Travelling to New Zealand via LAX - transfer questions

We're travelling for our honeymoon from London Heathrow to New Zealand next week, one booking of Virgin Atlantic to LAX, then Air New Zealand to Auckland (it was about £800 cheaper for premium going that way round. Not something we do often mind!).

As these flights arrive/depart from different terminals at LAX and its the USA/TSA I'm aware we need to collect our bags and transfer them. I am just wondering if we will receive our boarding passes for both legs when we check in? They were booked on the same booking, both airlines show both legs so I'm guessing so? That would help to maximise our connection time, for which we have 3 hours. I've been reading a lot about potential issues with the shutdown and TSA (I'm from the UK so its difficult to follow sometimes) so just want to be as prepared as possible for any issues.

Best Answer

I don't have hard info on this but currently I have only heard of issues with Miami and Atlanta. I have seen some comments saying that LAX is OK (but LAX can be crazy on a "normal" day) but my gut feeling is that the situation is fluid (and so far off the charts that it is almost incomprehensible) and as such it is hard to predict what will happen in a weeks time.

I don't fancy being you getting off a flight from Heathrow and then immediately jumping on one to NZ but there will be nothing you can do except "grin and bare it". However you will be departing from Tom Bradley (which is dedicated to international flights) so the TSA staff there will be aware that you can't just easily jump on the next flight. Worst case scenario is that you get stuck in LA for a night and rebooked on the next Air NZ flight.

I do expect that you will get both sets of boarding passes in London (but I don't have proof - I only fly in and out of LAX domestically, and get both sets when initially I check in) so I believe that you should be able to simply hop over to TBIT

You are taking a well trodden path with your Virgin Atlantic flights so my final bit of advice is simply to ask Virgin staff when you hit the ground in LAX - they will have the best/current information for your situation at the time.