The Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) is the major airport serving the area. All international flights and most national flights land there. It is located at the west end of the 105 Freeway, about 27 miles from Caltech. By car (via the 110 and 105 freeways) it takes about 35-45 minutes to get there. Traffic, however (especially during morning or afternoon rush hours: 6 a.m.-9 a.m. and 3 p.m.-6 p.m.) might prolong the ride to well over an hour!
The Burbank-Pasadena-Glendale airport is situated in Burbank, and it is the closest airport to Pasadena. It is relatively easy to reach by freeway (210 West to the 134 West to the 5 North; approximately 20 minute in light traffic), and it's a convenient alternative to LAX for domestic flights. Southwest Airlines flies in and out of Burbank, making this a quick, easy, inexpensive option for short flights to places such as Las Vegas, Portland or the Bay Area.
Ontario Airport, located a few miles west of the intersection between the 10 and 15 freeways is also an alternative to LAX for domestic flights. It's about the same distance from Pasadena, but the ride on the 10 freeway can be very tedious, so you should allow at least an hour to get there. The upside to the Ontario airport is that the terminal is less hectic than LAX, and the lines are sometimes much shorter. Jet Blue flies to the East Coast from Ontario, and you can often catch inexpensive, overnight flights from there.
Long Beach airport is definitely farther away from Pasadena, but is still normally within 1 hour's drive. Long Beach is also less hectic than LAX and is served by many of the less expensive airlines.
John Wayne Airport in Orange County is generally the least convenient option for Caltech students, due to the fact that it's quite a long drive on chronically congested freeways. It is an option, however, if you're desperate for a flight or if you find a really good deal. Allow a very minimum of one hour to get there, and leave even more time if any part of your drive will occur even close to rush hour, Friday evening, or Sunday evening.
If you don't have a car or a ride, there are a few different options for getting to or from all of these airports. Public transportation in LA exists, but it's often inconvenient and time-consuming. There are, however, a few different shuttle services to and from all of these airports, most of which are fairly inexpensive and some of which stop regularly at Caltech (for more shuttle info, see the How to Get to Caltech section under the Intro to Caltech menu). As a last ditch method, you can also take a taxi, but be aware that this option can be quite expensive.
If you will be travelling on Caltech business, call the Travel Services section of Procurement Services at x8900 or see their website at http://atc.caltech.edu/Finance/PPS/payment/travelhome.htm. The website has a lot of good tips under the FAQ menu. You can also check with your option secretary to find out how your option regularly works out travel reimbursements. In addition to air travel, Caltech also has special deals with several car rental agencies and local hotels. Note that when renting cars, the insurance offered under the corporate rate for Caltech may not be valid if you are not on "Caltech business".
For personal travel, getting a cheap airline ticket requires some planning and a bit of luck. The peak travel seasons are summer (June to August) and around Thanksgiving (generally the last full week of November) and Christmas (December 15 to January 5). The peak travel days are weekends and holidays. Avoid the peak times if possible. Another factor that influences the price of your ticket is your flexibility on your travel schedule. If you are willing to make some sacrifices on departure/arrival times and/or number of connections, you may be rewarded with a cheaper ticket.
A good source of information for personal travel is the Travel section of the Sunday Los Angeles Times. You will find prices and phone numbers of many travel agencies and tour companies. Affordable packages and last-minute deals can usually be found there. In addition, there are a few excellent online resources. It is recommended that you check all of them; they usually have about the same price, but not always. If you use an online engine to book your trip, be aware that their hotel pictures and reviews are often misleading. If you're particular about your accomodations or if you're looking for a nice room, verify your choice through a second source such as the hotel itself or a website that lists customer-written reviews.
Expedia is an airline-independent online flight-search engine (the other main one is Travelocity). Their site is well-designed for flexible searching and includes ways to find hotels and rental cars in addition to flights.
Even if you do not plan to book your ticket here, this is a wonderful place to start your shopping and will give you a good idea how much you should expect to pay. Usually the best deal they find for you is quite competitive.
Name your own price for airline tickets! If your travel time is flexible, this site can find some amazingly cheap deals. Just keep in mind that you are committed to pay once they match your price and you do not have much choice on the travel time. Your ticket will also be non-changeable and usually completely non-refundable, even if an emergency prevents you from using it. If you decide to try it out, always start from an almost impossibly low price and then increase your bid by small intervals when declined.
Priceline now also has a secondary set of options that allow you to look for more flexible, inexpensive, but set-price travel deals.
This site compares the best fares offered by almost all airlines, including charter flights. Their best prices are usually very good. However, if you decide to go with a charter flight, be patient with the delays. Also, note that this site is actually run by a consortium of airlines, not an independent company, and it therefore doesn't seem as if competing with one another to get you the lowest price would be in their best interest. It would be a good idea to check here (it is rumored that many of the airlines are making Orbitz-only low fares to establish Orbitz), but definitely check Travelocity and Expedia too. Additionally, some airlines don't participate in Orbitz, namely Southwest Airlines, and it has also been claimed that Orbitz "fails" to show the best fares for these airlines. The take-home message: Use Orbitz, just don't necessarily trust them.
Same stuff, different site. Compare, compare, compare!
There are many travel agencies listed in the front of the Caltech Personnel Directory and in the Yellow Pages. Two of the agencies more commonly used by Caltech students are listed below:
This agency specializes in student travel. They have offices all over the world and offer discounted airline tickets and EuroPasses, language programs and study abroad programs. For $22, you can get an International Student Card that covers very basic insurance when traveling abroad and offers discounts to Youth Hostels, retail shops, and many other businesses.
This agency was recommended by a reader. From the recommendation: "Ask for Vee Cruz- she can usually find the best deals around."