Last edit by: TWA884
2016 LAX Connecting / Connection / Connections thread
The prior threads on this topic, 2012 - "Consolidated Questions About Connecting at LAX" thread, 2013 Consolidated LAX Connecting / Connection / Connections thread, 2014 Consolidated LAX Connecting / Connection / Connections thread and 2015 Consolidated LAX Connecting / Connection / Connections thread contain relevant information, however, to keep them from getting too long, 2016 updates are below.
NOTES:
"Published" Minimum Connect Time (MCT) international to domestic at LAX is 2 hours. Numerous LAX regulars advise that 3 hours is much safer. Wait times for incoming immigration and customs services are very inconsistent. While the vast majority of international flights arrive at the newly remodeled Tom Bradley Terminal, some airlines use older customs facilities in Terminal 2 or 6. View recent postings in this thread for more information.
T4 to T5 tunnel and a secure airside walkway between T4 and TBIT are now open. It is possible now to connect from T4, T5, T6, T7 and T8 to TBIT without exiting security.
In T-4, the access to the tunnel via an escalator and an elevator at the center of the terminal under the Terminal Transfer sign (it was formerly designated Gate 44). Take the escalator down to the transfer bus gate, then turn left and take the escalator down towards baggage claim. At the bottom of the escalator make a U turn to the right and enter through the double doors. Please consult the terminals maps for the location of the tunnel in terminals 5 and 6.
A secure airside walkway, which is on the top level of a airside connector between T4 and TBIT opened in February 2016; it is accessed by Gate 41 in T4 and near the Qantas Lounge in TBIT. The complete project, including a TSA checkpoint, a bus port and a checked baggage inspection area, was expected to finished by the end of May 2016 (but it is yet to open as of early June). More details here: LAX Terminal 4 Connector
________________________________________
2016 INFO
Los Angeles International Airport website
PDF Map of LAX airport and vicinity parking and cell phone lot
Airline Location Map
Links to individual terminals maps
Only terminals 4 through 8 and Tom Bradley International Terminal are connected airside (through tunnels between terminals 4, 5 and 6, above ground hallways between terminals 6, 7 and 8, and a newly-opened above-ground connector between terminal 4 and TBIT). There are occasional airside shuttles elsewhere, but are subject to change (e.g. AA to American eagle, afternoon AA to TBIT Qantas). Airport policy allows you to gain admission airside to a terminal you are not departing from with an ID and a same day boarding pass, but anecdotal reports indicate that sometimes this is not honored by security personnel.
Tom Bradley International Terminal serves most, but not all, foreign airlines.
In most instances, international arrivals require processing USDHS-CBP (immigration, recovering baggage and processing customs); if you are going on in your travels, there is a baggage recheck counter as you exit customs. This can be fairly rapid if you have Global Entry or are arriving at a slack period, but it can take 60-90 minutes if you are arriving during a busy arrivals period.
After clearing customs and immigration, you must exit to landside and proceed to your next terminal. You may take the free shuttle busses, which only proceed anti / counter clockwise direction (In Order: 1-2-3-TBIT-4-5-6-7-8), or you can walk. At ground level you will be sheltered by the overhead departures-serving roadway, but be exposed to vehicle fumes and cigarette smoke; on the departures level, you will be exposed to the weather. It should take no more than 5 minutes to walk from one adjacent terminal to another, but it can take significantly longer to walk between distant terminals - as long as 15 - 20 minutes.
Last updated 2 June 2016 by TWA884
2016 LAX Connecting / Connection / Connections thread
#61
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: USA
Programs: UA 1K/*G, Hyatt Globalist, Bonvoy BS, Hertz & Avis Pres
Posts: 653
TBIT Security Lines
We'll be connecting international to international at LAX next month. Arriving from CUN and connecting to Eva Airways to Taipei. (We have PreCheck, though I know TBIT does not have dedicated PreCheck lanes, and I doubt EVA will recognize or print our PreCheck on the Eva boarding pass.) We are *Gold and may be in business class.
What is TBIT security like around 8-9pm on Sunday nights? Can anyone speak from experience?
Are there separate lines for Star Alliance Gold or business class passengers?
Thanks.
What is TBIT security like around 8-9pm on Sunday nights? Can anyone speak from experience?
Are there separate lines for Star Alliance Gold or business class passengers?
Thanks.
#62
Moderator: Travel Safety/Security, Travel Tools, California, Los Angeles; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: LAX
Programs: oneword Emerald
Posts: 20,650
We'll be connecting international to international at LAX next month. Arriving from CUN and connecting to Eva Airways to Taipei. (We have PreCheck, though I know TBIT does not have dedicated PreCheck lanes, and I doubt EVA will recognize or print our PreCheck on the Eva boarding pass.) We are *Gold and may be in business class.
What is TBIT security like around 8-9pm on Sunday nights? Can anyone speak from experience?
Are there separate lines for Star Alliance Gold or business class passengers?
Thanks.
What is TBIT security like around 8-9pm on Sunday nights? Can anyone speak from experience?
Are there separate lines for Star Alliance Gold or business class passengers?
Thanks.
EVA is not a Pre✓ participating airline, so even if there were Pre✓ lanes at TBIT your boarding pass would not have the Pre✓ designation.
The good news now that the TBIT T4 connector is open, you can clear security at any of the terminals on the south side of the airport and proceed to TBIT airside.
#63
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: USA
Programs: UA 1K/*G, Hyatt Globalist, Bonvoy BS, Hertz & Avis Pres
Posts: 653
8 - 9 pm is amongst the busiest time at TBIT.
EVA is not a Pre✓ participating airline, so even if there were Pre✓ lanes at TBIT your boarding pass would not have the Pre✓ designation.
The good news now that the TBIT T4 connector is open, you can clear security at any of the terminals on the south side of the airport and proceed to TBIT airside.
EVA is not a Pre✓ participating airline, so even if there were Pre✓ lanes at TBIT your boarding pass would not have the Pre✓ designation.
The good news now that the TBIT T4 connector is open, you can clear security at any of the terminals on the south side of the airport and proceed to TBIT airside.
Are there priority lines at TBIT for *Gold or Business Class? Are they any better?
Last edited by NgatesSEA; Mar 13, 2016 at 7:24 pm
#64
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: LAX
Programs: AA Plat, DL, AS, UA, IHG Plat
Posts: 2,407
Hi guys!
I will be flying from SYD to LAX on the 18th of March, flight AA72 arriving at 06:50am.
I have a 3hr 10 minute connection time to my flight AA2090 TO Nashville.
Is this enough time to clear immigration/pick up luggage/clear customs?
Is the time I arrive a busy time with lots of flights?
Thanks!
I will be flying from SYD to LAX on the 18th of March, flight AA72 arriving at 06:50am.
I have a 3hr 10 minute connection time to my flight AA2090 TO Nashville.
Is this enough time to clear immigration/pick up luggage/clear customs?
Is the time I arrive a busy time with lots of flights?
Thanks!
Immigration will be a little busy and may have lines for foreigner visitors (several flights from Australia and Asia land around that time) but if you are US citizen, you will go through the self-service kiosks which move fast.
#65
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: LAX
Programs: AA Plat, DL, AS, UA, IHG Plat
Posts: 2,407
Everyone get in the same 2 lines (one north of check in hall, one south) which funnels you to about 20 TSA lanes on either side. It's usually not a long wait.
The only skip ahead line is for crew and employees.
If you are OneWorld elite, you can use the T4 TSA which may have shorter lines for elites but by the time you walked all the way from the back of TBIT to T4 TSA, you most likely would have cleared TSA in TBIT.
#66
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Oakland
Programs: AA Explat, UA former 1K + PremExec, DL
Posts: 1,151
We'll be connecting international to international at LAX next month. Arriving from CUN and connecting to Eva Airways to Taipei. (We have PreCheck, though I know TBIT does not have dedicated PreCheck lanes, and I doubt EVA will recognize or print our PreCheck on the Eva boarding pass.) We are *Gold and may be in business class.
What is TBIT security like around 8-9pm on Sunday nights? Can anyone speak from experience?
Are there separate lines for Star Alliance Gold or business class passengers?
Thanks.
What is TBIT security like around 8-9pm on Sunday nights? Can anyone speak from experience?
Are there separate lines for Star Alliance Gold or business class passengers?
Thanks.
As was pointed out, you could clear security at T4 (AA) T5 (DL) or T6/7 (UA/AS) and walk airside to TBIT. T4 is the closest from TBIT if you are checking in at TBIT for the EVA flight.
#67
And if you do decide to try T4 and there's a line at the bottom of the escalators, you should take the elevator from the check-in level to the departures level. The elevator is located inside, but where the end of the skybridge would be, in the middle part of the building. This will bypass the escalator dragons.
#68
Join Date: Oct 2013
Programs: *G, Asiana, Hertz
Posts: 5
TBIT - T7 Connection Question
I am flying into TBIT (Asiana Seoul) and transferring to terminal 7 (United). So just so I understand, my bags will be checked through to my final destination. But upon exiting the my Asiana flight from Seoul at TBIT I will go through Immigration-Customs-Pick up my bags-Recheck them and then continue to terminal 7 without going through security again? leaving in 2 days
#69
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: St. Louis, MO - AA PLT/2.98MM (Lifetime PLT), Delta PM, SPG Gold, AMEX Plat
Programs: TW Elite (RIP), CO OnePass
Posts: 1,923
I am flying into TBIT (Asiana Seoul) and transferring to terminal 7 (United). So just so I understand, my bags will be checked through to my final destination. But upon exiting the my Asiana flight from Seoul at TBIT I will go through Immigration-Customs-Pick up my bags-Recheck them and then continue to terminal 7 without going through security again? leaving in 2 days
Greg
#70
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: St. Louis, MO
Posts: 1,413
No. You will have to re-clear security after Immigration and Customs.
Remember, they allow guns and other weapons in checked bags. Once "reunited" with your checked bags, you always have to re-clear security.
Remember, they allow guns and other weapons in checked bags. Once "reunited" with your checked bags, you always have to re-clear security.
Last edited by zachary; Mar 29, 2016 at 7:46 am Reason: Edited to add: GregL beat me to the answer
#71
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: YYF/YLW
Programs: AA, DL, AS, VA, WS Silver
Posts: 5,951
I am flying into TBIT (Asiana Seoul) and transferring to terminal 7 (United). So just so I understand, my bags will be checked through to my final destination. But upon exiting the my Asiana flight from Seoul at TBIT I will go through Immigration-Customs-Pick up my bags-Recheck them and then continue to terminal 7 without going through security again? leaving in 2 days
But this isn't relevant to American Airlines at all.
#72
Join Date: Oct 2013
Programs: *G, Asiana, Hertz
Posts: 5
Thanks! But the rechecking of my bags happens in TBIT and then I go through security again at Terminal 7? Im going to have a two year old with me, so Im just trying to get everything settled before I head out!
#73
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: YYF/YLW
Programs: AA, DL, AS, VA, WS Silver
Posts: 5,951
See my comment above (probably posted while you were typing) about clearing security.
#74
Join Date: Oct 2013
Programs: *G, Asiana, Hertz
Posts: 5
Oh shoot, I thought this was the general LAX connection forum...Please delete...but thank you for the help! It was much appreciated...
#75
Moderator: Travel Safety/Security, Travel Tools, California, Los Angeles; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: LAX
Programs: oneword Emerald
Posts: 20,650