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2018 -2022 LAX Connecting / Connection / Connections thread

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Old Jan 1, 2020, 6:10 pm
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Last edit by: TWA884
2018 - 2022 LAX Connections and Transfers Thread
Connecting passengers who are arriving at LAX on international flights will also find useful information in the following thread:


FAQ:

Does LAX have Automated Passport Control available for tourist visa holders?

Yes.


Does the US have international transfer desks?

No.


How can I obtain a boarding pass at Tom Bradley International Terminal?
  • The first way is the most obvious: check in online via your phone.
  • The second way is to use the automated kiosk. There are several located airside throughout TBIT and in the T4 - TBIT connector.
  • The third way is to show up at the gate or the check-in counters and get a paper boarding pass (this is not suggested for those with time constraints)

Do you have to go through security when going from one terminal to another?

Terminals 4 through 8 and Tom Bradley International Terminal are connected airside. There are Delta Air Lines shuttle buses connecting T2, T3 and the Tom Bradley International Terminal. To go to or from T1, you will need to exit and re-enter security. Please consult this link for more information.


How long will security take at Tom Bradley International Terminal?

Plan on at least 30 minutes.



"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, 4 and 6. View recent postings in this thread for more information.

________________________________________


2019 INFO

Los Angeles International Airport website.

How to enter LAX/Parking Map.

LAX Terminal Maps.

Inter-Terminal Connections.

How Do I Connect from Terminal B through Terminal 8? Follow the Yellow Dots.
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 an 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 and Delta's shuttles between their gates in T2, T3, and TBIT). Airport policy allows you to access any LAX terminal, even if your flight departs from another, with a same day boarding pass for a flight departing from LAX.


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. It is now possible to connect from TBIT to T4, T5, T6, T7 and T8 through the secured airside area - link to map above - after clearing TSA security on the arrival level of TBIT at the exit from the Federal Inspections Services facility. Alternatively, 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.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, 2015 Consolidated LAX Connecting / Connection / Connections thread, 2016 LAX Connecting / Connection / Connections thread and 2017 LAX Connecting / Connection / Connections thread contain relevant information, however, to keep them from getting too long they have been archived and the 2018 - 2019 updates are in this thread.


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2018 -2022 LAX Connecting / Connection / Connections thread

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Old Mar 22, 2018, 7:43 pm
  #46  
 
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I'm very confused -- does TBIT not have check in desks after you clear immigration? Can you only re-check bags if they were tagged in the first place? That seems very bizarre - at JFK Int'l terminal they have check in desks were you can get baggage tags printed
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Old Mar 22, 2018, 7:59 pm
  #47  
 
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at Bradley, the international arrivals flow through immigrations control and then customs, turn right, and you are in the landside baggage recheck area.

if your checked baggage is tagged already to final connecting destination, just drop the bag on the belt and proceed to your connecting departure flight terminal.

many airlines operating throughout LAX terminals also have agents at the landside baggage recheck area to assist with printing new checked luggage tags and then accept your checked bags.

this baggage recheck area will accept all checked baggage if properly tagged for all LAX connecting departures regardless of terminal.
this saves you the effort of schlepping checked luggage to standard check-in desks for the airline operating your onwards connecting flight.

i don't know where to find a list of airlines who staff this baggage recheck area and the hours staffed
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Old Mar 22, 2018, 8:11 pm
  #48  
 
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Originally Posted by Colin
at Bradley, the international arrivals flow through immigrations control and then customs, turn right, and you are in the landside baggage recheck area.

if your checked baggage is tagged already to final connecting destination, just drop the bag on the belt and proceed to your connecting departure flight terminal.

many airlines operating throughout LAX terminals also have agents at the landside baggage recheck area to assist with printing new checked luggage tags and then accept your checked bags.

this baggage recheck area will accept all checked baggage if properly tagged for all LAX connecting departures regardless of terminal.
this saves you the effort of schlepping checked luggage to standard check-in desks for the airline operating your onwards connecting flight.

i don't know where to find a list of airlines who staff this baggage recheck area and the hours staffed
My first flight is on AF and the domestic connection is AA. I'm pretty sure AF won't tag the bags (different ticket). Do you know if AA has a desk?
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Old Mar 22, 2018, 8:15 pm
  #49  
 
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AA is going to have a desk for sure
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Old Mar 23, 2018, 6:27 am
  #50  
 
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AA international to international 1 1/2 hour

I have an American Airlines award ticket for May 7, 2018

AA flight 135 from London arriving at LAX at 6:45 P.M connecting on AA 6095 from LAX to YVR at 8:16 P.M.

It seems like 2 hours is MCT but I am sure I can make the connection as I have Global Entry and a carry on bag.

Will American Airlines automatically change either my LHR to LAX or LAX to YVR ticket if AA feels that I don't have enough time for the connection.

The itinerary is under one ticket number.
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Old Mar 25, 2018, 7:09 pm
  #51  
 
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Hello,

Are there shuttle buses (past security) running?

I am trying to get to the lounge in Terminal 2 from Terminal 6, and back.

Thanks!
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Old Mar 25, 2018, 8:27 pm
  #52  
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Originally Posted by Vit007
Hello,

Are there shuttle buses (past security) running?

I am trying to get to the lounge in Terminal 2 from Terminal 6, and back.

Thanks!
There are definitely no secured airside shuttles operating between T6 and T2. There are shuttle buses between T2, T3 and TBIT for Delta passengers. You can walk airside from T6 to TBIT - there is a link to a map in the wikipost - and take the shuttle from there.
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Old Mar 27, 2018, 7:39 pm
  #53  
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Originally Posted by Colin
AA is going to have a desk for sure
AA does have a desk. They once were kind enough to put me on an earlier connection and re-tag the bag right there.
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Old Mar 27, 2018, 9:38 pm
  #54  
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Originally Posted by metoo
I have an American Airlines award ticket for May 7, 2018

AA flight 135 from London arriving at LAX at 6:45 P.M connecting on AA 6095 from LAX to YVR at 8:16 P.M.

It seems like 2 hours is MCT but I am sure I can make the connection as I have Global Entry and a carry on bag.

Will American Airlines automatically change either my LHR to LAX or LAX to YVR ticket if AA feels that I don't have enough time for the connection.

The itinerary is under one ticket number.
With GE getting out of TBIT should not take more that 15-20 min even with distant gate customs line etc..
You can get into T4 pre line if you have one but better yet use TBIT downstains checkpoint that will get you in right next to T4.
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Old Mar 28, 2018, 8:18 am
  #55  
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Originally Posted by azepine00
With GE getting out of TBIT should not take more that 15-20 min even with distant gate customs line etc..
You can get into T4 pre line if you have one but better yet use TBIT downstains checkpoint that will get you in right next to T4.
I used the downstairs checkpoint two weeks ago and it was not pleasant. (My outbound airline didn't offer pre so I didn't go back upstairs to T4). This was late afternoon.
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Old Mar 30, 2018, 11:37 am
  #56  
 
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Checked in and received my boarding passes for an international flight on a foreign flagged airline and decided to use the T-4 security since they have TSA pre-check and CLEAR (I'm enrolled in both), thus avoiding the longer "regular" security lines in TBIT.

When I reached the escalator going up to the security checkpoint, the guard asked "TSA pre-check?" to which I replied yes, held up my boarding pass, and she waved me through without really looking at it.

Processed through CLEAR in less than a minute and was then taken to the front of the TSA pre-check line where the TSA agent just waved me through without looking at my boarding pass.

It wasn't until I was in the lounge that I realized my boarding pass didn't have pre-check on it (I'm relatively certain that my airline is not a participating airline.) I"m not sure if I just got lucky or if I would have been allowed through that particular checkpoint anyway since I have a CLEAR membership and that's where the CLEAR lane is located.
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Old Mar 31, 2018, 4:32 pm
  #57  
 
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CLEAR uses the same station in T4 as precheck so you most likely would have got thru just fine.
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Old Apr 1, 2018, 3:48 am
  #58  
 
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Transfer time at LAX

So, in December I've got a flight coming in on SQ at LAX. I'm going to need to connect through to a flight, probably on UA or DL (this is TBD). How much time should I provide, on the presumption that I'm going to have to clear customs (obviously), switch terminals from TBIT, re-clear security (albeit with Nexus/Global Entry to help on both the immigration front and re-clearing security), and probably drop a checked bag? Thanks for the help.
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Old Apr 1, 2018, 6:19 am
  #59  
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Allow three hours to be on the safe side
2017/8 LAX Connecting / Connection / Connections thread

Last edited by TWA884; Apr 2, 2018 at 8:44 am Reason: Remove circular link after threads were merged
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Old Apr 1, 2018, 11:50 pm
  #60  
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I don’t have personal experience with arriving TBIT, but I’m pretty sure there is a checked bag drop after Customs (presuming SQ will tag your bag all the way through) ... the shuttle bus will probably take 10-15 min to get to T7/T8 (UA) as it will stop at T4, T5, and T6 on the way

getting to T2 or T3 for DL will likely take another 15 min as the bus will have to negotiate traffic exiting the airport roadway and then re-entering, plus the near-constant chaos around the WN stop at T1

walking from TBIT to T2 along the lower roadway is probably less than a 10-minute proposition
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