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
Aug 21, 2019, 3:32 am
#286
Join Date: Aug 2019
Posts: 2
I am flying from France to hawaii
i am flying Air France flight AF72 to lAX lands at 4:10pm, then I have my connecting flight on Hawaiian Airlines at 6:10pm. Does this leave me enough time? I booked separate tickets and I am a citizen of France and have checked bags but am seated in the front of the plane as well
Aug 21, 2019, 3:44 am
#287
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: MEL CHC
Posts: 21,122
i am flying Air France flight AF72 to lAX lands at 4:10pm, then I have my connecting flight on Hawaiian Airlines at 6:10pm.
Does this leave me enough time?
I booked separate tickets and I am a citizen of France and have checked bags but am seated in the front of the plane as well
Does this leave me enough time?
I booked separate tickets and I am a citizen of France and have checked bags but am seated in the front of the plane as well
"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 or 6. View recent postings in this thread for more information.
What terminals?
Can you change to a later HA flight?
Aug 21, 2019, 4:17 am
#288
Join Date: Aug 2019
Posts: 2
Last edited by TWA884; Aug 21, 2019 at 8:00 am Reason: Merge consecutive posts by the same member for readability
Aug 21, 2019, 8:28 am
#289
Moderator: Travel Safety/Security, Travel Tools, California, Los Angeles; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: LAX
Programs: oneword Emerald
Posts: 20,811
Hello @Chris Ralston,
Welcome to FlyerTalk!
The two hours MCT is for passengers who are connecting from one flight to another and are flying on the same ticket or PNR. Their bags are usually checked through to their final destination. Even though they still need to clear immigration and customs inspections after arriving at LAX, their already tagged bags are then dropped off at the recheck desks at the exit from the customs hall.
In your case, unless you manage to get Air France to check your bags to your final destination, you will have to take them to the Hawaiian Airlines check in counter at T5. It is only about a 10 to 15 minutes walk, but even if you were to check in for your flight online, the Hawaiian Airlines bags check in cutoff is 45 minutes prior to departure.
That leaves you with only an hour to exit the Federal Inspection Facility at TBIT from that time that your flight lands in order to make the Hawaiian Airlines check in cut off time; it is extremely unlikely. It often takes as long as an hour for luggage to appear on the baggage carousels at TBIT. You will also be arriving during prime arrival time from Europe. Unless you have Global Entry, you are likely to encounter long lines at both passport control and the exit from the customs hall.
With or without Global Entry, I would not attempt this "connection" traveling with checked bags.
For full disclosure, I almost always make it from plane to curb in ten to fifteen minutes after arriving on international flights at TBIT, however, I have Global Entry and I never check bags.
Welcome to FlyerTalk!
The two hours MCT is for passengers who are connecting from one flight to another and are flying on the same ticket or PNR. Their bags are usually checked through to their final destination. Even though they still need to clear immigration and customs inspections after arriving at LAX, their already tagged bags are then dropped off at the recheck desks at the exit from the customs hall.
In your case, unless you manage to get Air France to check your bags to your final destination, you will have to take them to the Hawaiian Airlines check in counter at T5. It is only about a 10 to 15 minutes walk, but even if you were to check in for your flight online, the Hawaiian Airlines bags check in cutoff is 45 minutes prior to departure.
That leaves you with only an hour to exit the Federal Inspection Facility at TBIT from that time that your flight lands in order to make the Hawaiian Airlines check in cut off time; it is extremely unlikely. It often takes as long as an hour for luggage to appear on the baggage carousels at TBIT. You will also be arriving during prime arrival time from Europe. Unless you have Global Entry, you are likely to encounter long lines at both passport control and the exit from the customs hall.
With or without Global Entry, I would not attempt this "connection" traveling with checked bags.
For full disclosure, I almost always make it from plane to curb in ten to fifteen minutes after arriving on international flights at TBIT, however, I have Global Entry and I never check bags.
Aug 21, 2019, 9:02 am
#290
Join Date: May 2006
Location: PMD
Programs: UA*G, NW, AA-G. WR-P, HH-G, IHG-S, ALL. TT-GE.
Posts: 2,912
I suppose the MCT of 2 hours assume tagged through baggage? If so, and you're on separate tickets, then you're blow MCT. Also, industry MCTs probably do not account for the current "border emergency" resulting in the draining of CBP personnel away from LAX.
Aug 21, 2019, 9:39 am
#291
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: DAY/CMH
Programs: UA MileagePlus
Posts: 2,474
Minimum connect time does not apply to separate tickets.
Aug 23, 2019, 5:41 am
#292
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: YYZ
Posts: 1,146
SIN-LAX-YYZ
Hi
Im in SIN now and headed in a short time from SIN-LAX then from LAX to YYZ.
All in J but on two seperate tickets.
Does anyone know if I will have to go landside or will I be in transit only?
The reason is there is a sweet bottle of Japanese Whisky I found - but its only available here in duty free. Wondering if I can take it through?
Im in SIN now and headed in a short time from SIN-LAX then from LAX to YYZ.
All in J but on two seperate tickets.
Does anyone know if I will have to go landside or will I be in transit only?
The reason is there is a sweet bottle of Japanese Whisky I found - but its only available here in duty free. Wondering if I can take it through?
Aug 23, 2019, 6:33 am
#293
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: May 2002
Location: YEG
Programs: HH Silver
Posts: 56,466
Moved to the Los Angeles forum for further discussion.
tcook052
Air Canada forum moderator
tcook052
Air Canada forum moderator
Aug 23, 2019, 7:49 am
#294
Join Date: Sep 2005
Programs: AC MM E50 , Former SPG, now Marriott LT Plat
Posts: 6,282
USA does not have any sterile transfers Intl- Domestic. You will clear US immigration and customs, then must ( probably change terminals and) re-clear security
for your next flight.
TSA will allow you to bring the duty-free purchase if it remains in the sealed bag when purchased.
See here: https://www.tsa.gov/blog/2017/05/25/...er-travel-tips
for your next flight.
TSA will allow you to bring the duty-free purchase if it remains in the sealed bag when purchased.
See here: https://www.tsa.gov/blog/2017/05/25/...er-travel-tips
Aug 23, 2019, 9:41 am
#295
Moderator: Travel Safety/Security, Travel Tools, California, Los Angeles; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: LAX
Programs: oneword Emerald
Posts: 20,811
TSA will allow you to bring the duty-free purchase if it remains in the sealed bag when purchased.
See here: https://www.tsa.gov/blog/2017/05/25/...er-travel-tips
See here: https://www.tsa.gov/blog/2017/05/25/...er-travel-tips
TWA884
Los Angeles and Travel/Safety Security moderator
Aug 25, 2019, 4:42 am
#296
Join Date: Aug 2019
Posts: 18
Hello! This is my first time posting here, so I do apologise if I’ve missed any etiquette.
I have tried to read up as much as I can, sorry to ask questions on what’s probably been covered before.
I am considering a BNE>LAX>YUL flight booked with Virgin Australia, all on one ticket. The LAX>YUL leg would be with Air Canada, and the connection time is only 2h10m.
The flight from BNE lands at 6:05 and the YUL flight is scheduled to leave at 8:15. It’s for the second week in December. We have two adults and two children travelling, and will have checked bags, no Global Entry nor any other priorities.
I know this is only *just* more than the MCT.
The Air Canada website says we need to have dropped bags off 1h prior to the flight, does this time frame still apply for connecting flights?
I can see Air Canada has one other flight to YUL that day going via Toronto. Would Virgin try other airlines if we miss our flight? I wasn’t sure how that works...
Virgin is currently offering these flights at ~$3,000AUD cheaper than Qantas or Air Canada, so I’m quite tempted!
Thanks in advance
I have tried to read up as much as I can, sorry to ask questions on what’s probably been covered before.
I am considering a BNE>LAX>YUL flight booked with Virgin Australia, all on one ticket. The LAX>YUL leg would be with Air Canada, and the connection time is only 2h10m.
The flight from BNE lands at 6:05 and the YUL flight is scheduled to leave at 8:15. It’s for the second week in December. We have two adults and two children travelling, and will have checked bags, no Global Entry nor any other priorities.
I know this is only *just* more than the MCT.
The Air Canada website says we need to have dropped bags off 1h prior to the flight, does this time frame still apply for connecting flights?
I can see Air Canada has one other flight to YUL that day going via Toronto. Would Virgin try other airlines if we miss our flight? I wasn’t sure how that works...
Virgin is currently offering these flights at ~$3,000AUD cheaper than Qantas or Air Canada, so I’m quite tempted!
Thanks in advance
Aug 25, 2019, 9:14 am
#297
Moderator: Travel Safety/Security, Travel Tools, California, Los Angeles; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: LAX
Programs: oneword Emerald
Posts: 20,811
In cases of tight connections, most airlines will provide you with an orange Express Connection pass to speed up your process through immigration and customs. Those are generally handed out on the jet bridge at the exit from the plane.
Your bags should be checked and tagged through to your final destination when you check in at BNE. All you'll have to do is drop them off at the transfer/re-check counters at the exit from the customs hall at TBIT.
Aug 25, 2019, 3:59 pm
#298
Join Date: Aug 2019
Posts: 18
Thanks so much TWA884! It sounds like it’s worth going ahead with this plan. I hadn’t heard of the Express Connection voucher before, so that’s great to know. Appreciate your helpful input!
Sep 5, 2019, 10:20 am
#299
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 12
Hi everyone,
i will travel through LAX in October - have an inbound flight from HNL landing at 6 am on UA and connect to AC scheduled to deaprt at 11:55 am.
I understood that we will land at T7 or T8 with United and start from T6 with AC.
I do have a couple of questions which came in mind which I didn't find answers so far:
- Since the layover is more than 4 hours in LAX it might be that bags will not be checked through and I will have to collect and re-check later. Anyone having experience with that? Will AC accept bags 6 hrs in advance?
- I do have *G (UA) Status. Am I right that this is considered an international ticket, so i should have access to either Unitec club (T7) or mapleleaf lounge (T6) ?
Anyone experience with that? Which lounge is to fancy more? Does any of those two lounges have showers (which would be highly appreciated)?
- Alternatively I would like to go to TBIT Star-Alliance Lounge... Will that be possible?
Which would be the best way to go there? Exit T7, make the way outside the terminal to TBIT on foot (since the shuttle will go all the way round as I understood, and will be stuck in traffic anyway, and after a night on a plane a little walk would be a good idea, too… ) ? Obviously, I Need to go through TSA at TBIT in this case. Alternatively it would be the hike T7-T6-T5-T4-TBIT through tunnel and walkways - as I figured out.
Now for the crucial part - how would I get back from TBIT after visiting the Star-Alliance Lounge airside? Will I Need to go through customs and Immigartion again (Non-US passport, no GE, visiting on ESTA) ??
That would probably a waste of time of about 60 min. and is not pleasant at LAX..
Or - is there a way to get out of the terminal (landside to T6 and recheck at TSA there) or is it even possible to use the airside-connection walkway tunnel all the way back to T6 airside (which is a hike) ? How long is the journey going to take?
or does anyone have other suggestions? (if everything fails its going to be In n out … :-) )
Hope not too much Questions..
Thanks for any adivce.
Michael
i will travel through LAX in October - have an inbound flight from HNL landing at 6 am on UA and connect to AC scheduled to deaprt at 11:55 am.
I understood that we will land at T7 or T8 with United and start from T6 with AC.
I do have a couple of questions which came in mind which I didn't find answers so far:
- Since the layover is more than 4 hours in LAX it might be that bags will not be checked through and I will have to collect and re-check later. Anyone having experience with that? Will AC accept bags 6 hrs in advance?
- I do have *G (UA) Status. Am I right that this is considered an international ticket, so i should have access to either Unitec club (T7) or mapleleaf lounge (T6) ?
Anyone experience with that? Which lounge is to fancy more? Does any of those two lounges have showers (which would be highly appreciated)?
- Alternatively I would like to go to TBIT Star-Alliance Lounge... Will that be possible?
Which would be the best way to go there? Exit T7, make the way outside the terminal to TBIT on foot (since the shuttle will go all the way round as I understood, and will be stuck in traffic anyway, and after a night on a plane a little walk would be a good idea, too… ) ? Obviously, I Need to go through TSA at TBIT in this case. Alternatively it would be the hike T7-T6-T5-T4-TBIT through tunnel and walkways - as I figured out.
Now for the crucial part - how would I get back from TBIT after visiting the Star-Alliance Lounge airside? Will I Need to go through customs and Immigartion again (Non-US passport, no GE, visiting on ESTA) ??
That would probably a waste of time of about 60 min. and is not pleasant at LAX..
Or - is there a way to get out of the terminal (landside to T6 and recheck at TSA there) or is it even possible to use the airside-connection walkway tunnel all the way back to T6 airside (which is a hike) ? How long is the journey going to take?
or does anyone have other suggestions? (if everything fails its going to be In n out … :-) )
Hope not too much Questions..
Thanks for any adivce.
Michael
Sep 5, 2019, 10:41 am
#300
Moderator: Travel Safety/Security, Travel Tools, California, Los Angeles; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: LAX
Programs: oneword Emerald
Posts: 20,811
Hello @mirfip16,
A couple of comments.
Which lounge is better is probably best discussed in the Lounges at LAX - Access, Showers, Questions, Which One? [Consolidated thread]. United has a brand new club at LAX, you can read reviews here: LAX T7 United Club (UC) -- Reviews, Experiences, Q&A, .. Club/lounge access rules and questions are best answered in the individual airline forums.
Secondly, the US does not have exit passport controls. TBIT is used for domestic and international flights. You will not have to pass through immigration and customs when entering or exiting TBIT solely for the purpose of using a lounge (that pleasure is reserved for passengers arriving on international flights).
A couple of comments.
Which lounge is better is probably best discussed in the Lounges at LAX - Access, Showers, Questions, Which One? [Consolidated thread]. United has a brand new club at LAX, you can read reviews here: LAX T7 United Club (UC) -- Reviews, Experiences, Q&A, .. Club/lounge access rules and questions are best answered in the individual airline forums.
Secondly, the US does not have exit passport controls. TBIT is used for domestic and international flights. You will not have to pass through immigration and customs when entering or exiting TBIT solely for the purpose of using a lounge (that pleasure is reserved for passengers arriving on international flights).