LAX Long
 

Looks like we are losing our nice breakfast at the Hilton while still getting the joy of sitting in 405 traffic on our haul to Long Beach (new hotel in your email). I kept hearing rumors of Manhattan Beach which would have been a better location and a closer location. I guess it was just rumor though. The breakfast was the only thing that made lingbeach remotely palatable.

this is the hotel we stayed in 2012-2013, the bfast was nice at the hilton

Westin
 

The Westin at long beach is the nicest hotel I ever stayed at working for the airlines. I'll suck it up and buy a breakfast. Totally worth it. I heard that manhattan beach hotel was crap. Good thing we didn't end up there.

Fair enough. I can vaguely remember the Westin lobby but the Hilton was pretty nice. Either way the 405 makes me want to put a bullet in my brain and there’s no need for it which is frustrating. I’m not sure why the need for a single long hotel to handle our volume (the reason we are moving). Other airlines that have lots of rooms in large markets like LAX will have multiple long hotels. Your pairing tells you which one.

I think we should remove the name of the hotel

Sounds like grounds for another round of LAX base rumors!

I was there yesterday and we were on 5 (maybe 6?) gates. It's totally happening!!!

Oook.....:D

Screw LA with an F. What's going on in DC?

So you don't enjoy being closer to all of the local amenities (bars, restaurants, beach, gym) while staying in a nicer hotel?

Sure (I wouldn’t call that a beach though) but it’s not the only area in LA that has those things and nice hotels. If it were I’d say fine. I’m just growing tired of sitting in bumper to bumper traffic for up to an hour at many of our overnights and sometimes both ways while the drivers do their best to make me sick.

What gym? The crappy hotel gym or the original 24 Hour Fitness in need of Agent Orange and a D8 Caterpillar?

There's a golds nearby

Completely agree. But since we just HAVE to be in Long Beach...

I would rather be somewhere else too, but my point is that at least everything is much closer to the Westin once you finally get there. Every time I ever left the Hilton to do anything I found myself walking nearly a mile each way.

So that begs the question: why do we just HAVE to be in Long Beach?

If other airlines stay in other areas, then Long Beach hotels aren’t the only ones that take airline business

Get it touch with the hotel committee chair. He will answer any questions you may have.

I talked with him for 2 hours when he was in my jumpseat. Each layover hotel is throughly vetted. He is a hard working individual that takes his position seriously. He spends a lot of time evaluating and choosing the hotels we stay at. His standards are very high and he is in constant battle with the company which is relentlessly trying to undermine the committees efforts and put us in cheaper accommodations.

Agree and we have spoken in person. I also understand the history and why we have many of our locations. LA doesn’t need to maintain that status quo imo. I have no problem with the brands and quality of nearly all of our hotels. FL and his team are doing great work on that front. Location, in these cities with unbelievable traffic, where alternatives exist, needs improvement imo.

Even closer to Leo's, great success!

Also a new Anytime Fitness that I would frequent.

Congregation Ale House
Long Beach Cafe
Roscoe’s Chicken & Waffles
Mitaki Restaurant- cheap sushi & bento box
George’s Greek Cafe
Etc.

How does one actually get to speak to the hotel committee without actually flying with them? I've sent in 3 or 4 of the online forms on the union web page over the years I have been here, each time asking for them to call or email me regarding my issues. Never once have a heard from them.

Maybe call or email him yourself?

If the alternative is Downtown LA, (I got news for you, traffic is just as bad) I'll take Long Beach any day. Right by the beach, park, and tons of great food and drink. Last thing we need is another noisy downtown overnight with no outdoor exercise options available other than running from cracked out homeless.

Really, I've almost never encountered bad traffic on (The) 405. Must be the time of day. I think the reason times are padded is because of the traffic at LAX itself. The last half mile can take 30 minutes sometimes.

Downtown would be terrible for sure but why is that the alternative? What’s wrong with Manhattan beach?

That’s a great layover spot! Rent a bike and follow the beachside path. :)

And not in another state

I know there are airline crews that stay at both the Crown Plaza, Redondo Beach (Which is a great location and much closer than Long Beach) and the DoubleTree in Torrance near the Del Amo Mall (which is also a great location and much closer than Long Beach). I don't know the politics behind these decisions, just the local lay of the land.

Call or email the hotel committee chair. He will gladly explain why we are in Long Beach. The committee has been working on the LAX layover hotel for a year now and we are in the best location for the moment. Despite the long drive the majority that love Long Beach far exceed the hate mail regarding the traffic.

Well there’s also no surf in Long Beach because of the massive port breakwater. So there’s that too

Awesome. How much is a day pass?

LAX Long
 

There’s a Marriott in Marina del Rey and a Double Tree in Santa Monica that are nice with a ton of stuff to do and much closer to the airport. Anything else and you’re going to be driving even further than Long Beach if you want to stay in a beach area. Also getting the huge amount of rooms guaranteed each night is probably a challenge. Having grown up in LA, the 405 between Long Beach and the airport is probably the least amount of traffic you’ll find in LA.


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I would guess $15-25 for day pass. Seems typical of Golds

There are a ton of great hotels on the way to Long Beach.
In nearby El Segundo, Manhattan Bch., Hermosa Bch., Redondo Bch.
No more than a 20 mins drive on Sepulveda/PCH.
Makes no sense driving on the freeway.
It's got to be the price!
LAX will be the new base...