How to Navigate LAX: A Complete Airport Guide

LAX is one of the busiest airports in the United States, with nine passenger terminals arranged around the Central Terminal Area. Arriving uninformed can cost you an hour. This LAX terminal guide covers what you need at every stage: your terminal, how to move between them, security, food, shopping, arrivals, and when to leave.

Know Your Terminal First

Los Angeles Airport terminals run from 1 through 8, plus the Tom Bradley International Terminal, known as TBIT or Terminal B. They sit in a U-shape and are separate buildings. Airside walkways connect the secure areas after security, while passengers moving landside can walk around the terminal loop or use the airport’s free terminal-connection bus.

Here are the main check-in locations currently used by major carriers:

• Terminal 1: Southwest Airlines, JetBlue
• Terminal 2: WestJet, Virgin Atlantic, and LATAM check-in
• Terminal 3: Delta Air Lines and Aeromexico check-in
• Terminal 4: American Airlines, British Airways, and Japan Airlines check-in
• Terminal 5: Additional American Airlines check-in and departures
• Terminal 6: Alaska Airlines, Air Canada, Hawaiian Airlines
• Terminals 7 and 8: United Airlines
• Tom Bradley International Terminal: Most international carriers, including Emirates, Lufthansa, Air France, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Qantas, Turkish Airlines, and others

Several airlines use separate terminals for check-in, departures, and international arrivals. Delta may depart from Terminal 2 even when checked in at Terminal 3. British Airways and Japan Airlines check in at Terminal 4, while international departures and arrivals use TBIT. Always check the terminal for your specific flight rather than assuming it matches the airline’s usual location.

For the complete current list, check the LAX airline directory.

Terminal assignments shift when construction moves gates or airlines renegotiate space. Confirm your terminal directly with your airline within 24 hours of departure.

Moving Between Terminals

All terminals at LAX connect airside. You can move between them after clearing security and do not need to exit the secure area to make a connection. That matters for tight connections, but even adjacent-terminal walks can take around 10 minutes, while an end-to-end transfer takes considerably longer.

The connector between TBIT and the domestic terminals is signposted inside the secure area but is less obvious than the domestic-to-domestic paths.

If you are arriving from abroad and connecting to a domestic flight, you cannot simply stay airside. You will clear immigration, collect your bags, pass through customs, recheck luggage if needed, and go through security again. Plan for it. Follow your airline’s connection instructions rather than assuming you can stay airside.

Allow extra time for any connection that crosses terminals. These airside paths work, but they are not short.

Every Way in and Out of LAX

Metro’s C and K Lines serve the LAX/Metro Transit Center, but the final connection to the terminals currently requires a free airport shuttle. The shuttle runs approximately every ten minutes and stops at the lower level of each terminal. Airport transportation options have expanded significantly in recent years, and the Consolidated Rental Car Center opened in March 2026. Until SkyLink begins passenger service, travelers use the free airport shuttle between the LAX/Metro Transit Center and the terminals.

The FlyAway bus runs nonstop to Union Station for $12.75 one way and departs from the lower level of each terminal. Ride-app and taxi pickups take place at the LAX-it lot, located next to Terminal 1. Passengers can walk there following directional signs or take the free LAX-it shuttle from the green stops on the Lower/Arrivals Level outside baggage claim. Permitted chauffeured services may offer inside-terminal meet-and-greet service depending on the reservation and airport access rules; confirm the meeting point with the operator before arrival.

Getting Through Security

Security wait times vary sharply by terminal and departure bank. Three programs can reduce that time significantly.

• TSA PreCheck. Dedicated lane, shoes on, electronics and liquids in the bag. Enrollment fees vary by provider; the program runs on a five-year renewal. The speed comes from a shorter process, not a smaller crowd.
• Global Entry, $120, includes PreCheck. Adds expedited processing for eligible international arrivals and includes TSA PreCheck eligibility. LAX is a Global Entry port of entry. It can be the more useful starting point for travelers who regularly return to the United States from abroad.
• CLEAR+, $209 per year. Biometric identity verification that can shorten the document-check portion of the checkpoint process. Partner and membership discounts may apply. Paired with PreCheck, it addresses two of the main slowdowns at a standard checkpoint.

Checkpoint hours and wait times vary by terminal and flight schedule. LAX publishes live security wait times by terminal, which is more reliable than any general estimate.

Lounges at LAX

Access depends on the card you carry, the airline you fly, or a day pass. The main options:

• Centurion Lounge (TBIT): Open to qualifying American Express cardholders, past security in the Tom Bradley International Terminal.
• Alaska Lounge (Terminal 6): Day passes available for Alaska and eligible partner airline passengers. Located near Gate 64.
• United Club and Polaris Lounge (Terminal 7): The United Club is open to qualifying United status holders or members. The Polaris Lounge is reserved for business class passengers on international United flights.
• Priority Pass: Several independent lounges at LAX accept it. Check the app on the day of travel, as locations and availability can shift with ongoing construction.

Hours and access policies shift, so check before you count on it.

Notable Restaurants at LAX

Many of the more distinctive best restaurants at LAX are concentrated in TBIT. The following are editorial picks rather than a complete directory; confirm current locations in the LAX dining directory before your departure.

TBIT

• Border Grill: Sit-down Mexican from Los Angeles chefs Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger. Full bar open past security.
• Santouka: Hokkaido-style ramen and one of TBIT’s more substantial quick meals.
• 800 Degrees: Neapolitan pizzas from a wood-burning oven. Fast and consistent when the other TBIT spots have a line.

Domestic Terminals

• Wolfgang Puck’s Kitchen (Terminal 6): Strong option if you are departing on Alaska or Air Canada.
• Randy’s Donuts (Terminal 7): An LA original making fresh donuts since 1952.

• Klatch Coffee (Terminal 7): A specialty-coffee roaster.

TBIT also carries the airport’s widest selection of Los Angeles Airport shopping, from duty-free and luxury retail to California-themed gifts. The domestic terminals lean toward convenience. Current store listings are in the LAX shopping directory.

How Arrivals Function Here

Los Angeles Airport arrivals empty onto the lower level of each terminal, where bags come out and the rules for waiting vehicles are stricter than at most airports.

Personal vehicles cannot idle at the arrivals curb. LAX operates two free cell phone waiting lots. The 96th Street lot at 6217 W 96th Street is open 24 hours; the Century lot is at 5800 W Century Boulevard. Both require the driver to remain with the vehicle. Once the passenger is ready at the curb, the driver can proceed toward the terminal, although traffic inside the Central Terminal Area may affect the final approach.

Rideshare services do not operate from the arrivals curb. Follow the green LAX-it signs outside baggage claim on the Lower/Arrivals Level to the free shuttle, or walk to the LAX-it lot next to Terminal 1, where you request your car from a fixed point.

When to Leave for the Airport

Give yourself two hours for domestic departures, three for international. The road loop through the Central Terminal Area backs up consistently, and weekday afternoons, particularly Fridays, create the least predictable approach on both the 405 and inside the terminal loop. Morning departures can move faster, but early departure banks still produce busy checkpoints.

The same logic applies to pickups: morning arrivals tend to clear the Central Terminal Area more quickly than afternoon ones. Check current conditions rather than relying only on the time of day.

Most of the issues that people encounter at LAX are avoidable once you know what to look out for.