How to Make Airside Connections Between Terminals at LAX

Yes. It is not that far.

Hello
I noticed that Shawn is not replying to the questions since 2017, so, with that in mind does anyone know if elderly individuals can go through the tunnels at LAX assisted by airline employees pushed in wheelchairs from terminal 4 to TBIT?
Thank you

Hi, I have a super tight connection at LAX (1 hour 10 minutes) and if I miss the flight, I miss an important wedding I’m headed to 🙁

I am connecting from TIBT on an international flight to a domestic flight out of T7 so not to the separate terminals 1-3 though, and I have Global Entry for quick passport/customs re-entry and then pre-check for quicker security to the domestic side at T7- do you think I can make this in one hour if I am off the plane quick??

Thanks for this Shawn. We will be arriving on a UA flight from Houston, I assume at T7, then need to get on AirNZ metal from TBIT to Auckland, NZ on the same UA tciket. Our bags will be checked through. We’ve got a 7.5h layover. Can we walk the tunnels from T7 to TBIT freely without passing through security queues? How long to do the walk? Would it be worth exiting the airport and going to the beach for a few hours, given the requirement to get back in through security?

Shawn Thanks for pictorial information.. very cool.

We (family of 5) have a flight from LAX – CDG from Terminal 4 at 7 AM. We wanted to check our bags in at AA Terminal 4 counter and then head to Alaska Lounge(Priority pass member) in Terminal 6.

How long is the walk from Terminal 4 to Alaska lounge in T6? Our AA flight is at 7 am and lounge opens at 5 AM so we will get there early.

Shawn,

I will depart from LAX at terminal B to Japan with Singapore airline and I think about to use Priority Pass to get in Alaska lounge at terminal 6 after I get in security at terminal B. Is it feasible and how much time I need to enjoy the lounge

Hi Shawn, Interesting post. I have a question on transiting LAX. I arrive from Calgary on a westjet flight at terminal 2 and have a connection to Abudhabi on Etihad at TBIT. Is there a Airside transit between these terminals? Remember that US Customs and immigration happens on the Canadian side and the bags are checked in thru to Abudhabi. I’m trying to see if there is a way to avoid the long security line at TBIT as the transit time is barely 3 hours

I am arriving on United at terminal 7 and connecting to Skywest at terminal 8. Will i be able to walk to terminal 8 on the same level, or will I need to use an escalator to go to a different level in order to reach terminal 8?

I will be arriving at Terminal 6 and transiting to Tom Bradley. I wear a leg brace and walk with a cane. What options do I have to get from T6 to Bradley without walking the entire way?

I will be making a connection from Terminal 5 to Terminal 4. I was wondering which gate the tunnel is closest to? Thanks in advance.

Shawn….Were leaving San Diego to LAX on American Eagle to Terminal 5….then proceeding to Japan Airlines at Tom Bradley International…can we use rhe tunnels or have to recheck our bags and go thru security again

how long does it take to walk from terminal 5 to 4?

Shawn, I am arriving TBIT and then will be on a flight out of T6. Is it best to use the bridge from TBIT to T4 and then navigate to T5 and then to T6, or is it better to just exit TBIT and walk outside until I reach T6 and enter there? I arrive at around 415PM and need to catch a 550PM flight. I have Global Entry and Pre Chek so I should be able to exit and go through security again fairly quick? Any advice on the best transit path from TBIT to T6 with this much time?

Next week I have two friends arriving at Terinal one on Southwest, One is connecting to Delta and the other is leaving with me on a flight on Virgin America. Is there any way to pass through security in Terminal one with my ticket to Virgin America so I can meet them and walk them back to their/our connecting flights? Thanks for any specific info you can offer, I am confused to say the least if this is allowed.

In two weeks time, I will be arriving LAX T4 shortly after 10pm with a 4 hours layoff, departing from T4 again at 2am. I probably would try your connector to reach T6 to use the Alaska lounge there (Priority pass) as this lounge close at midnight. Hope everything goes smoothly.
Thanks for your post.

Shawn, landing TBiT on Virgin Australia then to Delta at T5(aware of T4 T5 airside tunnel). I know I have to clear Customs Immigration then drop bags. Can you explain where the Sec point is for access to T4. Believe it is near bag drop. Would rather try this than walking outside along road and enter Sec at T5. Carl

Shawn, I’m arriving in terminal 4 (AA) and leaving from TBIT on a separate flight. I will likely have bags to check unless AA checks them all the way through for us which is a potential possibility due to our flying on a partner airline (air tahiti nui).

Do you know if we will have to leave terminal 4 and go back through security at TBIT, or can we use the connector? Air tahiti nui said it may be possible to just check in at the gate before flight but they were unsure of the checking bags issue. I also saw it mentioned somewhere that there may be a baggage re-check area in the connector, is that true?

Any insight into this or advice? Thanks!

Hi Shawn, I am going from Virgin America to Southwest. Which way should I go? I have 40min between my connecting fly. Do you think I have time? Thank you for your advise

I will be arriving by AA domestic at Terminal 4 and leaving from TBIT on a separate reservation (Korean air). Do I need to exit, get a Korean boarding pass and then clear security again? Or can I go through the connector and have my boarding pass printed at the gates? Thanks

Shawn, I will be arriving at Terminal 2 on an Aer Lingus flight from Dublin, so I will have already cleared customs/immigration in Ireland before arriving at LAX. Officially it will therefore be a domestic arrival. I have only 60 minutes to get to a Delta gate in terminal 6. Is that possible? I think an earlier post suggested that you have to exit security on leaving terminal 2 and then go through security again to enter terminal 6. I will have only a carry-on case and will already have all boarding passes. Is this timeline possible? Can it be done without re-doing security? Any advice greatly appreciated. John

Hello Shawn.

I will escort my 12 year old niece from San Luis Obispo(SBP) to Los Angeles(LAX) aboard United Express(UA). We will deplane at terminal 8. Her flight to return home to Peru will be from TBIT. The layover is 4 hrs.
I would like to escort her to her LATAM gate at TBIT and spend the layover in a VIP lounge.

Once I’ve deplaned my UA flight at terminal 8, I am no longer a ticketed passenger. However, I have not yet left the secured area.
My question for you is this. Since I have reached my destination and am not ticketed for another flight, will I be able to move freely with her to TBIT?

That brings to mind another question.
Will there be a boarding pass kiosk inside the secured area, or will we have to go outside the secured area to get a boarding pass?
Put simply; can we get her boarding pass without having to go out and clear security again?

Thank you,
Dave

Thanks Shawn for the info! We are making a tight connection on American and I have not used these tunnels but it sure beats having to re enter security check again during this busy holiday season.

You CAN stay airside between T1 and T2 when connecting to/from Southwest to International. A shuttle bus runs between Gate 12A in T1 and Gate 21A in T2. Takes 5 minutes and stays airside. Almost impossible to find and SWA doesn’t announce its presence onboard.

What is the fastest way to get from terminal 2 to terminal 6?

Hi Shawn thanks for the information! I will be traveling next month and it seems like that I have to head to terminal 4 from terminal 6 and I’ve got little bit under an hour (like 50 minutes), do you think the time will be sufficient for me to catch my flight? Thank you in advance!

-Edited: sorry for not being clear in my original post, my domestic flight will land at terminal 6 and then I have an international flight at terminal 4, so I guess the good thing is that I won’t be dealing with any hassle with the customs… oh and also the company for both flights is the same, in this case it’s AA.

Thank you for spelling this out for us, I can’t wait to follow your directions and prove my husband wrong! My family will be traveling soon, it will be my first international flight. We are flying

Portland (PDX) to LAX Terminal 6 (Alaska)
LAX to Cook Islands (RAR)

Do I understand you to say we can avoid security at LAX (as long as we get our boarding pass for RAR in Portland) but on our way back into the country we will have to go through customs at LAX?

Thanks

My sister has a tight connection coming from an international United flight arriving in TBIT to a domestic United flight from T7. Can she get there through the tunnels without going through TSA again?

Can you connect between international terminal and terminal 4 without having to go through security? If not can you connect to any of the other terminals from terminal 4 without having to go through security?

Shawn, THANK YOU for this article & photos. This saved a ton of time & hassle at LAX. This info left me some time to eat & shower in Star Alliance lounge before international flight. Normally I’m running outside in the humidity between terminals & going through long security lines. Ugh! Thanks again!!

Can someone confirm the validity of this information? I am travelling from
PHX to LAX (T 6)
LAX (TBIT) to AMS

After reading this post, I was happy that I will not have to go out of the terminal and I will be able to skip the 2nd security screening at TBIT BUT when I checked with Delta Airlines (who in turned claimed to have called Airport Authorities at LAX) CONFIRMED that there is no internal connection and that I will have to go out of Terminal 6, reach TBIT, go through Security Screening again at TBIT.

If someone has recently traveled from T6 to TBIT without having to have 2nd security screening at TBIT. Please let me know.

I’m flying Delta from San Jose Costa Rica (SJO) to LAX then United Express to San Luis Obispo Ca. (SBP) , can I do that without going through security again and how would you do that

How long does it take to get from terminal 7 to TBIT if I use the tunnels? I’m flying EWR to LAX, then LAX to SYD. I have a 90 min layover in LAX. Is that enough time to walk from terminal 7 to TBIT? Thanks

Reading your description of the tunnel system if I come in on United at terminal 7 it seems that going out and walking down to Bradley International is still the best bet than trying the tunnel system from there?

We are traveling form T6 to Tom B through the tunnels and wanted to know Do we need to collect our baggage to transfeer or does the airline do it.

Shawn how long does it take to walk from T4 to Bradley?

Wanted to thank you a ton for your instructions on how to get from Terminal 6 to the Tom Bradley International Terminal. My family of five, plus three others on our flight from Seattle to LAX had 1-hour to get to our international flight. These instructions allowed us to pass by what the flight attendant had told us (exiting the terminal and passing through security again) and get to our flight minutes before we boarded.

Plus they made me look like a hero. Kudos were given on my blog at lifewiththreekids.com.

Hello Shawn

This is very informative, so thank you. I will be landing via United on Terminal 8. Is there a connection between Terminal 8 and the International Terminal where I will connect with Asiana Airlines. Secondly, I am also traveling with elderly parents who have limited mobility. One parent will need the aid of a wheelchair, maybe the other parent as well since the walk will be quite lengthy. In this situation, is it still better to use the tunnels so we do not have to go through security again? I am hoping that if I request wheelchair access that there will someone who will help us from Terminal 8 to the TBIT.

It’s like navigating a maze. Damn

USA Airports, I been in zoos in 3rd world countries better organizes than USA Airports and Transportation systems.
But hey keep telling yourselves you the worlds best, I am sur ether are idiots out there that will believe you.

I just made my way from TBIT to Terminal 4 on the airside! Much faster and more convenient than going through security again. Thanks, LAX!

I don’t fly often, so when I do I’m a bit nervous – especially when there’s a connecting flight involved. I happened upon your page and the combination of text and pictures was outstanding! I made it from terminal 4 to 6 without problems and even guided some fellow passengers along the way. Thanks for taking the time to document this as you have – I would’ve missed my connecting flight without it!

G’day,

Great directions. Made it from 6 to 4 with time for a shower in the Admiral’s Club before my red-eye east.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Oh, they have also updated the white tunnel with lots of cool airline / flight history.

Cheers,
Andrew

I’m writing this from LAX after missing my flight and getting set up for the next one. I had a bad experience with these tunnels today.

I entered the airport from Terminal 2 (Or maybe it was 6, based on the information you have here) and needed to go to Terminal 4. For some reason, I had booked the flight through US Airways, but the actual flight was on American. They still printed my boarding pass, though.

I passed through security, then wound my way through the tunnels and several of the images you’d posted look familiar. I followed the signs to Gates 40-49. However, somehow I ended up leaving the security area. Either I was absent minded and daydreaming, or the security exit was poorly marked. I felt that I was paying close attention though, and don’t understand how I made the mistake.

I want to retrace my steps to see if I can see where I went wrong.