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
#601
Join Date: Dec 2022
Posts: 11
Transiting through LAX
Currently scheduled to fly from YEG-YVR-LAX-HND. Entire trip was booked through Aeroplan points, operated by AC and NH.
During check-in at YEG, will AC check my bags all the way through to HND? Or will I need to pick up at LAX and do the check-in process at ANA again?
The last time i transited through LAX was in 2017 and it was a flight from HND - LAX - YEG (all operated by Delta) and they had us pick up bags and recheck in (but this was before Terminal B was built).
Has anyone had experience with a similar route? I know i clear US Customs in YVR but will my luggage be checked through, or will I have to pick up at LAX and then wait until 3 hours before my flight to check them in with ANA?
During check-in at YEG, will AC check my bags all the way through to HND? Or will I need to pick up at LAX and do the check-in process at ANA again?
The last time i transited through LAX was in 2017 and it was a flight from HND - LAX - YEG (all operated by Delta) and they had us pick up bags and recheck in (but this was before Terminal B was built).
Has anyone had experience with a similar route? I know i clear US Customs in YVR but will my luggage be checked through, or will I have to pick up at LAX and then wait until 3 hours before my flight to check them in with ANA?
#602
Moderator: Travel Safety/Security, Travel Tools, California, Los Angeles; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: LAX
Programs: oneword Emerald
Posts: 20,639
Currently scheduled to fly from YEG-YVR-LAX-HND. Entire trip was booked through Aeroplan points, operated by AC and NH.
During check-in at YEG, will AC check my bags all the way through to HND? Or will I need to pick up at LAX and do the check-in process at ANA again?
During check-in at YEG, will AC check my bags all the way through to HND? Or will I need to pick up at LAX and do the check-in process at ANA again?
Air Canada should tag your bags all the way to HND. You should clear US immigration and customs at the pre-clearance facility at YVR, so you should not see your bags again till you arrive at HND.
FWIIW, Terminal B, or the Tom Bradley International Terminal (TBIT), opened in 1984, in time for the Summer Olympic Games (XXIII Olympiad). It has been remodeled a couple of times since then and is currently under renovations again.
#603
Join Date: Dec 2022
Posts: 11
Welcome to FlyerTalk fluffpanda!
Air Canada should tag your bags all the way to HND. You should clear US immigration and customs at the pre-clearance facility at YVR, so you should not see your bags again till you arrive at HND.
FWIIW, Terminal B, or the Tom Bradley International Terminal (TBIT), opened in 1984, in time for the Summer Olympic Games (XXIII Olympiad). It has been remodeled a couple of times since then and is currently under renovations again.
Air Canada should tag your bags all the way to HND. You should clear US immigration and customs at the pre-clearance facility at YVR, so you should not see your bags again till you arrive at HND.
FWIIW, Terminal B, or the Tom Bradley International Terminal (TBIT), opened in 1984, in time for the Summer Olympic Games (XXIII Olympiad). It has been remodeled a couple of times since then and is currently under renovations again.
Thank you so much! This gives me peace of mind. I was hoping to spend my 7 hr layover visiting a couple lounges. I really wasn't looking forward to sitting outside on landside waiting for check in to open for me.
And cool fact about Terminal B! I always thought it was a new addition but all my flights to LA were through Canada so i hadn't heard of that terminal til 2017.
#604
Join Date: Dec 2022
Posts: 4
Hi all,
I'm looking for a return flight from Melbourne to Montreal. The best option by far is by going through LAX. I would arrive at Terminal B at 6:45 AM on a Wednesday (with United), and would have to catch a flight at Terminal 6 to Montreal at 8:50 AM (Air-Canada). Traveling in Economy class.
I would just have a carry-on luggage.
Is 2h05 enough to make my transfer?
I'm looking for a return flight from Melbourne to Montreal. The best option by far is by going through LAX. I would arrive at Terminal B at 6:45 AM on a Wednesday (with United), and would have to catch a flight at Terminal 6 to Montreal at 8:50 AM (Air-Canada). Traveling in Economy class.
I would just have a carry-on luggage.
Is 2h05 enough to make my transfer?
#605
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: LAX
Programs: AA Plat, DL, AS, UA, IHG Plat
Posts: 2,407
Hi all,
I'm looking for a return flight from Melbourne to Montreal. The best option by far is by going through LAX. I would arrive at Terminal B at 6:45 AM on a Wednesday (with United), and would have to catch a flight at Terminal 6 to Montreal at 8:50 AM (Air-Canada). Traveling in Economy class.
I would just have a carry-on luggage.
Is 2h05 enough to make my transfer?
I'm looking for a return flight from Melbourne to Montreal. The best option by far is by going through LAX. I would arrive at Terminal B at 6:45 AM on a Wednesday (with United), and would have to catch a flight at Terminal 6 to Montreal at 8:50 AM (Air-Canada). Traveling in Economy class.
I would just have a carry-on luggage.
Is 2h05 enough to make my transfer?
Are you booking both segments on a single ticket? That will help in case something goes sideways.
#606
Join Date: Dec 2022
Posts: 4
Are you US Citizen? Do you have have global entry? If you have US passport or have global entry, you will have plenty of time to connect with just carry-on. Without global entry and on foreign passport, you have to assume about 30 minutes to clear immigration. And budget another 20 minutes to clear TSA at T6. You can walk from TBIT to T6 in about 15 minutes. So it is kind of close but not a risky connection.
Are you booking both segments on a single ticket? That will help in case something goes sideways.
Are you booking both segments on a single ticket? That will help in case something goes sideways.
I saw that this flight (UA99) is frequently late (20-40 minutes in average), so I think I'll just save myself the trouble and find a different route.
#607
Moderator: Travel Safety/Security, Travel Tools, California, Los Angeles; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: LAX
Programs: oneword Emerald
Posts: 20,639
#608
#609
Join Date: Dec 2022
Posts: 11
Is there a connection desk in LAX Terminal B? I am flying AC and then connecting to NH in LAX. I assume the Air Canada check in app will provide me all 3 boarding pass QR codes, but in the event it doesn't, where should i go to get my boarding pass? Thanks!
#610
Moderator: Travel Safety/Security, Travel Tools, California, Los Angeles; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: LAX
Programs: oneword Emerald
Posts: 20,639
There are shared self-service check-in kiosks in the T4 - TBIT connector building, where you will be passing if you were to go airside from T6 to TBIT. I do not know if ANA uses those.
The ANA guide to LAX instructs customers who transit from United Airlines to ANA to go to the Tom Bradley International Terminal from Terminals 6-8 on foot or the terminal connecting buses and check-in at the ANA counter if they hadn't already checked-in to their ANA flights at their departure airports. I suspect that the same is true for passengers connecting from Air Canada.
I will add that if you have access to the Star Alliance Lounge at TBIT, there should be ANA agents there who can check you in for your flight.
#611
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: Over the Bay Bridge, CA
Programs: Jumbo mas
Posts: 38,638
And also, try the machines, which are hard to miss, on the T-4 to TBIT bridge. You'll "leave the tunnels" at T4 and go up to T4, and walk over - The entire walk may seem confusing but is well signed. Don't, don't, don't leave the secured area. The last thing you want to do is deal with TBIT security unless you have pre-check.
#612
Moderator: Travel Safety/Security, Travel Tools, California, Los Angeles; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: LAX
Programs: oneword Emerald
Posts: 20,639
According to an earlier post in this thread, fluffpanda is originating at YEG, which has a US CBP pre-clearance facility, so they will be clearing US immigration and customs in Canada and their flight will be arriving at a domestic gate at LAX.