Some helpful hints for situations like today at LAX:

1. Take the 405 and exit on Howard Hughes Parkway, then take Sepulveda to the airport. Avoid Century or the 105, because that's what EVERYONE uses. As you head toward the airport on Sepulveda, you'll see a LONG line of cars waiting to turn in to LAX, going nowhere. Simply drive another block up and you'll see a second LAX entrance that will take you to the ARRIVALS level that was nearly empty today.

2. Follow the signs to Terminal 6. In between T6 and T7 there's an outdoor metered lot that the security folks will gladly let you either park in or allow you to drop someone off.

3. Take the escalator up to ticketing and enter in Terminal 6 (International arrivals). There are easy check-in kiosks there and elite lines for check in that were EMPTY today (the lines at T7 were an hour long).

4. Once you get your BP, use the United elite line, or, if that's too long, head west and use the continental elite line. They will let UA elites in as well. Alternatively, head up to the overhead walkway directly over T7. There's a security line there as you exit the walkway that's never that backed up.

All told, from the time I was dropped off to the time I was at the gate took me 13 minutes today, including seeing a human agent and checking a bag. Not bad considering some said they waited on the departures level in traffic for over an hour, and then another hour at ticketing/security.

The key with LAX is to use the level opposite what everyone else would be using for the time of day you are departing. For example, today, it was far better to follow the ARRIVALS signs during the day, and be dropped off on the lower level. The departures level was a zoo. When picking up someone returning from LAX, use the departures level and park in the short term parking. Trust me, it'll save a lot of frayed nerves.