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2018 -2022 LAX Connecting / Connection / Connections thread

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Old Jan 1, 2020, 6:10 pm
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
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 Dec 17, 2018, 5:42 pm
  #196  
 
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Arriving from LAS (LHR-LAS-LAX) at scheduled at 10:15pm on a domestic flight on American (T4 presumably), we will likely have a couple of bags. All of us have Global Entry so should be eligible for TSA pre.

How crazy is it to expect to transfer to an Alaska flight (LAX-SFO) scheduled for 11:30pm?

FWIW this is on New Year's Eve. Since these are separate reservations (I have not made the second one yet), I don't think we'll be able to through-check the bags, as AS will want bag fees.
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Old Dec 17, 2018, 6:00 pm
  #197  
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American does not through-check bags on separate PNR's.

I rarely see bags arriving on the luggage carousels at AA's LAX terminals sooner than half an hour after the flights block in (I rarely check bags - only when forced to gate checked on full flights - but I have waited for others who travel with checked bags).

It only takes 3-10 minutes to walk from T4 or T5 to T6, however, depending whether your flight arrives on time and how long it takes to get your bags, you may miss the Alaska Airlines bags check in cutoff (40 minutes).
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Old Dec 17, 2018, 6:06 pm
  #198  
 
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Thanks, this just seems to close for comfort. The flights the next morning are $100/pp more expensive
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Old Dec 17, 2018, 6:22 pm
  #199  
 
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Originally Posted by rj123456
Arriving from LAS (LHR-LAS-LAX) at scheduled at 10:15pm on a domestic flight on American (T4 presumably), we will likely have a couple of bags. All of us have Global Entry so should be eligible for TSA pre.

How crazy is it to expect to transfer to an Alaska flight (LAX-SFO) scheduled for 11:30pm?

FWIW this is on New Year's Eve. Since these are separate reservations (I have not made the second one yet), I don't think we'll be able to through-check the bags, as AS will want bag fees.
you should no show las-lax and buy las-sfo
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Old Dec 17, 2018, 8:01 pm
  #200  
 
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Originally Posted by Colin


you should no show las-lax and buy las-sfo
I almost did that until I remembered that the other ticket is LHR-LAS-LAX;SFO-LHR which would have blown away my return.
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Old Dec 19, 2018, 1:28 pm
  #201  
 
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1:15 is enough to make it from T4/5 to T6 to catch the Alaska flight if you don't have checked luggage.

So that's the question... can you skip checking luggage at LHR (or re-check at LAS) and just carry on whatever you have?
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Old Dec 19, 2018, 1:34 pm
  #202  
 
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Originally Posted by bzcat
1:15 is enough to make it from T4/5 to T6 to catch the Alaska flight if you don't have checked luggage.

So that's the question... can you skip checking luggage at LHR (or re-check at LAS) and just carry on whatever you have?
That's the problem, trying to convince my spouse to travel light
Without carryons esp with the airside connector, AA to AS should be fine, unless the incoming flight is delayed.

It turns out that AA (eagle) has a 11:00 departure from LAX that is expensive but available as an award for 7.5K/pp. Will AA through check baggage to SFO (either at LHR or LAS) if I show them the confirmations?
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Old Dec 19, 2018, 2:02 pm
  #203  
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Originally Posted by rj123456
It turns out that AA (eagle) has a 11:00 departure from LAX that is expensive but available as an award for 7.5K/pp. Will AA through check baggage to SFO (either at LHR or LAS) if I show them the confirmations?
I linked the American Airlines through checked baggage policy when traveling on separate tickets in my earlier message.
In any event, that question is best discussed in the following thread in the American Airlines forum:
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Old Dec 19, 2018, 2:05 pm
  #204  
 
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Originally Posted by TWA884
I linked the American Airlines through checked baggage policy when traveling on separate tickets in my earlier message.
In any event, that question is best discussed in the following thread in the American Airlines forum:
Thanks, my bad. I had assumed that the through check policy you quoted only applied to interline through checking, not AA to AA.
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Old Dec 19, 2018, 2:22 pm
  #205  
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Originally Posted by rj123456
Thanks, my bad. I had assumed that the through check policy you quoted only applied to interline through checking, not AA to AA.
It is poorly written, so I understand your confusion. Based upon extensive discussion in the AA thread that I linked, it would appear that the policy is equally applicable to AA to AA through checking.
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Old Dec 19, 2018, 2:48 pm
  #206  
 
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Originally Posted by TWA884
It is poorly written, so I understand your confusion. Based upon extensive discussion in the AA thread that I linked, it would appear that the policy is equally applicable to AA to AA through checking.
Thanks for the link. If I had been patient I would have seen the table image attached there and that is actually clear. If I can simplify it, AA - Anyone (AA/OW/Codeshare), with the same PNR, through checking; with different PNRs, NO through checking of bags. With a codeshare, EVEN WITH ONE PNR, no through checking of bags. The last one IMHO just shows how bogus the whole codeshare idea is.
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Old Jan 3, 2019, 5:33 am
  #207  
 
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2020 - 2022 LAX Connections and Transfers Thread

Hello

I'm flying at the end of the month LAX-HNL on the 19.45 flight (aa) - a redemption ticket. I need to get to LAX from PHX to meet that flight, but I'll be self-connecting, with baggage (sigh). Is the flgiht that lands at 18:34 (1 hr 11 mins) too ambitious? It'd be aa - to - aa and I have (supposedly) priority baggage with emerald status, but I'd have to go grab my bag, then re-check it

Thanks!
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Old Jan 3, 2019, 9:25 am
  #208  
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Originally Posted by 5lab
Hello

I'm flying at the end of the month LAX-HNL on the 19.45 flight (aa) - a redemption ticket. I need to get to LAX from PHX to meet that flight, but I'll be self-connecting, with baggage (sigh). Is the flgiht that lands at 18:34 (1 hr 11 mins) too ambitious? It'd be aa - to - aa and I have (supposedly) priority baggage with emerald status, but I'd have to go grab my bag, then re-check it

Thanks!
Doesn't meet my comfort tolerance.

American will not check your luggage through from PHX to HNL when flying on separate PNR's. On the rare occasion that I had to check bags, they seldom appeared on the luggage carousel at LAX sooner than half an hour after my flight blocked in. AA cutoff time for checking bags at LAX is 45 minutes (19:00 for your flight to HNL).
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Old Jan 3, 2019, 1:41 pm
  #209  
 
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Highly recommend 2 hours if you are self-connecting with checked luggage.

It's a big roll of dice to see if your luggage comes out first. And if you don't have precheck, there is almost no hope for you to get airside before last call for boarding.
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Old Jan 7, 2019, 12:43 pm
  #210  
 
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Question on LAX connection. The int'l and domestic flights would be on 2 separate tickets, although both on AA/JL

Flying AUS>LAX on AA, usually arrives at Terminal 5. Scheduled arrival is 10:23. I then have an outbound flight on JL/AA at either 11:50 or 12pm from TBIT. No luggage, and I have pre-check. Enough time? And will I have to clear security again or can I just walk from Terminal 5 to TBIT. Earlier flight arrives at 7:25AM, which seems like a lot.. And while on the topic, anyone have a preference for AA 169 on 787 or JL 61 on 777 in business class?

On the way back, would be arriving on JAL 62 at 10AM, clear customs, then connect to AA at 12:50. Just shy of 3 hours to clear int'l-> domestic (no global entry). Once again, separate tickets but no luggage. Thoughts?
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