Wednesday, June 17, 2026 | Sacramento → Los Angeles → London
After more than a year of planning, researching, booking hotels, studying train schedules, and creating what might be the world’s most detailed travel spreadsheet…
Departure day was finally here!
And according to that spreadsheet, Day 1 was pretty simple:
- 10:30 a.m. — Fly from Sacramento to LAX
- 12:00 p.m. — Arrive at LAX
- 3:50 p.m. — Depart for London
- Spend the next 10 hours and 25 minutes on an airplane
Easy enough, right?
Why Were We Flying Out of LAX?
When choosing flights, I also pay attention to what time we’ll arrive. Whenever possible, I prefer landing while it’s still daylight, especially in a city I’ve never visited.
Since we planned to use public transportation and walk from train stations to our hotels, I wanted us to have time to find our way around before dark.
Wandering unfamiliar streets with a backpack in daylight? Adventure.
Doing it after dark, tired from a long flight, while trying to figure out which direction Google Maps wants us to go?
No, thank you.
We live near Sacramento, so flying to Los Angeles before flying to London might sound like an unnecessary extra step.
But there was a method to my madness.
I have a Southwest Companion Pass, which means when I fly Southwest, I can bring a companion for roughly $10 in taxes and fees.
That gave us some flexibility when shopping for flights to Europe.
I also didn’t want to drive three hours to San Francisco before our trip—or, even worse, drive three hours home after spending 19 days traveling around Europe.
No, thank you.
Instead, we booked a Southwest flight from Sacramento to LAX and our international flight from there.
And since we weren’t checking luggage, we didn’t have to worry about collecting luggage in Los Angeles and checking in our bags or having to go through security again.
The Early Bird Gets… Something?
Our Southwest flight left at 10:30 a.m., so we headed to the airport around 7:30.
Was that early? Considering we are about 30 minutes from the airport with no traffic.
Yes.
Was I going to risk missing the first flight of our dream vacation because of traffic, parking, or an airport shuttle that apparently operates on its own mysterious schedule?
Absolutely not.
I’d much rather arrive early, get my Starbucks, find our gate, and relax knowing we’re where we’re supposed to be.
My little airport Starbucks trick: While I’m standing in the security line, I place my order through the Starbucks app and request my drink extra hot. By the time I get through security and make my way over, my coffee is usually waiting for me—and it’s still hot!
One less line to stand in before a flight. You’re welcome. ☕
We made it to LAX right around noon, leaving us almost four hours before our 3:50 p.m. flight to London.
Exactly the kind of buffer I like.
If our first plane had been delayed or had mechanical issues, we had some breathing room.
Thankfully, everything went according to plan.
Apparently, LAX Is Also a Walking Tour
What I hadn’t fully appreciated was how far we’d have to walk between our Southwest arrival and the terminal for our Virgin Atlantic flight.
It was literally over a mile from Gate 14 to Gate 209. It took us 20 mins to walk there.
Once we reached the right terminal, we had plenty of time for more snacks and waiting.
Which brings me to an important airport question:
Why do people watch videos on their phones at full volume without headphones?
Seriously.
Sir, I promise you do not need to watch that same video for the third time with the sound turned all the way up.
The rest of us are just trying to enjoy our overpriced airport snacks in peace.
London, Here We Come!
Eventually, it was time to board.
Our backpacks fit in the overhead bins—thank goodness—and we settled in for our 10-hour-and-25-minute flight.
After all the spreadsheets, reservations, planning, and dreaming about this trip since I was 18, we were finally on our way.
Allie and I were actually going to Europe.
Now we just had to survive the overnight flight.
Next Up: Day 2 — Hello, London!
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