1 LAX to Long Beach.
| 5:30 AM | 10:30 AM | 3:30 PM | 8:30 PM |
| 6:30 AM | 11:30 AM | 4:30 PM | 9:30 PM |
| 7:30 AM | 12:30 PM | 5:30 PM | 10:30 PM |
| 8:30 AM | 1:30 PM | 6:30 PM | |
| 9:30 AM | 2:30 PM | 7:30 PM |
Long Beach To LAX
The ride from Long Beach to LAX can take 50-70 minutes on average. Departing from Long Beach Transit Gallery (Shelter A) To LAX every day:
| 5:30 AM | 10:30 AM | 3:30 PM | 8:30 PM |
| 6:30 AM | 11:30 AM | 4:30 PM | 9:30 PM |
| 7:30 AM | 12:30 PM | 5:30 PM | |
| 8:30 AM | 1:30 PM | 6:30 PM | |
| 9:30 AM | 2:30 PM | 7:30 PM |
LAX To Union Station
The ride from LAX to Union station takes 35 minutes on average and can be much longer depending on traffic. Start times are departing from Terminal 1:
| Monday – Sunday | |||
| *12:10 am | 7:40 AM | 1:10 PM | 6:40 PM |
| *12:40 am | 8:10 AM | 1:40 PM | 7:10 PM |
| *1:10 am | 8:40 AM | 2:10 PM | 7:40 PM |
| *2:10 am | 9:10 AM | 2:40 PM | 8:10 PM |
| *3:10 am | 9:40 AM | 3:10 PM | 8:40 PM |
| 4:10 AM | 10:10 AM | 3:40 PM | 9:10 PM |
| 5:10 AM | 10:40 AM | 4:10 PM | 9:40 PM |
| 5:40 AM | 11:10 AM | 4:40 PM | 10:10 PM |
| 6:10 AM | 11:40 AM | 5:10 PM | 10:40 PM |
| 6:40 AM | 12:10 PM | 5:40 PM | 11:10 PM |
| 7:10 AM | 12:40 PM | 6:10 PM | 11:40 PM |
Union Station To LAX
The ride from Union Station to LAX can 35 minutes on average but much longer if there's traffic. Departing from Patsaouras Transit Plaza To LAX every day:
| Depart Union Station - Patsaouras Transit Plaza | |||
| Monday - Friday | |||
| 12:00 AM | 7:10 AM | 12:00 PM | 6:00 PM |
| 12:30 AM | 7:30 AM | 12:30 PM | 6:30 PM |
| 1:00 AM | 7:50 AM | 1:00 PM | 7:00 PM |
| 2:00 AM | 8:10 AM | 1:30 PM | 7:30 PM |
| 3:00 AM | 8:30 AM | 2:00 PM | 8:00 PM |
| 4:00 AM | 8:50 AM | 2:30 PM | 8:30 PM |
| 5:00 AM | 9:10 AM | 3:00 PM | 9:00 PM |
| 5:30 AM | 9:30 AM | 3:30 PM | 9:30 PM |
| 5:50 AM | 10:00 AM | 4:00 PM | 10:00 PM |
| 6:10 AM | 10:30 AM | 4:30 PM | 10:30 PM |
| 6:30 AM | 11:00 AM | 5:00 PM | 11:00 PM |
| 6:50 AM | 11:30 AM | 5:30 PM | 11:30 PM |
| Saturday – Sunday | |||
| 12:00 AM | 7:30 AM | 1:00 PM | 6:30 PM |
| 12:30 AM | 8:00 AM | 1:30 PM | 7:00 PM |
| 1:00 AM | 8:30 AM | 2:00 PM | 7:30 PM |
| 2:00 AM | 9:00 AM | 2:30 PM | 8:00 PM |
| 3:00 AM | 9:30 AM | 3:00 PM | 8:30 PM |
| 4:00 AM | 10:00 AM | 3:30 PM | 9:00 PM |
| 5:00 AM | 10:30 AM | 4:00 PM | 9:30 PM |
| 5:30 AM | 11:00 AM | 4:30 PM | 10:00 PM |
| 6:00 AM | 11:30 AM | 5:00 PM | 10:30 PM |
| 6:30 AM | 12:00 PM | 5:30 PM | 11:00 PM |
| 7:00 AM | 12:30 PM | 6:00 PM | 11:30 PM |
LAX To Van Nuys
The ride from LAX to Van Nuys takes 40 minutes on average and can be much longer depending on traffic. Start times are departing from Terminal 1:
| 12:00 AM | 9:00 AM | 2:00 PM | 7:15 PM |
| 12:15 AM | 9:30 AM | 2:15 PM | 7:30 PM |
| 12:30 AM | 10:00 AM | 2:30 PM | 8:00 PM |
| 1:15 AM | 10:30 AM | 3:00 PM | 8:15 PM |
| 2:15 AM | 11:00 AM | 3:15 PM | 8:30 PM |
| 2:45 AM | 11:15 AM | 3:30 PM | 9:00 PM |
| 3:45 AM | 11:30 AM | 3:45 PM | 9:15 PM |
| 4:15 AM | 11:45 AM | 4:00 PM | 9:30 PM |
| 4:45 AM | 12:00 PM | 4:15 PM | 10:00 PM |
| 5:30 AM | 12:15 PM | 4:30 PM | 10:15 PM |
| 6:00 AM | 12:30 PM | 5:00 PM | 10:30 PM |
| 6:30 AM | 12:45 PM | 5:30 PM | 11:00 PM |
| 7:00 AM | 1:00 PM | 6:00 PM | 11:15 PM |
| 7:30 AM | 1:15 PM | 6:15 PM | 11:30 PM |
| 8:00 AM | 1:30 PM | 6:30 PM | |
| 8:30 AM | 1:45 PM | 7:00 PM |
Van Nuys To LAX
The ride from Van Nuys to LAX can 40 minutes on average but much longer if there's traffic. Departing from Van Nuys FlyAway Terminal To LAX every day:
| 12:00 AM | 6:30 AM | 10:30 AM | 5:30 PM |
| 1:00 AM | 6:45 AM | 11:00 AM | 6:00 PM |
| 2:00 AM | 7:00 AM | 11:30 AM | 6:30 PM |
| 3:00 AM | 7:15 AM | 12:00 PM | 7:00 PM |
| 3:30 AM | 7:30 AM | 12:30 PM | 7:30 PM |
| 4:00 AM | 7:45 AM | 1:00 PM | 8:00 PM |
| 4:30 AM | 8:00 AM | 1:30 PM | 8:30 PM |
| 4:45 AM | 8:15 AM | 2:00 PM | 9:00 PM |
| 5:00 AM | 8:30 AM | 2:30 PM | 9:30 PM |
| 5:15 AM | 8:45 AM | 3:00 PM | 10:00 PM |
| 5:30 AM | 9:00 AM | 3:30 PM | 10:30 PM |
| 5:45 AM | 9:15 AM | 4:00 PM | 11:00 PM |
| 6:00 AM | 9:30 AM | 4:30 PM | 11:30 PM |
| 6:15 AM | 10:00 AM | 5:00 PM |
LAX To Your Destination
The LAX FlyAway shuttle bus is always late. There's a lot of traffic in Los Angeles so timing the arrival of the LAX FlyAway Bus to arrive at LAX can be unpredictable. Sometimes I've waited only 5 minutes and a few times I've waited over an hour. Just be ready to board the bus when it stops!
LAX Flyaway Bus Features
While on your journey from LAX to Hollywood or wherever, you can enjoy these free features on the LAX Fly Away Bus:
- Free Wi-Fi
- Electrical outlets and USB ports
- Air conditioning (vents are on top)
- Area for small luggage above the seat (small backpacks only)
- Reclining Seats
- Foot Rest
How Much To Tip LAX Flyaway Bus Drivers
I honestly don't like tipping, but always tip in the United States because that's the culture. Tipping is still absolutely optional. It really should be reserved for exceptional service.
You're expected to tip in several situations when using the LAX Flyaway Shuttle:
1. Boarding At the LAX Flyaway Bus Station (not at LAX)
If you're wondering how much to tip at the LAX Flyaway baggage handlers, the answer is really $0. I don't like it, but occasionally at the Van Nuys FlyAway Terminal luggage handlers hustling.
They'll say loading your luggage will have a fee of $2-5 depending on the size of the bag. This is a scam. There is no fee. Just say you don't have any cash and you're a tourist.
If they aren't trying to hustle you, an appropriate tip is $1 to handle your luggage. They are just going to toss it under the bus anyway.
2. Disembarking at LAX from the Flyaway Shuttle
When disembarking at LAX airport, the driver stands outside the bus to make sure you get off the bus without any problems and that the ride was satisfactory. This is where you are supposed to tip. $1-3 is typical in this situation.
3. Disembarking at Flyaway Shuttle Station
When disemabarking at an LAX FlyAway Terminal, the driver takes out all your luggage from the FlyAway Bus. He'll then stand around making sure everyone get their luggage without any issues. $1-3 is typical in this situation.
Arriving at the LAX FlyAway Bus Station:
When you first arrive at the Van Nuys Fly Away Bus Station (or any Fly Away Bus Station) there will be plenty of seating, restrooms and vending machines. The Van Nuys Flyaway station is a little different because they are also a parking lot with affordable rates.
1. Buying Tickets For The LA Airport Shuttle
You'll need to purchase a ticket before boarding. LAX Fly Away tickets can only be purchased by credit card. If you have the exact amount in cash, don't be afraid to ask someone for help.
If you see someone buying a ticket with a credit card, just explain to them that you have cash and need help buying 1 ticket. I've been asked several times and have helped every time. This has happened with other people I've seen at the LAX Fly Away station too!
2. Boarding The LAX Fly Away Bus
Boarding the LAX Fly Away Bus With Luggage
As you board, you'll be asked which airline you are flying with. They need this information to determine which terminal to assign your luggage to.
Once you provide the airline information, they will put a tag on your luggage with either a number from 1-7 or the letter "T". The numbers 1-7 indicate which terminal number to unload your luggage. For international flights, they use the letter "T" to indicated "Tom Bradley International Terminal (also known as "TBIT").
Boarding the LAX Fly Away Bus Without Luggage
Get on LAX Fly Away bus and relax! Pick a seat close to the front so you can get off the bus much easier later.
Other LAX Airport Transportation Options
Look for signs that say "LAX it: Taxi - Ride App," which is a shuttle service that takes you to a parking lot with taxi and ride share apps services like Uber and Lyft.
Taxi
LAX taxi rates are going to be very high unless your destination is very close! LAX taxi rates will probably be over $60 just to get you from LAX to Hollywood. If you're going somewhere close to LAX (like Santa Monica), the taxi drivers have a bad attitude. They are looking for fares where they can score over $50 on the ride. I really don't like the taxi system in Los Angeles.
Uber/Lyft at LAX Airport
If you take the LAX it shuttle to the ride sharing lot, you can then just hop in line while requesting your Lyft or Uber at LAX. Your Lyft/Uber app will then provide you a special code that you will need to give to the Uber/Lyft driver when it's you make it to the front of the line. The driver will then confirm the code and your ride will begin!
Uber and Lyft Promos for LAX
You can download the Uber or Lyft app on your phone. Both ride sharing services are available at LAX airport and throughout most of the United States. If it's your first time using Uber or Lyft, you can get a discount using these promo codes:
Lyft: DANIEL11317 (or click link)
Uber: 3x5prsr8ue
Uber Eats: eat-uberblorg
Each of these codes will give you discounts towards your first ride. For Uber Eats, it will give you discounts on your first food order. I like Uber Eats because you can even use it at a hotel. You can get food delivered to your door and you can also scope out what kind of food is available in the area.
How To Get From LAX Airport To Your Destination
LAX is a big city! Public transportation is incredibly weak for the size of the city and LAX taxi rates are unbelievably high. With the rise of rideshare services like Lyft and Uber, getting around Los Angeles has become much more affordable.
The Lost Traveler On The Flyaway Shuttle
When I took the LAX fly away bus to Van Nuys, an elderly Chinese lady got off the same flyaway shuttle with me. She was struggling to ask the LA airport shuttle driver for directions.
I don't know much Chinese, but I stepped in to help anyway. With my Google translate app, I just asked her "Where do you need to go?"
She responded that she was there to visit her family and had a handwritten note of the address. I took a look and it was in Monterey Park. From Van Nuys, that's about an hour drive (if there's no traffic). She absolutely got on the wrong flyaway shuttle.
From The Van Nuys Flyaway Bus Station To Monterey Park
For her situation, she needed to take the flyaway Union Station route and then catch another bus from there. I pulled out Google Maps to see what her public transportation options where.
The easiest option for her to get from Van Nuys to Monterey Park was to actually go back to LAX and then get on the Flyaway Union station route. From there she'd take a bus to Monterey Park. This was going to cost around $25 and 3 hours of her time. I also considered that this may take her even longer due to the language barrier and possible confusion.
With all that in mind, I looked at the options for Uber and Lyft. The prices can vary in LA so I always check both to make sure I'm getting the cheapest option.
Helping A Lost Traveler
The cheapest option at the time was with Lyft (shared ride) for $35 and would take about an hour. I booked it without hesitation. The driver showed up at the Van Nuys Flyaway Bus LAX station in minutes. I explained the situation to the driver, he didn't seem very friendly but I couldn't do anything about that.
Then I explained to the elderly Chinese woman (with Google Translate) that this car would take her from the Van Nuys Flyaway Shuttle Station to her destination. The car was already paid for so do not give the driver any money.
I helped her place her luggage in the trunk of the car and reminded her to get the luggage on the way out. Just to tell the driver in case he forgets. I also asked the driver to remember the luggage too. Most rideshare services don't often handle luggage so it's easy to forget.
Before we parted ways, she gave me $20 for helping her. I denied it and said it was okay, but she insisted. Then I thought...it's actually $35 for the ride.
LOL, I didn't ask her for the rest of the money and was just happy that she wasn't lost anymore.
Quick Flashback To Someone Helping Me When I Was Lost
I was in Iga, Japan. In a failed attempt to visit the Iga Ninja Village, I got out of a taxi because the ride was much more expensive than I thought. I follow the road back to the station for 20km! Some of the road had me walking through farmlands. When I got closer to the city, I couldn't find the train station.
There weren't many people on the road, so when I finally saw a person on a bike pass by I tried stopping them for directions. In English, I asked "Which way to the train station?". I didn't speak and Japanese and this was in 2012 and translate apps weren't as common.
The lady I asked didn't speak English but figured out I was looking for the train with some charades. She gave me directions in Japanese but I didn't understand. So in order to help a lost traveler, she got off her bike and walked me to the station for 20 minutes!
If it wasn't for her, I might still be lost in the fields of Japan today...probably not though, but I appreciate someone helping me.
Conclusion
The cheapest transportation from LAX is the FlyAway bus. After that is Uber, Lyft or the Super Shuttle. LAX taxi prices are very high so I would absolutely avoid using that service. If you're looking to find the best hotel deals, check out my post explaining how to find them! You also might need some Travel Items along the way.
Even though it cost me some money, I've been lost before and have been really lucky when people helped me. Would you have reached out and helped a lost person?
Posted from my blog with SteemPress : https://blorg.org/flyaway-bus-lax-cheapest-transportation-from-lax-airport/