Our Review of Los Angeles Airport

Our Review of Los Angeles Airport

At Plan Your Trips, we have analyzed hundreds of airports around the world, gaining a clear understanding of what users expect when visiting an airport. With this know-how, we have created this guide, placing passengers at the forefront of everything, aiming to simplify and enhance the airport experience.

In this guide, our goal is to present information in a manner that is both quick and reliable. Recognizing that passengers often have limited time and may be in a hurry, we strive to ensure that they do not waste time unnecessarily.

Another key focus of our guide is to highlight the strengths of the airport and also the weaknesses, and in some cases, offer recommendations to travelers. In alignment with this approach, we provide users with aggregated information on delays and on-time performance, analyzing both airlines and individual flights.

Pros and Cons of Los Angeles Airport

PROS

Location: LAX airport is located about 18 miles (30 km) southwest of Downtown Los Angeles, making it relatively easy to access.

Connectivity: LAX airport offers various transportation options including shuttles, taxis, ride-shares, rental cars, and LAX Line.

Extensive Airline Network: LAX serves as a hub for American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Alaska Airlines, Polar Air Cargo and United Airlines. It is also a focus city for JetBlue, Allegiant Airlines and Southwest Airlines.

Modern Facilities: LAX airport provides a variety of options for dining, shopping, and entertainment, including luxury stores, eateries, and lounges. It provides a number of services, including business centers, family-friendly facilities, and VIP lounges.

Efficient Security: In general, LAX airport is known for having an effective security screening procedure, especially because of the latest technology that has been used. The passenger feels quite protected both inside and outside the airport with this security check.

Ongoing Improvements: Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) is part of a multibillion dollar Capital Improvement Program that is modernizing terminals, providing an elevated guest experience, creating a safer airfield, improve access and providing long-awaited connections to regional transportation.

 

CONS

Capacity and Crowding: The airport may get extremely crowded during periods of high travel demand, which might result in longer wait times and a less pleasant experience. Overcrowding at terminals can reduce comfort and efficiency.

Traffic Congestion: There may be delays due to high traffic around the airport for passengers traveling through ride-share or taxis, particularly during peak hours.

Parking Costs: Although, there are extensive parking options in LAX airport, with high daily rates for both short-term and long-term parking, parking at LAX can be costly.

Immigration and Customs Delays: Long lines at customs and immigration, especially during busy travel seasons, could be a big problem.

Ongoing Work: The airport is frequently undergoing construction and renovation projects, which can lead to noise, temporary closures, and disruptions in access to certain areas.

Limited Seating in Some Areas: There may not be enough pleasant places to sit and wait during peak periods due to a shortage of seating, especially in smaller terminals.

Mini-Guide of the Airport (2' Guide)

There are nine terminals:  LAX has nine terminals (Terminals 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and Tom Bradley International Terminal). All the terminals are not directly connected, so be prepared to use the shuttle buses or the LAX Automated People Mover for transfers. Make sure you know which terminal your flight departs from.

Transport to and from Los Angeles: LAX is well-connected by various transport options including taxis, ride-shares, rental cars, and the FlyAway Bus service. The FlyAway Bus offers direct routes to various parts of Los Angeles, including Union Station, Van Nuys, and Long Beach. Public transit options are available but may be less frequent during off-peak hours.

Check-in Areas: Check-in counters are located in each terminal. Terminal 1 through Terminal 8 have their own check-in areas; so check-in and security processes are integrated within the terminals.

• Terminal 1: The check-in area of terminal 1 is located in departure level. Access to gates, boarding gates 9, 10, 11A-11B, 12A-12B, 13-15, 16A and 17A-17B and 18B are also from the departure level only.
• Terminal 2: The check-in area of terminal 2 is located in departure level. LAX Terminal 2 hosts boarding gates from 21 to 28.
• Terminal 3: The check-in area of terminal 3 is located in departure level. TSA Security Check and passengers access to gates. Terminal 3 is home of boarding gates from 30 to 38.
• Terminal 4: The check-in area of terminal 4 is located in departure level. It is home for American Airlines with boarding gates 40 to 49.
• Terminal 5: The check-in area of terminal 5 is located in departure level. TSA Security Check and passengers access to gates.  Boarding gates: 50A, 50B, 51A, 51B, 53A, 53B, 54A, 54B, 55A, 56, 57, 58 and 59.
• Terminal 6: The check-in area of terminal 6 is located in departure level along with ticketing level. Boarding gates: 60, 63, 64A, 64B, 65A, 65B, 66, 67, 68A, 68B, 69A and 69B.
• Terminal 7: The check-in area of terminal 7 is located in departure level along with ticketing level. Boarding gates:70A, 70B, 71A, 71B, 72A, 72B, 73, 74A, 74B, 75A, 75B, 76A, 76 B, 77A, 77B.
• Terminal 8: The check-in area of terminal 8 is located in departure level. LAX Terminal 8 hosts boarding gates 81, 83 to 88.
• Terminal TBIT: Check-in area is integrated in terminal TBIT only. Boarding gates 101 to 159, distributed into the South Concourse (gates 150 to 159), Great hall (gate 148) and North Concourse (gates 130 to 134). Also, there are the bus gates 136 to 146.

Dining and Shopping: Every terminal at LAX has a wide selection of places to eat and buy. There are a variety of dining options available, ranging from quick food to fine dining, along with stores selling shops, luxury items, travel necessities, and souvenirs.

Family-Friendly Facilities: LAX provides family amenities including designated children’s areas, family restrooms, and lactation rooms. Some terminals have play areas to keep children entertained.

Lounges: Several lounges are available across the terminals, offering food, refreshments, and comfortable seating. The passenger with connected flights or flight delays can relax in lounges.

Additional amenities: Free Wi-Fi is available throughout the airport. Charging stations for electronic devices are also located in various terminals, Lost & found section, wheelchair accessibility for disabled people and more additional services are available throughout the airport.

How we calculate On Time Performance

On various pages of our website, you will encounter a metric widely utilized in aviation and other forms of transportation known as OTP (On Time Performance). We believe that providing this metric assists passengers in planning their trips and exploring alternatives before purchasing their flight tickets.

We calculate the On Time Performance for all flights and airlines, when we have enough data to do so. In certain instances, it may not be feasible to accurately compute the On-Time Performance for a specific flight or airline due to inadequate or non-representative data, which could result in misleading conclusions.

Our calculation of On Time Performance and delay information solely relies on arrival times. This approach is chosen over calculating departure delays, as we consider arrival punctuality to be of primary concern to passengers.

The On Time Performance displayed on our website is calculated as follows:

• On Time: Flights that arrive within 15 minutes of their scheduled arrival time, or earlier. In the absence of data for a specific flight, we assume the flight arrives on time, to avoid penalizing airlines for data unavailability.
• Moderate Delay: Flights that arrive with a delay of 15 to 30 minutes.
• Significant Delay: Flights that arrive with a delay of 30 to 60 minutes.
• Major Delay: Flights that arrive with a delay exceeding 60 minutes.
• Average Delay: The average delay is calculated by considering flights that arrive early as having a delay of 0 minutes. Early arrivals do not contribute to reducing the average delay calculation

Some Stats

Annual Passengers Evolution

Airlines with more flight operations (last 3 months)

Airlines with best on-time performance at Los Angeles Airport (last 3 months)

Routes with more flights from Los Angeles Airport (last month)