LAX Airport Guide: Terminals, Tips, and How to Survive It

LAX at a glance

• IATA: LAX · ICAO: KLAX
• Location: Westchester, Los Angeles
• Terminals: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, Tom Bradley International Terminal (TBIT).
• Hubs: American, Delta, United, Southwest, Alaska, plus most major international carriers.

Getting there

• LAX People Mover (opened in stages 2024–2026) connects terminals with Metro K Line at the Aviation/96th station.
• Uber/Lyft pickup is at LAX-it (an off-terminal lot) — expect 15+ minutes total.
• Avoid driving in if at all possible during morning and evening rush.

Terminal-by-terminal

• T1: Southwest.
• T2/T3: Delta (after the major T2/T3 rebuild).
• T4 / T5: American.
• T6: Alaska, JetBlue.
• T7 / T8: United.
• TBIT: International airlines.

Connecting

LAX has improved dramatically since the People Mover opened, but cross-terminal walks can still be 20+ minutes. Allow 75 minutes domestic, 90 minutes international.

Lounges

• Star Alliance Lounge (TBIT) — terrace and Asian-inspired food.
• Qantas First Lounge (TBIT) — among the best premium lounges in the US.
• Centurion Lounge (T4 mezzanine).
• Polaris Lounge (TBIT).
• Delta Sky Club (T2/T3 mezzanine).

Tips

• Park at the new Economy Lot E.
• Use TSA PreCheck — LAX security can be lengthy in T4 and T7.
• For plane spotting, the In-N-Out at 9149 S Sepulveda is the world's most famous spot; landings come right overhead.

Pin your flight

Open FlightyFlow before heading to LAX. The app's gate predictions are especially useful at LAX, where gates change often.