Los Angeles International Airport

Los Angeles International Airport is the primary airport serving Los Angeles. LAX—as the airport is more commonly known—is on the West Side of Los Angeles in the suburb of Westchester. The airport is one of the busiest in the world, and is a major point of entry to the USA for flights from Asia and Oceania. According to some statistics it has more origin/destination passengers (i.e. passengers not just transferring from one flight to another) than any other airport in the world.

Understand


LAX is a massive airport, with nine terminals built in different eras in a variety of architectural styles, of which the common element is that they all seem cramped on the inside (that is, relative to the size and importance of the airport). Some terminals have been renovated and look relatively modern, while others are definitely showing their age. Most were built before the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) implemented modern security checkpoints, which means the checkpoints were shoehorned into the existing buildings with very awkward results. There is ongoing construction to modernize or upgrade several terminals and infrastructure which can result in changes to the locations of airline check-in desks, airline gate assignments, and bus/shuttle stops. Expect delays getting to and from the airport. See LAXisHappening.com or follow on Twitter for construction updates and for any such changes. Check with the airline you are flying with to determine the check-in location for your flight especially with international flights as they are subject to change.

Flights
LAX serves dozens of airlines offering flights to numerous cities across the country and around the world.


 * have their own private terminal at 6201 W Imperial Hwy at Sepevulda Blvd and I-105, south of the airport runways, by Singapore Airlines' cargo terminal. No parking or valet available at this location, nor shuttle connections from the main terminals. Better to use Alto, Uber or taxi to get there.

Many international flights do not use Tom Bradley International Terminal. To avoid missing flights, always determine in advance which terminal your international flight will be flying in or out of, especially if you are connecting through LAX. Most of the time, the first digit of your gate number determines what terminal you depart from. Gate 9 is an exception, being located in terminal 1. If your gate number has three digits excluding letters, you are going to the TBIT.

Ground transportation
Arrive at the airport at least 1½-2 hours before your flight (2-3 hours if traveling internationally) as check in procedures and lines for security can be long and time-consuming.

The upper level of the airport structure is used for drop-offs (departures) while the lower level is used for pick-ups (arrivals). The lower level roadway is divided into an inner and outer roadway, with private vehicles using the outer (right-hand side) roadway and commercial vehicles (including shuttles), circling the inner (left-hand side) roadway and stopping at islands that divide the two roadways.

When departing the airport, the lower level roadway outside of each terminal is divided into zones indicating the transportation options available. The different pickup zones are clearly marked by brightly colored signs corresponding to the type of transportation you are looking for:


 *  Black  - Passenger pick-ups, including private vehicles, and UberBlack and Lyft Lux Black.
 *  Green  - LAX-it shuttles
 *  Blue  - LAX FlyAway buses
 *  Orange  - Shared ride vans, and long-distance vans and buses
 *  Red  - Hotel and private parking lot shuttles
 *  Purple  - Rental car shuttles
 *  Pink  - Airport shuttles for airline connections, Lot E economy parking, and connections to the LAX City Bus Center and Aviation/LAX station

The green, blue and pink zones use the inner lower level roadway, while the black, purple and orange zones use the outer roadway. The red zones have been moved to the upper level roadway.

By public transportation
Public transportation connections for the airport are not good. LAX is 16 miles (25 km) from downtown Los Angeles. To connect with the city's rail system, take the free shuttle bus (the "G" or "Green Line" shuttle) from the airport terminals to the Aviation/LAX station, where you can board the Metro Rail system. Or get on the "Lot C" or "C" shuttle to the LAX City Bus Center, where you can board buses to the nearby areas in Torrance, Santa Monica, UCLA in Westwood, Norwalk, Redondo Beach and Manhattan Beach. The shuttles pick up from the PINK 'LAX Shuttles' signs at the inner curb in front of each of the LAX terminals. See the below as to what transit options are available:


 * at the south side of the former Parking Lot C on West 96th Street & Skyway/Vicksburg Avenue:
 * Big Blue Bus #3/3R (goes northwest to Santa Monica via Lincoln Blvd and south to the 'LAX Aviation Station')
 * Culver City Bus #6/6R (goes north to Culver City and the UCLA campus in Westwood via Sepulveda Blvd and south to the 'LAX Aviation Station').
 * Torrance City Bus #8 (goes south to Torrance)
 * Beach Cities Transit #109 (to Redondo Beach via Aviation/LAX Station, El Segundo, Manhattan Beach and Hermosa Beach)

Click here to access Metro's bus schedules:
 * Metro 40 (goes north to downtown Los Angeles via Hawthorne, Inglewood and Lennox neighborhoods along Hawthorne/La Brea and MLK Blvd and south to Redondo Beach. Airport service is only available on the late night/early morning runs between 12:58AM and 4:23AM, during which there is no Metro Rail service - check linked schedule)
 * Metro 102 (goes east to Palm & Seville in South Gate via La Tijera Blvd & Exposition Blvd; stops at the Expo/Western, Expo/Vermont, Expo Park/USC and Jefferson/USC stations on the E Line, and Florence station on the A Line)
 * Metro 111 (goes east to Norwalk station on the Green Line along E Florence & Studebaker Rd; stops at Florence station on the A Line)
 * Metro 117 (goes east to the Lakewood Blvd station on the Green Line in Downey via Century Blvd & Imperial Hwy; stops at the 103 St/Watts Towers station on the A Line)
 * Metro 232 (goes south to Long Beach via Sepulveda Blvd & Pacific Coast Hwy)


 *  (nearest Metro Rail station) further south at Aviation Blvd and Century Freeway (I-105):


 * Metro C Line Train goes east to Norwalk and south to Redondo Beach. You can ride east on the C Line (green) Train to Willowbrook/Rosa Parks station, where you can transfer to the Metro A Line (blue) train to Downtown Los Angeles or to Long Beach in the southbound direction. Transfer to Long Beach #111 bus in the downtown Long Beach Transit Center to continue towards the Long Beach Airport or Long Beach #51 bus to the Greyhound Station (1498 Long Beach Blvd).
 * Big Blue Bus #3/3R (goes northwest to Santa Monica via the 'LAX City Bus Center')
 * Gardena City Bus #5 (goes east to the 'Imperial' Metro station in Willowbrook along El Segundo Blvd through the northern part of Gardena)
 * Culver City Bus 6/6R (goes north to the LAX City Bus Center and the UCLA campus in Westwood via Sepulveda Blvd).
 * Beach Cities Bus #109 (to Redondo Beach via El Segundo, Manhattan Beach and Hermosa Beach in one direction and LAX City Bus Center in the other)
 * Metro #120 (goes east Whittwood Mall in Whittier via Imperial Hwy)
 * Metro #625 (goes west to the LAX administration offices, aircraft maintenance hangars and airline cargo terminals at the opposite side of the airport grounds via Imperial Hwy and World Way W)



A more direct service is the LAX FlyAway bus, which takes you from the BLUE 'LAX FlyAway'  signs at the inner curb in front of each of the terminals. Two routes:
 * Van Nuys (7610 Woodley Ave at the NE corner of Woodley Ave and Saticoy, next to the Van Nuys Airport), every 30 minutes, runs 24 hours.
 * Union Station in Downtown Los Angeles (Patsaouras Transit Plaza at the east portals to the station, on the opposite side of the tracks from the historic Union Station), every 30 minutes 5am to 1am. Union Station is the largest transportation hub in Southern California, and transit in any direction can be found from there such as Amtrak Trains, MetroLink Trains; Greyhound/Flixbus, Foothill Transit (to San Gabriel Valley east of L.A.), additional LA Metro buses and trains, etc. Take a taxi from the downtown Union Station to the various other bus terminals in the nearby or in 'skid row' (east of downtown L.A.) if connecting to a bus that does not leave from Union Station. The following are stops at or nearest to the other area airports by Metorlink, Amtrak, or Greyhound from the downtown Union Station:

Click here for LA Metro's trip planner program which tells you which bus(es) and/or trains to take to get to your final destination.

By long distance bus and van
The long distance buses and vans to the adjacent Ventura, Santa Barbara, Kern, North Los Angeles (Lancaster & Antelope Valley) and Orange Counties pick up and drop off from under the ORANGE 'Shared Ride Vans' signs at the outer curb in front of each of the LAX terminals:



There are no shuttles from LAX to San Diego or Tijuana. To continue to San Diego take the LAX Flyaway bus (see above) to the downtown Union Station and transfer to the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner Train or take a taxi from the downtown Union Station to the Greyhound terminal at the downtown Union Station and continue by bus to San Diego. Take the Intercalifornias or Tufesa bus from downtown Los Angeles to Tijuana via San Ysidro.

By taxi or ridesharing
All taxis and Uber, Lyft (including Lyft Lux) and Opoli vehicles now pick up passengers from the new LAX-it lot beside Terminal 1. LAX-it was only implemented in October 2019, and the new pick-up system still has its fair share of teething issues, although the process has become smoother than when it was first implemented. Arriving passengers can either walk to the LAX-it lot, or take shuttle buses from the GREEN 'LAX-it' signs at the inner curb in front of each of the LAX terminals. Unlike other shuttles serving the airport, LAX-it shuttles serve only designated terminals, so make sure to board the right shuttle.

When requesting for an Uber, Lyft or Opoli, you will receive a code which, after arriving in the zone for the ridesharing service booked, you will need to show to the driver in order to be picked up. Taxis may be hailed normally from the taxi rank in the LAX-it lot, and there is a separate rank as well for UberPool and Lyft Line vehicles. Unlike other vehicles which may only pick up passengers at LAX-it, UberBlack and Lyft Lux Black vehicles may continue to pick up passengers direct from the terminals at the BLACK 'Passenger Pickup' signs at the outer curb in front of each terminal, and vehicles entering LAX may continue to drop off passengers directly at the terminals.

Taxis to Downtown cost $45 and take 30 min in good traffic but can be far slower (and more expensive) in rush hour. Taxis to Santa Monica cost $35, while those to Disneyland cost $70. UberX and Lyft prices are competitive with that of regular taxis.

By shuttle bus
Many area hotels and private parking lots run frequent shuttles between their establishment and the terminals. All shuttles pick up and drop off from under the RED 'Hotel & Private Parking' signs at the curb on the upper level in front of each terminal.

By car
Being that you are in Southern California, renting a car may be your best option for getting about. If you rent a car, there are around 10 companies with very frequent shuttle buses picking up on the lower level around all terminals and going to large offsite lots. If you want to compare prices, you will need to do so using the telephones in the arrivals area or on the internet in advance of arriving. There are no details from the shuttle drivers or negotiable prices. Signing up to one of the car rental club schemes can get the shuttle bus to drop you at your car, thus saving substantial time.

Most traffic enters the airport from (West) Century Boulevard exit of the 405, due to heavy traffic and road works the last mile of Century can take up to 5 minutes to drive. You can also enter and exit the airport from Hwy 1 and connect with the I-105 freeway (just to the south), which is usually less congested than the other nearby freeways. The airport operates a long-term parking lot outside of the main airport that is accessible by shuttle bus. Private companies including hotels offer many additional options and include everything from open-air lots to garage parking with car washes. For those waiting to pick up passengers there is a cell-phone waiting lot adjacent to the LAX City Bus Center where you can wait in your car for up to two hours.



Rental cars
Most rental car companies have locations along Aviation Boulevard north of Century Boulevard and along Century Blvd. Shuttle buses are available from under the PURPLE 'Rental Cars' signs along the outer curb, in front of the airport terminals (about 10-20 minutes ride). For rental companies that cannot serve the airport directly, take the "Metro Connector" shuttle buses from the PINK 'LAX Shuttles' signs along the inner curb to the Remote Rental Car Depot at Century and Airport Boulevards, where there you'll meet the car rental company's representative. Expect up to 20 minutes to take a shuttle through traffic. (See FlyLAX website for a list of available rental car companies)

This being Los Angeles, there are plenty of choices for luxury and exotic rentals in addition to the usual national and regional chains:



There are a couple of gas stations on Aviation Blvd, although stations a little further away may be cheaper.

By shuttle
There is a free shuttle bus connecting the terminals landside. The "Airline Connections" or "A" shuttle bus loops around all the terminals; it stops at the PINK 'LAX Shuttles' signs on the inner lower level roadway. If you are transferring between directly adjacent terminals, walking is nearly always quicker than the shuttle.

American Airlines operates an airside shuttle bus between Terminal 5 (Gate 52) and the remote American Eagle Terminal (east of Terminal 8).

By foot
All terminals are connected to each other with walkways on the secure side, so you can pass between them without having to go through security again. The walk takes about 3-5 minutes between each terminal, though most walkways don't have moving sidewalks. The walkway connecting Terminals 4-6 is underground, accessed from the midpoint of each terminal (respectively near gate 44, between gates 53B and 55A, and between gates 64A-B). The walkways between Terminals 1 and 2, 6 to 8, and between Terminal 4 and TBIT are near the security screening areas.

Before security, it is possible to walk from one terminal to another along the sidewalk of either the upper or lower level. A streetside sidewalk connects all the terminals. It is no more than a 10-minute walk between any two adjacent terminals (with the obvious exception of 1 and 8).

Eat and drink
Restaurant options at LAX are extremely hit-or-miss, though there is locally based and high-end dining available. A lot depends on which terminal you're in; some terminals have more choices than others, and restaurants before security are very limited. You can always visit another terminal, if you're landside, but you're in for a bit of a hike, which can be annoying if you're dragging luggage with you.

Tom Bradley International Terminal (TBIT)
Air side has several branches of local restaurants such as Ink Sack, Petrossian, and Umami Burger. 800 Degrees in the Time Tower food court area make reasonably good and fresh pizza. There are no landside restaurants.

Buy
LAX is one of the most expensive – and for restaurants and retailers, the most profitable – airport locations in the U.S. They're hoping that you'll have forgotten to buy souvenirs before your departure, or that you'll be so bored that you won't mind paying 15 to 20 percent more than what the same stores charge outside the airport just to have something to do.

Connect
As in many other large airports, a WiFi network is available in the terminals, so you can get online with your laptop, tablet or smartphone. The network name is LAX Free WiFi. You can choose between a slower version of it (free, after an advertisement) and a faster premium version provided by Boingo ($4.95/1 hour, $7.95/day). As with other airports, those with lounge access get to enjoy free WiFi sponsored by the lounge's operator. The international terminal has payphones and cell phone rentals.

Cope

 * Currency exchange booths are located post-security at all terminals except #1, and pre-security at 2, 5, 6 and international.
 * ATM's are located throughout the airport.
 * Information booths are located in at baggage claim in every terminal.
 * Information booths are located in at baggage claim in every terminal.

Sleep
The stretch of West Century Boulevard leading into the airport from I-405 is lined with hotels. Additionally, you can find many airport hotels south of the airport in the surrounding Westchester and El Segundo areas or east of I-405 in Inglewood and lined up along Sepulveda. A number of them do offer a free shuttle or for a fare to and from the  RED 'Hotel & Private Parking'  signs at the curb on the upper level in front of each terminal.

Nearby

 * Westchester — A neighborhood of Los Angeles to the north of LAX, mostly residential but home to the closest hotels to LAX.
 * Manhattan Beach — Explore the beach, pier and local restaurants, a short drive from LAX (if it's not rush hour).
 * El Segundo — Those with a long layover may consider taking a taxi to visit the neighboring city of El Segundo, which offers shopping, movies, and a nine-hole golf course within a ten-minute drive from the airport (traffic dependent, of course — this is LA).
 * Inglewood — If you're a member, there's a Costco store at 3560 W Century Blvd. It has a gas station and snack bar. It is 4 miles due east of the airport. Finding the entrance is a little tricky, as there's no Costco sign visible from Century Blvd. Take the first right past Yukon Ave. at Century Plaza by the Chase Bank, and go straight to the back.
 * Venice is 6 miles north and Santa Monica is 9 miles north. Both these cities have fun seaside shopping, dining and entertainment options.