There are many ways to get to LAX from San Diego and now there’s one more…Tesloop. You can take Tesloop from San Diego to LAX.
While it’s not door to door service, it’s less of a hassle than some of the other ways to get to LAX. And it’s cheaper than using a shuttle.
Update: Effective October 1, 2018, Tesloop has ceased shuttle operations.
Tesloop from San Diego to LAX
Think of Tesloop as a fancy shuttle without the door to door service. You get to ride in a Tesla to LAX instead of a multi-passenger van.
Tesloop is a ridesharing service that uses Teslas to transport people between select Southern California cities.
Drivers are called pilots. They “drive” self-driving Tesla Model S cars. Basically, they keep their hands on the wheels and are available in case something happens.
You can book one seat or the entire car. Even if you’re a solo passenger you can book the entire Tesla for yourself.
Read my post – Tesloop: Everything You Need to Know.
My Experience Using Tesloop
Before booking my loop I read everything so I could make an informed decision.
It’s not like using Tesloop is life or death but when you’re banking your ride to LAX from San Diego on something new, you’re taking a huge chance.
Trusting a new service can be nerve-wracking. It’s like putting all your chips on one number when playing roulette. It could pay off big but if it doesn’t then you’re out of luck.
Because even though there are lots of ways to get to LAX from San Diego, you have to make advance arrangements. Because it can take 2 hours without traffic. So if you miss your ride, you could be SOL.
And Tesloop isn’t inexpensive. It costs more than renting a car or taking the train.
After feeling confident that I wouldn’t miss my flight if Tesloop didn’t show up, I booked my loop.
Pro-tip: Check Groupon for deals.
Picking a Seat
When I rode with Tesloop from San Diego to LAX on January 5, 2018, I could pick my seat and all three rows of seats could be booked. The last row of seats was cheaper than the first two rows.
I’m a big fan of saving money. But I wasn’t sure how much legroom there was in the back seats, so I chose the front seat, shotgun.
But due to their new Transportation Charter Permit, all seats are first come, first served, only the first two rows of seats can be booked, and all seats are the same price. So if you want to ride shotgun, you have to hope book first.
There’s one negative about the front seat. You can’t reach the healthy snacks. You have to ask someone in the back to get something for you. I didn’t want to bother anyone so I didn’t get a chance to see or take a photo of the healthy snacks.
What You Need to Know Before Your Tesloop Experience
You may or may not get notifications before your loop.
Everything I read stated you’d receive multiple texts before your pickup. Including a text 24 hours before your ride along with a call 30 minutes before your pickup time. But that wasn’t my experience.
Twenty four hours before my loop, I hadn’t heard from Tesloop. The only contact I received was my booking confirmation. I was starting to get worried and almost called the Tesloop Concierge.
But I held off because I wanted to see how Tesloop customer service would respond if there was an issue with my loop.
If my loop didn’t show up, I wouldn’t miss my flight. Because there was one more train that would get me to LA in time for my noon flight.
Thankfully, I got a text one hour before my pickup. And a second text when the pilot was arriving.
The Ride
My loop included three other riders and our pilot, Daniel. Daniel offered everyone a travel pillow and snacks from the healthy snack cooler. He also confirmed that everyone agreed to the same radio station.
Because Tesloop is a shared ride, you’re subject to the manners of the rest of the riders in your car. I got lucky and everyone was polite.
No one talked on their cell phones. Nor brought any stinky food or snacks. Maybe because it was a 6 am loop and they were sleeping?
About 20 minutes into our ride, our concierge, Darrell, called. Darrell explained our Tesloop worked.
Right before my Tesloop arrived, I got an email that my flight was delayed. In the car, I logged into the free onboard Wi-Fi to research alternative options.
The Wi-Fi worked great. The speed was fast and the service reliable. There was only one instance where it froze but that was around San Onofre and only lasted less than a minute.
If you need to charge your phone, there are plenty of phone chargers and a laptop charger. The adapter for my laptop was sturdy and easy to use.
Pro-tip: There’s only one laptop adaptor. And it only has one plug. So if you want/need to use it, be sure to ask right away.
Dropping Off at LAX
About 20 minutes before you reach your destination you’ll get a survey via text. When you complete the survey you’ll get a referral code so you can offer friends a discount, but it’s only valid for 17 days.
Our Tesloop pilot dropped off us at the departure area for our flights. Drop off was seamless and Daniel got our bags out of the car.
Pro-tip: At the end of the survey, there’s a link so you can tip your pilot.
Conclusion
If you’re looking for a way to get to LAX from San Diego consider using Tesloop. Tesloop can take you from San Diego to LAX in style and comfort in a Tesla.
You’ll share the ride with up to 2 other passengers. Unless you get lucky and are the only passenger. Which can happen sometimes or you book the entire car.
I’m a big fan of Tesloop. Tesloop is more expensive than taking Amtrak but it’s a lot cheaper than a shuttle. It’s worth paying a little more than Amtrak for reliable, fast Wi-Fi and terminal drop off. Plus it’s a nicer ride.
Tesla or van? Which would you pick?
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