Los Angeles LAX Airport Guide: Terminals, Transport and Tips

Quick answer: As of November 2026, LAX runs Terminals 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7 and 8 plus the Tom Bradley International Terminal. Terminal 5 closed on October 28, 2025 to be rebuilt. The Automated People Mover train is not carrying passengers yet, with service expected in early 2027 at the earliest. Until it opens, use the free shuttles to LAX-it for taxis and rideshare, and to the LAX/Metro Transit Center for rail.

Facts checked November 2026. Schedules and entry rules change, so confirm with the airline and the official government site before you travel.

LAX at a glance

Which airlines use which LAX terminal

Terminal 1: Southwest, JetBlue, Allegiant, Breeze, Frontier, Sun Country and Viva Aerobus. Terminal 2: Spirit, WestJet, Condor and Virgin Atlantic. Terminal 3: Delta and Aeromexico.

Terminal 4: American Airlines, which also uses gates at Tom Bradley. Terminal 6: Alaska, Hawaiian and Air Canada. Terminals 7 and 8: United and United Express.

Tom Bradley International Terminal sits in the middle of the horseshoe, between Terminals 3 and 4, and handles most long-haul international airlines, including British Airways, Emirates, Lufthansa, Qantas, Singapore Airlines and Turkish Airlines. Some of its flights board at the West Gates, the 200-series gates, which you reach by walking through from Tom Bradley.

Terminal 5 closed on October 28, 2025 so it can be demolished and rebuilt. Its airlines moved out: JetBlue to Terminal 1, Spirit to Terminal 2, and American to Terminal 4 and Tom Bradley. Older bookings and maps may still show Terminal 5, so check the airline app on the day you fly.

The terminals form a U-shaped horseshoe around one-way loop roads, with an upper level for departures and a lower level for arrivals. Terminal 1 is the first stop on the loop and Terminal 8 is near the end. If you are dropped at the wrong terminal, walking along the curb to the next one is often faster than going round the loop again.

The people mover and LAX-it

The Automated People Mover is a train above the terminal loop. It will link the terminals with parking, the rental car center, the Metro station and pickup areas. It has run without passengers since April 20, 2026. In September 2026 the contractor's filing set completion for December 8. After that the system needs 30 days of testing and an independent review, so passenger service is expected in January 2027 at the earliest, and the filing warned the date could slip again.

Until then, standard Uber and Lyft rides and taxis pick up only at LAX-it, a lot east of Terminal 1. Free LAX-it shuttles stop on the lower level, the arrivals level, of every terminal. From Terminals 1 and 2 the walk is often faster. Premium rideshare classes and permitted car services can still pick up at the terminal curb. Allow extra time for the LAX-it transfer at busy times.

Metro rail, FlyAway buses and driving

The LAX/Metro Transit Center opened on June 6, 2025 at Aviation Boulevard and 96th Street. It is the airport station for the Metro C and K Lines, with connections across the Metro network to downtown Los Angeles, Santa Monica and Hollywood. A free airport shuttle runs between the station and the lower level of every terminal about every 10 minutes.

FlyAway buses run nonstop between LAX and Union Station downtown, and between LAX and Van Nuys in the San Fernando Valley. The trip time to Union Station depends heavily on freeway traffic.

Traffic on the terminal loop is often slow, so give yourself extra time if someone is dropping you off. At peak hours, the shuttle to LAX-it or the Metro Transit Center can be quicker than a car pickup at the curb.

How early to arrive and security

Airlines generally advise arriving 2 hours before a domestic flight and 3 hours before an international one. Allow extra time for traffic on the airport loop at peak times, especially Friday and Sunday afternoons.

TSA PreCheck lanes are available, and CLEAR operates at several checkpoints. If you have an early flight from Tom Bradley, allow for long check-in lines at the airline counters as well as security.

Check-in counters for long-haul flights from Tom Bradley often close 60 minutes before departure, and some airlines close earlier. Check your airline's deadline, particularly if you are checking bags.

Lounges by terminal

Tom Bradley has the largest choice: the Star Alliance Lounge, the oneworld Business Lounge, the Qantas First Lounge, the SkyTeam lounge run with Korean Air, the Emirates Lounge, the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse and the American Express Centurion Lounge. A Chase Sapphire Lounge is planned but has no opening date. Air France has a lounge at the West Gates.

Terminal 3 has the Delta One Lounge and a Delta Sky Club. Terminal 4 has American's Admirals Club and Flagship Lounge. Terminal 6 has the Alaska Lounge and the Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge. Terminal 7 has a United Club and the United Polaris lounge.

Connecting at LAX

Some terminals are linked airside: Delta's Terminal 3 connects to Tom Bradley, and American's Terminal 4 connects to Tom Bradley as well. Other moves mean leaving security and walking along the loop or taking a shuttle, then going through security again. On separate tickets, allow at least 3 hours.

Arriving from abroad, you clear immigration and customs at Tom Bradley or your arrival terminal, collect your bags and check them in again for a domestic flight. Global Entry and Mobile Passport Control can shorten the wait.

LAX offers free Wi-Fi across the terminals. On a long layover, Tom Bradley has the widest range of food and seating.

If a delay means you will miss a connection, talk to your airline before you leave the terminal you arrived in.

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