<p>Is LGB (Long Beach Airport) a feasible transportation option for USC students? I just noticed some relatively cheap tickets on JetBlue, but the thrill of the find wore off very quickly when I checked transportation rates…</p>
<p>USC - LAX = 15 miles, $15 one way
USC - LGB = 22 miles, $47 one way</p>
<p>Both rates are for a shared shuttle van. Yowza…</p>
<p>It’s probably more expensive because fewer people go that way. LGB is a much smaller airport and there are not that many flights going in and out, so the shared shuttle is bound to have fewer people in it.</p>
<p>On the other hand, that’s precisely the reason why LGB is so much nicer. It’s significantly less crowded and complicated than LAX (especially at peak flying seasons) and is about a billion times less hassle. The fares are cheaper because of LAX’s exorbitantly higher landing fees, I think.</p>
<p>But, actually getting to the airport from USC could be a showstopper, I guess. I don’t fly out direct from USC so I wouldn’t know.</p>
<p>Agree with above. If you are renting a car or having a friend pick you up & drop you off, LGB is a perfect alternate. The increased travel time to get there is offset by time savings in the terminal.</p>
<p>We flew to Long Beach Airport last summer because it was the cheapest rate I could find at the time with Jet Blue. However, my husband rented a car. I can’t say about Super Shuttle. You need to compare the savings cost with Jet Blue with the additional fare for Super Shuttle to see if there is really any savings. Also, the traffic is terrible from Long Beach to Los Angeles and will take extra time to get to USC. I suggest you try all of the possible airline web sites and expedia.com. Also, look at Virgin America if they fly from your home town.</p>
<p>That is a pretty pricey shuttle to LGB. Is there any chance of a zipcar rental for the one-way trip, I wonder?</p>
<p>Zipcar does not offer one way trips. The vehicle must be returned to its “home” parking space on campus at the end of each rental.</p>
<p>Have you looked at public transportation options? The Metro Blue Line serves Long Beach, and there is a subway stop a mile or two from LBG. You would probably need to take a short cab ride to get there, or the airport may offer its own service. The subway system would get you to Union Station, where you could take a USC shuttle to campus.</p>
<p>Unfortunately there is no FyAway bus to LGB. There are Amtrak trains from Union Station to Long Beach, for about $15 each way, will require additional buses at the beginning and end. There are public transport options to LGB, the cost is $2-$3, but the estimated travel time is 2-3 hrs. The savings in airfare are simply not worth a hassle like that. Amtrak seems like the most viable option at this time.</p>
<p>Someone over at LiveJournal answered your question and posted a public transit route that was Bus-Subway-Bus and had an estimated time of 1 hour and 12 minutes. How did you get to the 2-3 hour figure? </p>
<p>Would the Jetblue flight arrive at an hour when there is limited Metro service?</p>
<p>I was wondering how they got 1 hr too, every time I try it I get something else</p>
<p>1) Start here: [socaltransport.org</a> | Metro Bus and Rail Trip Planner for Los Angeles and surrounding Counties](<a href=“http://socaltransport.org/tm_pub_start.php]socaltransport.org”>Metro Trip Planner)
2) Select “Airports” for the starting point and “Education” for ending (from the LandMarks menu)
3) Select LGB and USC from the respective options</p>
<p>Note the estimated duration of the selected option - it is given as 120-180 mins regardless of what time of day I choose. I tried the same game to Union Station and got the exact same time estimate. Don’t know how the guy on LJ got his time.</p>
<p>The Metro Planner probably has a very narrow definition of what constitutes service to USC, so it may only show a limited number of infrequent buses. I’ve found that inputting my address at Adams and Figueroa will yield drastically different bus routes than using USC as an address, even though it’s not too much trouble to walk from one to the other. </p>
<p>Following his example, I used JEFFERSON BL/ROYAL ST (i.e. The Shrine) as the end point and regular “Long Beach Airport” as the start point. Arrive by 11am on a Monday, and ETA is 1 hour, 6 minutes.</p>
<p>Have you looked into flights to Burbank to see if they are cheaper? It is about the same distance as LAX, and the shuttle is around $23.</p>