Jan 1, 2020, 6:10 pm
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.
2018 -2022 LAX Connecting / Connection / Connections thread
Apr 12, 2019, 1:28 pm
#241
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: LAX
Programs: AA Plat, DL, AS, UA, IHG Plat
Posts: 2,407
Single ticket means your connection is protected. It's a big difference if you have less than 3 hours to connect from TBIT to T7.
Apr 12, 2019, 4:44 pm
#242
Join Date: May 2016
Location: ATL
Programs: DL GM, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 1,241
I haven't done an international SkyTeam flight into LAX after the terminal switches, so wondering how this will work and if there'll be enough time:
I'm looking at a flight operated by Virgin Atlantic next month, LHR-LAX, arriving at 6:35pm, and then booked on a Delta flight to SFO at 9:15pm. (All on 1 ticket)
My main question is whether there's a Delta international arrivals & baggage recheck facility in T2? Or would we be going into TBIT?
I have GE and will likely have a checked bag (and a traveling companion without GE) but I think the 2 hours, 40 minutes should be more than enough. And there's enough LAX-Bay Area flight frequency that a missed connection isn't the end of the world.
I'm looking at a flight operated by Virgin Atlantic next month, LHR-LAX, arriving at 6:35pm, and then booked on a Delta flight to SFO at 9:15pm. (All on 1 ticket)
My main question is whether there's a Delta international arrivals & baggage recheck facility in T2? Or would we be going into TBIT?
I have GE and will likely have a checked bag (and a traveling companion without GE) but I think the 2 hours, 40 minutes should be more than enough. And there's enough LAX-Bay Area flight frequency that a missed connection isn't the end of the world.
Apr 13, 2019, 10:23 am
#243
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: Over the Bay Bridge, CA
Programs: Jumbo mas
Posts: 38,638
I haven't done an international SkyTeam flight into LAX after the terminal switches, so wondering how this will work and if there'll be enough time:
I'm looking at a flight operated by Virgin Atlantic next month, LHR-LAX, arriving at 6:35pm, and then booked on a Delta flight to SFO at 9:15pm. (All on 1 ticket)
My main question is whether there's a Delta international arrivals & baggage recheck facility in T2? Or would we be going into TBIT?
I have GE and will likely have a checked bag (and a traveling companion without GE) but I think the 2 hours, 40 minutes should be more than enough. And there's enough LAX-Bay Area flight frequency that a missed connection isn't the end of the world.
I'm looking at a flight operated by Virgin Atlantic next month, LHR-LAX, arriving at 6:35pm, and then booked on a Delta flight to SFO at 9:15pm. (All on 1 ticket)
My main question is whether there's a Delta international arrivals & baggage recheck facility in T2? Or would we be going into TBIT?
I have GE and will likely have a checked bag (and a traveling companion without GE) but I think the 2 hours, 40 minutes should be more than enough. And there's enough LAX-Bay Area flight frequency that a missed connection isn't the end of the world.
Apr 15, 2019, 7:02 pm
#244
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: LAX
Programs: AA Plat, DL, AS, UA, IHG Plat
Posts: 2,407
Even if there is no bag re-check, it's not the end of the world. You just take one flight of stairs (or a longer elevator ride if you prefer) to departure and check in with Delta at T2. VS to DL is one of the easiest int'l to domestic transfer at LAX at the moment and 2 hours 40 min is plenty of time for this with GE and checked luggage on the same ticket. If your particular flight to SFO departs form T3 instead of T2, it is still just a short walk away.
Apr 22, 2019, 4:34 pm
#245
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: San Francisco
Posts: 2,348
going between T2 & T1
When I searched online, I found a write-up (not sure how up-to-date) that it is NOT possible to move between T2 & T1 airside, so I'll have to re-clear security, even though the 2 terminals are adjacent to each other. However, I just talked to a DL rep, who told me that her system shows that it is possible to move between T2 & T1 airside without having to re-clear security. What is the real answer (I'm traveling next week)? Thanks.
Apr 22, 2019, 5:07 pm
#246
Moderator: Travel Safety/Security, Travel Tools, California, Los Angeles; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: LAX
Programs: oneword Emerald
Posts: 20,639
From the Los Angeles World Airport website:
Inter-Terminal Connections
The inter-terminal bus information is incomplete, as the airside bus also serves TBIT, as shown on the linked map.
Walk
The Tom Bradley International Terminal and Terminals 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 are all connected airside via an overground passage between Terminal 4 and the Tom Bradley International Terminal, an underground tunnel between Terminals 4, 5 and 6 and above-ground walkways between Terminals 6, 7, and 8. An additional airside shuttle bus operates between Terminals 4, 5, and the American Eagle remote terminal. There are no physical airside connections between any of the other terminals.
Inter-terminal connections between terminals 1, 2, and 3, and between them and the other terminals, require passengers to exit security, then walk or use a shuttle-bus to get to the other terminal, then re-clear security. Terminals 4-8, which comprise the south terminal complex, provide airside connections, which allow connecting passengers to access other terminals without having to re-clear security.
Inter-Terminal Bus Passed Security
Bus connecting Terminal 2 and Terminal 3 after you passed security.
The Tom Bradley International Terminal and Terminals 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 are all connected airside via an overground passage between Terminal 4 and the Tom Bradley International Terminal, an underground tunnel between Terminals 4, 5 and 6 and above-ground walkways between Terminals 6, 7, and 8. An additional airside shuttle bus operates between Terminals 4, 5, and the American Eagle remote terminal. There are no physical airside connections between any of the other terminals.
Inter-terminal connections between terminals 1, 2, and 3, and between them and the other terminals, require passengers to exit security, then walk or use a shuttle-bus to get to the other terminal, then re-clear security. Terminals 4-8, which comprise the south terminal complex, provide airside connections, which allow connecting passengers to access other terminals without having to re-clear security.
Inter-Terminal Bus Passed Security
Bus connecting Terminal 2 and Terminal 3 after you passed security.
Terminal 1 is the only terminal at LAX which is not currently connected airside to any other terminal by corridor, tunnel or bus service.
Last edited by TWA884; Apr 22, 2019 at 7:25 pm Reason: Append
Apr 22, 2019, 5:18 pm
#247
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: San Francisco
Posts: 2,348
That is inaccurate.
From the Los Angeles World Airport website:
The inter-terminal bus information is incomplete, as the airside bus also serves TBIT, as shown on the linked map.
Terminal 1 is the only terminal at LAX which is not connected airside to any other terminal by corridor, tunnel or bus service.
From the Los Angeles World Airport website:
The inter-terminal bus information is incomplete, as the airside bus also serves TBIT, as shown on the linked map.
Terminal 1 is the only terminal at LAX which is not connected airside to any other terminal by corridor, tunnel or bus service.
Apr 22, 2019, 5:30 pm
#248
Moderator: Travel Safety/Security, Travel Tools, California, Los Angeles; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: LAX
Programs: oneword Emerald
Posts: 20,639
Apr 22, 2019, 6:56 pm
#249
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: LAX
Programs: AA Plat, DL, AS, UA, IHG Plat
Posts: 2,407
Airside connector between T1 and T2 is under construction right now... the colloquial T1.5.
I believe the plan opening date is late 2020.
https://www.lawa.org/en/lawa-our-lax...ax-terminal-15
I believe the plan opening date is late 2020.
https://www.lawa.org/en/lawa-our-lax...ax-terminal-15
May 9, 2019, 12:56 pm
#250
Join Date: May 2019
Posts: 2
LAX Connection time
Hello,
I'm planning on travelling from Europe to Tucson this winter. Cheapest option I found was a flight that gets me from Heathrow to LAX on the 26th of December. From there I'd be traking a Southwest flight to Tucson. Now my question. My flight from London would arrive at 7.50pm. The last LAX-TUS flight leaves at 9.10pm. Will 2.20 hours be enough to go through homeland security, get my bags, check them in with Southwest and go through security again? I've not flown through LAX before, so I'd be glad for some advice.
Thank you,
Johannes
I'm planning on travelling from Europe to Tucson this winter. Cheapest option I found was a flight that gets me from Heathrow to LAX on the 26th of December. From there I'd be traking a Southwest flight to Tucson. Now my question. My flight from London would arrive at 7.50pm. The last LAX-TUS flight leaves at 9.10pm. Will 2.20 hours be enough to go through homeland security, get my bags, check them in with Southwest and go through security again? I've not flown through LAX before, so I'd be glad for some advice.
Thank you,
Johannes
May 9, 2019, 2:11 pm
#251
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: DCA
Programs: UA US CO AA DL FL
Posts: 50,262
You do not have 2:20. You have 1:20 and that is from the time the brakes are locked on your inbound to the time the outbound flight pushes. Europe is a big place and you have not told us your citizenship or whether you have Global Entry (which also affects access to Pre-Check). You would almost certainly miss the WN bag cutoff (which requires bag checked, not being in line).
Bottom line is that you would be very lucky if you made the WN flight. More likely that you no show and spend the night and have to purchase a new ticket for a morning flight.
If cost is a concern, I would definitely book the morning flight and a cheap LAX hotel.
Bottom line is that you would be very lucky if you made the WN flight. More likely that you no show and spend the night and have to purchase a new ticket for a morning flight.
If cost is a concern, I would definitely book the morning flight and a cheap LAX hotel.
May 9, 2019, 2:27 pm
#252
Join Date: May 2019
Posts: 2
Thank you very much for your response. There was a typo in my original post, so I do arrive at LAX at 6.50pm not 7.50pm. I have German citizenship, but no global entry. I know 1:20 would be almost impossible, but how would you rate the chances for 2:20?
May 9, 2019, 3:57 pm
#253
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: DCA
Programs: UA US CO AA DL FL
Posts: 50,262
I would book this as a connection, knowing that the late-delivering carrier would rebook me the next day and provide a hotel and meals. In your case, it is a matter of risk tolerance. A new WN ticket at walk-up prices runs $200-300 on this route. If that plus the cost of a hotel and a few meals is too much to risk, I would not book the last flight out. If you can sustain the risk, then go ahead and book.
My general advice is that transfers across tickets should have 2-3 times the MCT and preferably an overnight. You don't have that, so I wouldn't recommend it. You may well make it, but the risk is 100% yours. If there are delays at CBP or if you have any immigration issues, this transfer will not work at all.
My general advice is that transfers across tickets should have 2-3 times the MCT and preferably an overnight. You don't have that, so I wouldn't recommend it. You may well make it, but the risk is 100% yours. If there are delays at CBP or if you have any immigration issues, this transfer will not work at all.
May 10, 2019, 10:38 am
#254
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 580
This would be very risky. Hard to say how busy immigration and customs will be, but the security line to get back airside could be a circus since you're traveling the day after Christmas. On top of this, you need to switch terminals from TBIT to Terminal 1, which requires hopping on a landside bus and slogging through the LAX traffic circle (or taking a long walk). If Southwest has a baggage re-check counter at TBIT you might be more likely to make the 45 minute cutoff, then again, last time I was at LAX the line to re-check your luggage was hundreds of people long (they funnel a bunch of airlines into one line, the actual baggage re-check room is pretty small).
The checked bag is what really makes this difficult. Once you miss the baggage deadline your only option is throw your bag away or take a later flight, good luck getting them to bend the rules to check in late or fly separately from your bag.
If you haven't booked your LHR-LAX flight yet, I would see if there's anyway you can make one of the earlier flights work. By my count there are 9 direct flights that day and right now you're planning on taking the latest of them all.
The checked bag is what really makes this difficult. Once you miss the baggage deadline your only option is throw your bag away or take a later flight, good luck getting them to bend the rules to check in late or fly separately from your bag.
If you haven't booked your LHR-LAX flight yet, I would see if there's anyway you can make one of the earlier flights work. By my count there are 9 direct flights that day and right now you're planning on taking the latest of them all.
Last edited by maskedmesothorium; May 10, 2019 at 10:45 am