Connecting Bus to LAX

[TrainTrippin]

Hello Everyone,

I know that Amtrak can't legally sell bus fares independently in CA, however I was able to book Connecting bus 5813 to go to Los Angeles from Anaheim by putting Wasco as my final destination. Now the Buses' final destination is Bakersfield with a stopover at LA Union Station. I was wondering if anyone has booked this bus before with the intention of just going to Los Angeles to board the LAX Fly Away at Union Station. Any advice you may have would be greatly appreciated! Thank you.

 

[Eric S]

Didn't that law get changed in the last few years? Did implementation of that change get postponed because of COVID?

 

[John Webb]

Eric S, you are correct. California Legislation forbidding Amtrak from selling "local" tickets (tickets requiring no train travel) on Thruway buses has indeed been changed. The agency involved in the California Thruway bus operation (San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority) is in the process of implementing local travel on the Thruway buses it operates in coordination with Amtrak. I'm not sure if this has actually gone into operation yet. If not it will be soon.

 

[NES28]

My understanding is that application of the old rule requiring connection to/from a train is being removed in California gradually, on a route-by-basis.

 

[SubwayNut]

A number of years ago (about 7) my Dad and I were skiing at Squaw Valley without a car and finished our trip on the evening Thruway Bus from Trukee that used to connect to the last Capitol Corridor train in Sacramento (I know this trip from Reno was discontinued not long after). He was connecting to the Sacramento Airport to take a JetBlue Red Eye back to New York, I was spending the night and taking the morning San Joaquin to Stockton (the days goal was the ComArrow trainset).

I bought a multi-city ticket for myself with the overnight layover, and remember I added a throwaway SAC-Lodi segment the next day for my Dad because that was about half the price of a Truckee-SAC-DAV ticket.

 

[Asher]

Hello Everyone,

I know that Amtrak can't legally sell bus fares independently in CA, however I was able to book Connecting bus 5813 to go to Los Angeles from Anaheim by putting Wasco as my final destination. Now the Buses' final destination is Bakersfield with a stopover at LA Union Station. I was wondering if anyone has booked this bus before with the intention of just going to Los Angeles to board the LAX Fly Away at Union Station. Any advice you may have would be greatly appreciated! Thank you.

Are you saying booking to Wasco from Anaheim, getting off at LA Union Station, and catching the Flyaway bus to LAX (the airport) ?

 

[allanorn]

Possibly a dead topic, but replying in case.

Are you saying booking to Wasco from Anaheim, getting off at LA Union Station, and catching the Flyaway bus to LAX (the airport) ?

That's what exactly it sounds like. OP wants to use Bus 5813 to go ANA-LAX, which nominally leaves ANA at 3:55am and arrives in BFL at 7:55 to tie into the San Joaquins #713. This is likely because Amtrak doesn't run that early on the Pacific Surfliner line, and I doubt Metrolink does either. OP is wondering if anyone's taken the bus and just left at LA Union Station. While Amtrak may be able to sell bus-only rides in California, I'm not sure if that's been implemented yet.

At one time there used to be a shuttle that went from Orange County to LAX but it may not be running due to the pandemic, or outright canned due to lack of demand. Google mentions possible shuttles from John Wayne to LAX but I'm not sure if they are running, let alone at 4-5am. Best bet may be to price out a shared shuttle ride. Other options may be Greyhound/Flixbus to their depot and then getting to LAX via the Flyaway shuttle or Metro, which may also involve an additional transfer.

 

[BCL]

Eric S, you are correct. California Legislation forbidding Amtrak from selling "local" tickets (tickets requiring no train travel) on Thruway buses has indeed been changed. The agency involved in the California Thruway bus operation (San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority) is in the process of implementing local travel on the Thruway buses it operates in coordination with Amtrak. I'm not sure if this has actually gone into operation yet. If not it will be soon.

There was one exception to the law, which was the service to Tahoe since there was no competing commercial bus service.

A few months ago I was on my way to Salinas and missed the train. But a station agent said that it was possible to catch a bus instead. I tried seeing if I could book that, but then she looked and said that only she could do it, and only for a cash fare (I used points).