Airport Bus of Bakersfield

Service between Bakersfield CA and LAX is now being provided by Interstate Bus and will resume on November 24, 2013. For more information, please visit us at
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We’re sad to see that the Airport Bus of Bakersfield is no more. We would use their services 1 to 3 times a year.
Yeah, it was far from perfect. The buses were so old, and they were normally late on their pick up times at LAX.
Still, we found it convenient to use their services rather than drive to LAX and park our car there. I especially enjoyed riding the bus on the trip back to Bako. I can never sleep well on airplanes so after a long flight I do not want to drive.
Oh well, maybe some one else will take over in the not so distant future. For now, I’ll just have to drive.

I actually have no complaints about the Airpot Bus itself, but it is CLOSING beginning August 31^st, 2013 and will no longer run. So you will need to find a alternate route! Please take note of this and if you plan on traveling after the 31^st make other arrangements.

The skinny emo kid doing the tickets is some what rude and unhelpful to say the least. I take this when I fly from LAX or if I’m going to that part of LA. (I have a lot of flight attendant friends from overseas). Otherwise, its a little cheaper to just take Amtrak bus to Downtown LA (and onward since you have to buy a train fare) which is typically the better bet for me, but not always.

FYI: The ADDRESS listed above is NOT their recent one! I HATE having to google and re-​do research so let me HELP YOU with the CORRECT and NEW address:
1717 Golden State Avenue, Bakersfield, CA 93 301
Phone: 661−395−0635
(It’s located next door to the Dollar Tree and close to what used to be Montgomery Ward Idk the new name of that mall is)
I have been using the Airport Bus for a long time now, and I cannot complain! This bus gets to point A to point B and always early or on time!
The process to get my ticket was quick, the guy just asked 2 questions:
–1.) One Way or Round Trip?
–2.) Which Airline?
***IMPORTANT NOTE***
–Your luggage (NOT your carry-​on) MUST be 50lbs OR less, otherwise they won’t carry it on the bus OR the airline.
–Also arrive 45min-​1hr BEFORE your bus departure time because it’s a HIT or MISS of how packed the bus CAN be.
–You need to be IN LINE 10min BEFORE Departure, otherwise you have to wait how many more hours until the next bus to L. A
–Time Management is a must with this, that way it’s easier for you and Airport Bus.
EASY BREEZY!
The new place seems worse than it was BEFORE. YUCK! It looks more ghetto, and run down, but it works. You gotta do what you gotta do just to get to LAX. The prices of course have gone up since the last time I’ve ridden the ABB.
I had to do ALL THIS research, if someone would only write the CORRECT review for this. They are also called COACH AMERICA now,
Price Listing:
Adult Fare: $ 32 one way, $ 54 round trip
Child 6 – 12: $ 17 one way, $ 29 round trip
Child 5 & under: Free
When I rode this bus back in 2005, it used to be $ 30 round trip, and $ 20 one way. But that’s economy for you!
The TIME for this bus however, has NOT changed at all.
Departs Bakersfield —Departs LAX (Los Angeles International)
3:00 a.m. — — — — — — 10:30 a.m.
5:00 a.m. — — — — — — 12:00 p.m.
9:00 a.m. — — — — — — 3:00 p.m.
1:00 p.m. — — — — — — -7:00 p.m.
6:00 p.m. — — — — — — -10:30 p.m.
See isn’t this easier? instead of having to do the EXTRA work?! Geezus. Hope that made your life much better huh? Now you can press that easy button! Or if this is *TOO* complicated for you, you can really google COACH AMERICA, or AIRPORT BUS OF BAKERSFIELD. It’s the first one that pops up!
The bus driver was fun, I think he’s been working there for years because I remember him being the SAME bus driver back in 2005? crazy. He was happy though to say, my station of HAWAI’I because I guess people of Bakersfield go there often huh? har har har.
I also recommend bringing a mp3 player or a good book, because it is a LONG 2−3hr drive considering the traffic in L. A! You can bring your own food, just don’t be that person who makes a huge mess. The bus driver has it tough dealing with driving to LAX and back, yikes. Props to the bus drivers here. Serious. KUDOS man.
Other than that, it’s best to get dropped off because I don’t think you can leave your car in their parking lot anymore, not like their old building, where I *THINK* you can leave your car for a certain amount of time.
Enjoy your trip! The End.

If you are flying out of LAX this is the way to go. Save money, less stress, no hassle with curbside drop-​off and pick-​up. The bus is noisy but there is always plenty of empty seats to stretch out.

The airport bus works well when trying to save some money and make the trip to LAX to catch your flight. Everytime I’ve used it the drivers have been on time. It drops you off right where you need to go and you don’t have to deal with paying to park your car down south.
Caveat: If you want to sleep on the bus, bring earplugs or headphones (which you probably already have since you’re traveling). That being said, the rattling noise of the bus will still chime through. I thought the windows were going to fall out of that thing or that the tire was going to roll off. I just cannot fathom what is making that much noise!
Also, I would definitely have someone drop you off at the station in Bakersfield. You couldn’t pay me to leave my old car in that parking lot at F St and Golden State.

Unfortunately, this bus service is the only one that goes from LAX to north of the grapevine. On my most recent trip, it was obvious they know that.
I’ve used this service many times because of its convenience and route. Most of the times, it’s pretty reliable and well… a ride is a ride. HOWEVER.
The last time I rode this bus, it was OVER AN HOUR late. The bus was to depart LAX at noon, but around 12:20, it hadn’t. So I called the station, and they said they had no idea what was going on and to just wait.
–By 12:30, it still hadn’t come so I called again (mind you, this was after a 15-​hour flight so I was exhausted), and this time they said the bus was 30 min late… which technically means it should’ve been there.
–By 12:45, it STILL hadn’t arrived, and so I called again. They didn’t answer.
I asked some of the other people who were waiting if they were also waiting for the bus, and they said yes. So they were willing to call and somebody answered. They weren’t able to get much information and were also told to just wait. So, out of spite, I tried calling again, and they didn’t answer. It was obvious they were ignoring my calls! What kind of business does that?
–The bus finally came at 1:15… with an awfully rude and unfriendly bus driver that only cared whether or not we were getting on. No apology, nothing. When I arrived in Bakersfield, I tried asking for a refund or credit (since I had already paid for the round-​trip), but they were unwilling to provide any decent customer service.
Without a single apology from the bus driver or the person at the front desk, I really do not recommend this place. They are rude, unprofessional, and careless. It seems I had a similar experience as Jena S’s experience a few years ago.

I use the Airport Bus almost every time I fly out of LAX. I can’t imagine why it never occurred to me to Unilocal it until now. It’s economical — at $ 54 per roundtrip, it is less than the cost of gas for a trip over the Grapevine and back, not to mention the cost of parking while I’m gone.
It’s also far more relaxing than spending 2+ hours driving in traffic each direction. I’ve even been known to nap during the ride, though I usually read a book or work on my phone (or write Unilocal reviews as I am doing now).
The buses are big, clean, modern, and in good repair. The seats are comfortable and well padded. There are even little metal footrest bars for the comfort of those of us whose legs are not quite Thoroughbred stature.
Check-​in is quick and ridiculously easy. The signs recommend that you check in 30 minutes before departure time to guarantee a seat on a particular bus, and caution you that they will stop accepting check-​ins 5 minutes before departure time. I usually arrive 10 to 15 minutes before departure time and it’s never been an issue.
There is a ticket counter inside to check in at. They’ll ask you which airline you are flying out of so they know which terminal number to mark each of your bags with. You can take two bags that store down below and carry one bag on the bus with you. When catching the return shuttle from LAX to Bakersfield, you walk out to the island and stand under the green and white sign that says «flyaway, buses, and long distance vans» The bus pulls up to the island in front of each terminal and the driver will even get off the bus and shout «Bakersfield» if he doesn’t see anyone approaching the bus (for those of us ADD types out there — SQUIRREL!)
If you buy a round trip ticket, they give you two «tickets» that look like receipts. One says Northbound and one says Southbound. You have up to one year to use both of the tickets.
If you are starting the first leg of your journey from LAX and do not already have a ticket, you can still get on the bus. The driver does not collect any tickets until after the bus arrives in Bakersfield. As you disembark, they collect the tickets and send anyone who does not have a ticket inside to purchase one before they return your luggage to you.
The bus drivers are very nice, and explain safety procedures carefully before we embark. I usually take the 3:00 or 5:00am buses, so the drivers will usually ask if anyone plans to read, I assume for lighting purposes. I almost always get the same driver on the 3:00 bus. He’s always perky and cheerful. Ask him about his smoothie secret recipes!
Best of all, it’s waaaaaay easier to ask a friend to pick you up at the airport bus than at LAX! Although I’ve been pretty lucky to find friends willing to pick me up at 2:30 am and drop me off in time for the 3:00 am bus.
If you’re planning to take the bus, have their schedule handy when you book your flight. The last bus leaves LAX at 10:30 pm, so you wouldn’t want to cut it too close and be stuck there overnight or have to rent a car to get home!
The shuttle leaves Bakersfield at 3:00 am, 5:00 am, 9:00 am, 1:00 pm, and 6:00 pm. The shuttle leaves LAX on the return trip at 10:30 am, 12:00 pm, 3:00 pm. 7:00 pm, and 10:00 pm.
If I’d had the schedule handy when I was booking this particular flight I probably wouldn’t have chosen one that lands at LAX at 3:15. C’est la vie.
The bus leaves from a storefront in the Golden State Mall — the old Montgomery Ward Center at the intersection of Golden State Freeway and F Street. It’s not a neighborhood I’d feel comfortable parking my car in, so have a friend drop you off and pick you up!

Makes traveling less stressful. Aside from not being able to park and leave my car in the area, it’s not bad, at all. Buses are on time, and clean. The drivers have been very nice. it’s straightforward transaction and I usually buy a roundtrip ticket in one go so it’s less time wasted once I get back. I’ve had incidences where I thought I wouldnt make my flight due to the construction on the road, but the drivers are excellent in manuevering their way on the freeway to get us all on time, which is very much appreciated. I will be using their services again.

«It could take 2 – 4 hrs delay to get to LA with the explosion in the tunnel.»
«I’m due to leave out of your bus at 7 am though… are you trying to tell me I won’t get there by noon for a flight when you won’t even hit the area during rush hour?»
«We can’t guarantee that.»
«Awesome. 5am bus it is then.»
——
Dirty bus. Rude personnel. Rude clientele.
But hey it’s one step above the Greyhound I guess… not really.
—–
Arrival at LAX? 730am.
Great. So all that bullshit about how I would probably not make it and all that and I’m stuck sitting in an airport waiting for my flight (not until 10:30).
Oh well I guess it could’ve been worse. My flight could have been canceled or something. Oh wait… It was? Awesome.

I had the worst ride of my life when Joe drove the bus from LAX to Bakersfield. I haven’t had motion sickness since I was a child, but after 2.5 hours with Joe at the wheel, I felt sick as a dog. He’d tailgate the vehicle in front, then slam on the brakes to avoid a collision, and he kept swerving from one side to the other in his lane.
The employee I complained to said Joe was 80, and about to retire, and that I could call before my return trip to learn who’d be driving. But when I called to ask, dispatch told me that information was «private.» If this is what I can expect from Airport Bus of Bakersfield, I’ll gladly take the AMTRAK bus from now on.