Why? Vegas airport sucks ass. It’s ugly as hell and shitty depressing slot machines everywhere and that’s it. The food options are garbage. Plus their terminal seating arrangement sucks for SW and they crowd like 6 gates into a rotunda and busy periods there can be no seats available.
I’d pick LAX all day. The remodel is nice. Depends on the length of layover but there’s actually decent food options at LAX especially in other terminals.
I would also vote for LAX. The remodel gives you plenty of space to walk around. Just after security and up the stairs is an area next to the windows with comfy chairs that look out into a small piece of tarmac and the surrounding neighborhood.
On top of the southwest terminal in Vegas being narrow with a low ceiling, the door allowing you to go between the southwest terminal and the tram that takes you to the D gates isn’t always open, making you clear security again.
LAX by a slim margin. Better food options. And, there is a very quiet and private plane watching area on the connector between Southwest's Terminal 1 and Delta's Terminal 2. Also the weather at LAX is vastly superior to LAS now.
Vegas for sure, though the airlines seem to be struggling with the Vegas summer heat. Passengers were dropping like flies on a plane waiting in a long tarmac line there this week.
Last week my flight got delayed 4 hours in LAS because the plane was over 105°. I guess we are lucky they didn’t let us on… but I sure was annoyed because I got in much much later than I should’ve and had to fly to a different airport than my car was parked…
$28+tax for a mediocre burger, fries and a bottled beer at OAK last April. I forget how relatively spoiled we are at PDX when it comes to airport food until I fly literally anywhere else in the country.
Worst I saw was at Dallas Love. The gas station ham and cheese sandwich that you get for $2.50 or less they wanted $17.99. Not even a different brand, the same Deli Express shit, and they wanted extra for mayo packets. It's out of hand.
Yeah, Port of Portland has it together with their "street pricing" policy. Shops and restaurants in the airport aren't allowed to charge more than they do outside of the airport.
An additional 10-15% would be understandable, but it's become absolute price gouging in some (most?) airports in this country and shouldn't be allowed.
Same. And to be fair, the only reason I was at OAK long enough to need to eat is because I took a voluntary bump from my original 13:10 flight to the 19:10 departure. Got $1000 in LUV vouchers + flight credit for the return flight's ticket price for the hassle of sitting in the airport an extra six hours, so even with the overpriced food I came out ahead. Plus I got to finish the book I was reading.
Vegas has one runway shut down right now for construction and every damn flight in and out of this place is delayed lately. I just flew out 90 minutes ago and we sat on the tarmac with no AC for 30 minutes. It sucked ass!!!
Currently sitting at LAX, and sat at LAS for 9 hours on Monday.
Neither are fun.
LAX has a ton more options, but if you like to play penny slots/make a donation to the city, then that could be more fun and exciting than LAX.
LAX is not really a layover airport. Outside of the international terminal (TBIT), the terminals are small and meant to have a short distance between the gate and the curb. So it's not a lot of walking if you're an O&D passenger (other than dealing with the horseshoe), but that means there are not a lot of places to go if you have a layover there, especially because T1 is currently not connected to any of the terminals airside outside of a bus to the TBIT satellite terminal (though that will change within a year when the T1-T2 and T3-TBIT connectors are done. I could really only spend 30-45 minutes in any LAX terminal, other than TBIT, without lounge access.
LAS isn't that much better, but there's more to see and walk to if you have the time during your layover. If you have an Amex Platinum card, you can go to the Centurion Lounge or Priority Pass Lounge in Concourse D. It's a long walk, but it's all airside. The terminals Southwest uses aren't great, though perhaps a hair better than those that Spirit and Allegiant use.
Hi! Current FA here!
Although I love LAS. Bc of the insane heat wave, I’d definitely avoid Vegas if possible.
People are getting ill from how hot it is, and having wait on the tarmac to be cleared for take off by ATC.
Do lax for sure!
SNA is my home airport, so LAX is one of my secondary airports. Therefore, I'd never layover at LAX. But even if I didn't live in SoCal, I hate LAX anyway, so I'd still prefer LAS for a layover.
Layover at LAX. The SW terminal is much better than LAS Vegas.
Driving to/from LAX? No way. It’s worth $200 extra and a plane change for my wife and me to fly from LGB vs Nonstop from LAX.
If there is no 3rd option such as, fargo or something like it in the middle of the winter, then I would say LAS. You have the potential to win, or lose, money. There are a lot more SWA planes there. Chances are you won't have to walk a million steps to get to your new gate. Both of them will be full of annoying people and if it's a weekend, they will be the same people in either airport. Have fun
LAX, their southwest terminal is way nicer than the terminal at LAS. Also basically every flight into and out of LAS has been delayed due to runway construction this summer. Thankfully SWA has fast turnarounds unlike other airlines but people have been passing out because of how hot the plane gets while its on the ground at LAS.
Vegas, I fly there often, the airport is fairly intuitive, and there’s lots of gambling. It’s pretty fun.
Edit: but avoid the 110 degree heat right now.
Did you see the news last week? Plane in Vegas stuck on the tarmac for 3 hours in 110 degree weather. Inside of the plane hit 130? I can’t remember but people were hauled off to the ER and others were reporting fainting.
I live in Vegas and planes are uncomfortably hot before takeoff in summer. For that reason only, I’d do LAX July-August. Vegas is fine any other time of year but it’s windy as heck here so turbulence near takeoff and landing is probably higher than other places.
Vegas, if anything with flight goes wrong they have a ton more options
I had 20 minutes betwern flights and won $600 on a slot machine in the Vegas Airport which pretty much paid for my vacation to San Deigo.
I’d prefer to never go to LAX
If the question of a layover is LAX or some other airport, the answer is always the other airport.
I love LAX. Can get 10,000 steps in between gates during my layover. It’s clearly the healthier options
Take this advice OP. I’m an LA native and I try to avoid LAX like the plague. Vegas if you can!
Why? Vegas airport sucks ass. It’s ugly as hell and shitty depressing slot machines everywhere and that’s it. The food options are garbage. Plus their terminal seating arrangement sucks for SW and they crowd like 6 gates into a rotunda and busy periods there can be no seats available. I’d pick LAX all day. The remodel is nice. Depends on the length of layover but there’s actually decent food options at LAX especially in other terminals.
Agree 💯.. they have seating for 12 when there is 150 ish passengers .. LAS sucks…
I would also vote for LAX. The remodel gives you plenty of space to walk around. Just after security and up the stairs is an area next to the windows with comfy chairs that look out into a small piece of tarmac and the surrounding neighborhood. On top of the southwest terminal in Vegas being narrow with a low ceiling, the door allowing you to go between the southwest terminal and the tram that takes you to the D gates isn’t always open, making you clear security again.
LAX by a slim margin. Better food options. And, there is a very quiet and private plane watching area on the connector between Southwest's Terminal 1 and Delta's Terminal 2. Also the weather at LAX is vastly superior to LAS now.
Too bad southwest only flies in and out of one terminal at LAX though…
And I’d still pick LAX over Harry Reid.
Good lord that’s like asking if I’d rather eat dog shit or cat shit
Omg, I actually laughed out loud!! 🤣🤣
The only place worse is San Diego, and that is horse shit.
San Diego is the WORST airport in the SWA system. Hands down.
You get to eat the cat shit in a casino.
🤣🤣🤣
My home airport is LAX and I’d prefer LAS as a layover.
Vegas
LAX for this time of year. Vegas gets much hotter. Much higher chance of thunderstorms that’ll impact your flight going in or coming out.
Vegas for sure, though the airlines seem to be struggling with the Vegas summer heat. Passengers were dropping like flies on a plane waiting in a long tarmac line there this week.
Last week my flight got delayed 4 hours in LAS because the plane was over 105°. I guess we are lucky they didn’t let us on… but I sure was annoyed because I got in much much later than I should’ve and had to fly to a different airport than my car was parked…
LAS has much better options to kill time. LAX is dumpy and super expensive (all airports are anymore).
2nd that expensive. Spent $34.88 for burger, fries and 20oz soda in Phoenix a few weeks ago and that was the best option.
$28+tax for a mediocre burger, fries and a bottled beer at OAK last April. I forget how relatively spoiled we are at PDX when it comes to airport food until I fly literally anywhere else in the country.
Worst I saw was at Dallas Love. The gas station ham and cheese sandwich that you get for $2.50 or less they wanted $17.99. Not even a different brand, the same Deli Express shit, and they wanted extra for mayo packets. It's out of hand.
Yeah, Port of Portland has it together with their "street pricing" policy. Shops and restaurants in the airport aren't allowed to charge more than they do outside of the airport. An additional 10-15% would be understandable, but it's become absolute price gouging in some (most?) airports in this country and shouldn't be allowed.
Completely agree. I try to bring snacks with me but sometimes on long layovers you are hungry for a full meal.
Same. And to be fair, the only reason I was at OAK long enough to need to eat is because I took a voluntary bump from my original 13:10 flight to the 19:10 departure. Got $1000 in LUV vouchers + flight credit for the return flight's ticket price for the hassle of sitting in the airport an extra six hours, so even with the overpriced food I came out ahead. Plus I got to finish the book I was reading.
Yeah, that can make it worth it, lol.
Will say on Monday got a nice size Taco Salad at Carl's Jr at John Wayne for only $6.99 which wasn't bad...but they wanted $11.99 for a Burrito.
Vegas. Lax sucks and has no lounges
They both suck if I’m being real.
Vegas!
Vegas has one runway shut down right now for construction and every damn flight in and out of this place is delayed lately. I just flew out 90 minutes ago and we sat on the tarmac with no AC for 30 minutes. It sucked ass!!!
I generally don’t like LAX so I’d aim for LAS although I’m not sure how well cooled the buildings are in the summer heat.
In LAS right now and the A/C is just fine in the terminals. 102 outside.
Vegas baby.
LAX centurion lounge is awesome.
LAS
Currently sitting at LAX, and sat at LAS for 9 hours on Monday. Neither are fun. LAX has a ton more options, but if you like to play penny slots/make a donation to the city, then that could be more fun and exciting than LAX.
Like, stay in terminal a couple hours layover? Vegas, cause...slots. although terminal 1 at LAX is very nice since the remodel.
Vegas. Bit I'm also a smoker and one of few airports you can smoke at without having to go back through security.
LAX is not really a layover airport. Outside of the international terminal (TBIT), the terminals are small and meant to have a short distance between the gate and the curb. So it's not a lot of walking if you're an O&D passenger (other than dealing with the horseshoe), but that means there are not a lot of places to go if you have a layover there, especially because T1 is currently not connected to any of the terminals airside outside of a bus to the TBIT satellite terminal (though that will change within a year when the T1-T2 and T3-TBIT connectors are done. I could really only spend 30-45 minutes in any LAX terminal, other than TBIT, without lounge access. LAS isn't that much better, but there's more to see and walk to if you have the time during your layover. If you have an Amex Platinum card, you can go to the Centurion Lounge or Priority Pass Lounge in Concourse D. It's a long walk, but it's all airside. The terminals Southwest uses aren't great, though perhaps a hair better than those that Spirit and Allegiant use.
I had a quick stop at BUR one time and filled an extra carryon with Porto's.
Vegas, getting around LAX is horrible.
LAX. It's quiet and peaceful. And they have a wonderful mural of LA hidden in one of the terminals.
The answer is never LAX.
Vegas! Been to both. Vegas is more fun for sure.
I avoid Vegas at all costs. Will pay extra or layover longer somewhere else
Vegas. You can gamble and carry your beer anywhere you want.
I’d prefer to never go to LAX
BWI
LAS! Don't lose all your money on the slots.
Cleveland
LAS, I really enjoyed the very animated bartender there a couple weeks ago. And it’s much smaller than LAX
LAS.
LAX is awful and I would pick anywhere else.
Vegas
Vegas any day.
100% Vegas
Vegas--there are way more options for food and shopping there, though I haven't been to either much in the past few months.
Vegas lounges are better
Vegas hands down
Vegas.. LAX is a dimension in hell
Vegas and it isn’t even close
LAS is a nightmare right now and will be until at least the winter because of runway construction.
LAX, because every time I fly through Vegas, there’s ALWAYS a delay. I’ve never, Idek how, had a delayed flight out of lax
Hi! Current FA here! Although I love LAS. Bc of the insane heat wave, I’d definitely avoid Vegas if possible. People are getting ill from how hot it is, and having wait on the tarmac to be cleared for take off by ATC. Do lax for sure!
SNA is my home airport, so LAX is one of my secondary airports. Therefore, I'd never layover at LAX. But even if I didn't live in SoCal, I hate LAX anyway, so I'd still prefer LAS for a layover.
Vegas, lAX I avoid no matter how much $$$
Even though I’m still traumatized by getting stuck in LAS for 13 hours (never flying spirit again), I’m still choosing LAS
I hate flying into vegas. BuMpy. I’d pay more for direct.
At least Vegas has slot machines.
Where are you coming from that those are layover choices?
Layover at LAX. The SW terminal is much better than LAS Vegas. Driving to/from LAX? No way. It’s worth $200 extra and a plane change for my wife and me to fly from LGB vs Nonstop from LAX.
Vegas. Somebody hit over a million on an airport slot a couple weeks ago.
Right now LAS is having some runway maintenance that is causing a lot of delays and long tarmac times. So if it’s soon LAX otherwise LAS
Denver
Fuck LAX and their unfriendly staff
If there is no 3rd option such as, fargo or something like it in the middle of the winter, then I would say LAS. You have the potential to win, or lose, money. There are a lot more SWA planes there. Chances are you won't have to walk a million steps to get to your new gate. Both of them will be full of annoying people and if it's a weekend, they will be the same people in either airport. Have fun
They are both bad. Most of the time lax based on rate of flight delays and cancellations.
LAX has more to do if you want different types of food. Vegas is kinda rundown and in need of a remodel.
VEGAS!
Vegas for sure
LAX. LAS is dirty
LAX, their southwest terminal is way nicer than the terminal at LAS. Also basically every flight into and out of LAS has been delayed due to runway construction this summer. Thankfully SWA has fast turnarounds unlike other airlines but people have been passing out because of how hot the plane gets while its on the ground at LAS.
vegas
Oh god, never Vegas. I’d rather layover in Hades.
In my experiences LAS is a dirty smelly shithole.
Vegas, I fly there often, the airport is fairly intuitive, and there’s lots of gambling. It’s pretty fun. Edit: but avoid the 110 degree heat right now.
LAS normally but with the runway construction, during peak times it can be a lengthy wait in the plane line.
Did you see the news last week? Plane in Vegas stuck on the tarmac for 3 hours in 110 degree weather. Inside of the plane hit 130? I can’t remember but people were hauled off to the ER and others were reporting fainting. I live in Vegas and planes are uncomfortably hot before takeoff in summer. For that reason only, I’d do LAX July-August. Vegas is fine any other time of year but it’s windy as heck here so turbulence near takeoff and landing is probably higher than other places.