Which airport in LA County is easier and less conjested? (Long Beach: live in, bus)

[West of Encino]

Like if someone wanted to come to see me, which airport would be best for them to come in, one with less traffic and I could wait for them when the plane arrives?

I'm not including LAX because it's like a maze.

[nowincal11]

Depends where you live. Burbank is easiest from the Valley, Hollywood, and probably even downtown.

[pbergen]

long beach airport is a breeze compared with LAX. easy in, easy out - you even disembark from the plane directly onto the tarmac.

[nmnita]

depending on where ones is coming from and going in the L>A> area I would suggest Burbank or Long Beach.

NIta

[bhcompy]

Long Beach is easily the most efficient(literally takes me 5 minutes from drop off through security to gate), but that doesn't mean it's the best for your location. I'd pick the closest of Ontario, Burbank, and Long Beach

[JonathanLB]

Burbank is an amazing airport, whatever Long Beach is like, it can't be better than Burbank. There is never any security line in Burbank at all. The most I have ever seen was 5 people and it took about 3 minutes to get through it. In general you walk right up and you're the first person there. It's amazing. It's like why can't they have a better ratio of TSA and security gates at LAX to make it take at least only 20 minutes instead of like 45? It's really bad.

Plus Burbank is nice. Everything in Burbank basically looks like it's only a few years old, including the airport. It's almost like they tore down the entire city and rebuild it in the late 1990s or something, because you look at downtown Burbank and it's pristine and clean and modern, and no bums. And you look at the airport and it is much the same way, just really easy and nice. I use it all of the time. But especially convenient because my sister lives in Burbank so I can park my car at her place and get a ride to the airport, voila, done.

[Harrier]

1. Long Beach : small, never conjested, quick security, historic building, "old time flying" feel, easy drop off and pick up - hands down the best airport in the LA area. Drawbacks are - limited geographical reach (flying internationally - u r stuck with LAX -GASP!)!, airport is growing and gate areas are getting crowded, and Long Beach may not be close to where you live, which brings me to...

2. Burbank : Never flown out of here, but good things have been said about it and it is probally a no brainer to use it if you live in the Valley or nearby. Burbank makes #2 simply because it is close to LA and is not LAX(like Long Beach). I know people who have flown out of this airport and their drawbacks are - short runway, and the mountains are nearby and the planes need to take off at a steep angle -the people I have talked to say that climbing out of burbank is an adventure.

3. Orange County : closest outlying airport, great if you are in/going to OC, big airy terminals, never had problems with parking here, another no hassle, efficient airport. Drawbacks : unless you live in OC, or are doing business there - u probally want to use LB or Burbank.

4. Ontario : Ontario is nice airport, but it is to far away from LA to make it worthwhile flying in or out of unless you live in or have business in the Inland Empire. If you drive to this one take the 60 instead of the 10 and exit Haven Ave. - ignore signs near Grove and Archibald that says there is airport access - only in theory! Drawbacks - it is operated by LAX airport management - need more be said?

5. LAX : Big, sprawling, conjested, dirty, confusing, never enough parking, long security lines, inefficient, requires waiting for and getting on a bus to reach other terminals, in a word - horrendous! LAX is good for only one reason - it has excellent international service, and the most flights in or out of any airport in the area. Drawbacks(oh wait I started with those)! Only fly out of LAX if you must - and do your best to not entirely loathe the experience!