i0wnj00

I went through just fine at T7 at 8:30pm.
Pre check is open and it was only me and somebody else.
I didn't have to show my boarding pass, my ID was scanned and all I had to do is pull down my mask just verify it was me.

Dzigavertov

I am flying out of LAX on Friday evening at 6:30. First time using LAX to fly international in many years. I don’t have any bags to check. Do you suggest I stick to the three hour rule in terms of arriving at the airport? I have precheck fwiw. Normally I wouldn’t mind getting to the airport super early, but every minute I can use to help watch and help the kids at home is highly valued.

chrisl137

Which terminal? I haven't flown international since the pandemic started, but I've been going through security at TBIT since CLEAR has been closed at T4 due to construction. It's never taken more than a few minutes with CLEAR+Pre, and I don't think the regular Pre- lines are much longer. International travel is still way down from pre-apocalypse. The longest was when there was some issue with a person in front of me not having a scannable boarding pass and the virtual boarding pass (ID scanner without a BP) apparently only being transmitted to TSA at the terminal they were flying out of or something like that. It still only took a few minutes. I've also gone through security at T3, T5, and T6 in recent months and pre has always been quick - it's one of the advantages of the distributed airside access of LAX vs. single checkpoint for all terminals. If you're going out of TBIT you should show up earlier if you're going to get bused to the mid field.

Dzigavertov

It looks like I’m flying out of T4, gate 43. So perhaps even two hours is generous? The last flight I took, last weekend, was out of Den, and the time it took me to get from drop off to gate was like 15-20 minutes. Precheck helped a lot (I just got it), so arriving two hours early as recommended was completely unnecessary.

dlaue

The Summit of the Americas is going on through Friday. Traffic around LAX is expected to be very busy Friday, so I would factor that into your planning, unless you like anxiety.

"Traffic is expected to slow in downtown L.A. and near Los Angeles International Airport from 10 p.m. Monday to noon Saturday, according to Mayor Eric Garcetti’s office."
https://www.latimes.com/california/s...f-the-americas

TWA884

Two hours is generous. I flew out of T4 last week on a domestic flight which was scheduled to depart at 6:30 pm. I arrived at the aiport at 5:30 pm and cleared security in T5. There was one person ahead of me in the PreCheck lane. The walk in the tunnel from T5 to T4 takes less than five minutes.

chrisl137

I can't remember the last time it took 15 minutes for me. I signed up for CLEAR during the height of the pandemic to avoid having to wait in the mixed pre/non-pre lines, but there doesn't seem to be much, if any, time advantage to it over pre anymore. The main benefit seems to be that you don't have to pull your mask down. It does save time at other airports.

Polytonic

I flew T6 last Saturday evening. It was so dead, they shut down the CLEAR line. PreCheck had one group in front of me (some foreign tourists who got confused and should have gone to regular security).

CLEAR is nice since you don't have to present ID.

Dzigavertov

thanks for the tip, I didn’t know this. Had to laugh, though, because “traffic is expected to slow” in LA, well, the comment speaks for itself.

Dzigavertov

meaning you go through faster than that? Wow, that’s amazing.

thanks for all the insights…I don’t like wasting more time away from the family as necessary, especially given its my young one’s birthday this weekend. Much appreciated. I’ll still aim to get over an hour early or so, but not three.

chrisl137

Usually 5 minutes or less from curb to airside.

Dzigavertov

Brilliant.

Looks like now it’s saying Terminal B for tomorrow.

chrisl137

That's one of the longer times, but it's because it's a bit of a hike from the curb to security.

Check the gate and make sure you don't need to get there early enough for a bus ride.

(ETA: if you were at 4 before, and at B now, that probably means you're on AA and I think they use gates in the main B terminal. I also had a flight recently on AA where it said B something at check-in and then moved to 4 by the time I was headed to the airport in the morning. So double check in the morning.)

Dzigavertov

Yes, it's AA, gate 153. I'm planning on leaving the house at about 3:00PM, which I hope gives me plenty of time for my 6:30 flight.

TWA884

AFAIK, currently, AA's evening international departures from LAX are to LHR. Flight 134 tomorrow is now scheduled to depart from Gate 159. This may change several more times in the next 21 hours.