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Qantas Airways Flights from Mexico City, Mexico (MEX) to Los Angeles (LAX)
As part of booking roundtrip flights which depart from US airports,
Orbitz is pleased to offer airline tickets on Qantas Airways, which operates 6 regularly scheduled daily non-stop flights from Mexico City, Mexico (MEX) to Los Angeles (LAX), departing between 8:05am and 8:50pm. The average travel time from Mexico City, Mexico to Los Angeles, CA is 4 hours.*
* Some flights must be used with additional international service on this airline.
During your Los Angeles vacation, don't miss these great establishments and attractions:
La Brea Tar Pits
An odorous swamp of gooey asphalt oozes to the earth's surface in the middle of Los Angeles. No, it's not a low-budget horror-movie set -- it's the La Brea Tar Pits, a truly bizarre primal pool on Museum Row where hot tar has been bubbling from the earth for more than 40,000 years. The bubbling pools may look like a fake Disney set, but they're the real thing and have enticed thirsty animals throughout history. Nearly 400 species of mammals, birds, amphibians, and fish -- many of which are now extinct -- walked, crawled, landed, swam, or slithered into the sticky sludge, got stuck in the worst way, and stayed forever. In 1906, scientists began a systematic removal and classification of entombed specimens, including ground sloths, giant vultures, mastodons, camels, bears, lizards, a Starbucks, and even prehistoric relatives of today's superrats. Today it's one of the world's richest excavation sites for Ice Age fossils. The best finds are on display in the adjacent Page Museum at the La Brea Tar Pits, which houses the largest and most diverse collection of Ice Age plants and animals in the world. Archaeological work is ongoing; you can watch as scientists clean, identify, and catalog new finds in the Paleontology Laboratory. An entertaining 15-minute film documenting the recoveries is also shown.
Pacific Asia Museum
The most striking aspect of this museum is the building itself. Designed in the 1920s in Chinese Imperial Palace style, it's rivaled in flamboyance only by Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. Rotating exhibits of 14,000 rare Asian and Pacific Islands art and artifacts span the centuries, from 100 B.C. to the current day. This manageably-sized museum is worth a visit, particularly if you're an adherent of Buddhism.
The "Hollywood" Sign
These famous 50-foot-high white sheet-metal letters have come to symbolize the movie industry and the city itself. The sign was erected on Mount Lee in 1923 for $21,000 as an advertisement for a real-estate development. The full text originally read HOLLYWOODLAND and was lined with thousands of 20-watt bulbs around the letters (changed periodically by a caretaker who lived in a small house behind the sign). The sign gained dubious notoriety when actress Peg Entwistle leapt to her death from the "H" in 1932. The LAND section was damaged by a landslide, and the entire sign fell into major disrepair until the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce spearheaded a campaign to repair it (Hugh Hefner, Alice Cooper, Gene Autry, and Andy Williams were all major contributors). Officially completed in 1978, the 450-foot-long installation is now protected by a fence and motion detectors. The best view is from down below, at the corner of Sunset Boulevard and Bronson Avenue. Tip: It may look like it on a map, but Beachwood Drive does not lead to the sign. If you want to reach the sign on foot, it requires a rather arduous 5-mile round-trip hike on the Brush Canyon Trail in Griffith Park -- the trail head is at the end of Canyon Drive. For more information call the Griffith Park headquarters at tel. 323/913-4688.
Make your reservations for discount hotel rooms in the
Los Angeles area, including:
Hilton Checkers Los Angeles
The atmosphere at this boutique version of the Biltmore is as removed from "Hollywood" as an L.A. hotel can get, which explains why the stars -- Cher, Kevin Coster, Carol Burnett -- prefer to stay here when they're in town. Built in 1927, the 12-story hotel is a Historic Cultural Monument. Plenty of polished brass complements the neutral sand-colored decor; both conspire to accentuate the impressive architectural features that remained intact during a major renovation in 1989. Checkers is a European-styled hotel, without a lot of flashy amenities and possessing an understated luxury. Guest rooms are equipped with 27-inch flat-screen TVs, granite-top desks, and spacious marble bathrooms with plush terry-cloth bathrobes. Public areas include a wood-paneled library, a rooftop lap pool, and serene corridors punctuated with Asian antiques. Checkers Restaurant is one of Downtown's best-kept secrets, serving complex dishes ranging from New American to French in a peaceful setting; the weekend brunch is worth planning for in advance. The warm, intimate bar at Checkers is also a very popular hangout for the Downtown après-work crowd. Tip: Be sure to check their website for terrific "E-Specials" such as $99 Romantic Weekends rates.Facilities: Restaurant; lounge; rooftop heated lap pool and whirlpool; exercise room w/men's and women's saunas and massage services; concierge; courtesy car; secretarial services; 24-hr. room service; in-room massage; babysitting; laundry service; dry-cleaning service; complimentary shoe shine.
Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel
L.A.'s finest family-friendly hotel is also a great choice for anybody looking for comfortable accommodations, an A-1 Santa Monica location, outstanding service, and a wealth of first-rate facilities. Loews isn't exactly beachfront; it's on a hill less than a block away, but the unobstructed ocean views are fabulous. The hotel emerged from a massive $15 million renovation that erased its greatest disadvantage -- dour rooms that didn't live up to the luxury price tag. Those who've been here before will notice the differences immediately upon entering the dramatic atrium lobby, whose nondescript fittings have been replaced with a playful So Cal style (including dual rows of huge palm trees) that puts greater emphasis on the spectacular ocean views. The formerly dowdy guest rooms have been redone in an inviting, clean-lined contemporary style in light, earthy colors. But the best news is still the top-rate facilities, which include an excellent heated pool, plus the fitness center and spa with a state-of-the-art gym, yoga and Pilates classes, health and fitness counseling, and full slate of spa and salon services.Facilities: Elegant Cal-Mediterranean dining at Lavande; Papillon Lobby Bar and Fireside Lounge (for afternoon tea, light dining, Visiting Artists Series); poolside lunch service; oceanview outdoor heated pool and whirlpool; Pritikin Longevity Center & Spa with full spa services, state-of-the-art workout room, steam, and sauna; bike and skate rentals; concierge; Hertz car-rental desk; executive business center; salon; 24-hr. room service; laundry service; dry-cleaning service; welcome kit for kids under 10.
Venice Beach House
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, this two-story, ivy-covered 1911 Craftsman bungalow is now a homey bed-and-breakfast on one of funky Venice's unique sidewalk streets, just a block from the beach. The interior has a very lived-in look -- shelves of vintage books, antique furnishings, hardwood floors, faded Oriental rugs -- that adds charm for romantics but won't live up to the expectations of travelers who like their lodgings to be flawless (or aren't keen on sharing a bathroom). What's more, the inn hums noisily with activity when there's a full house -- seekers of absolute quiet and designer appointments will not be comfortable here. Still, the huge repeat clientele base doesn't seem to mind these minor caveats. My favorite room is the upstairs Venice Pier Suite -- light and airy, with a wood-burning fireplace, king-size bed, private bathroom, and sunny sitting room. An expanded continental breakfast with homemade baked goods is served in the sunroom overlooking a splendid garden.
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