Airport Name
Los Angeles International Airport
Airport Location
The airport is located 16 miles southwest of Los Angeles.
Terminals
9 (including the Tom Bradley International Terminal)
IATA Code
LAX
Telephone
855 463 5252 (24-hour recorded information)
Airport Overview
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) is located 16 miles southwest of downtown Los Angeles. As the sixth-busiest airport in the world, it’s hardly surprising that LAX serves as a primary gateway to this region of the United States. Flights to Los Angeles International Airport arrive daily from major international hubs across Europe, Asia, Africa and South America.
Los Angeles International has nine terminal buildings and on average it serves approximately 60 million passengers per year, and handles more than 600,000 aircraft take-offs and landings. Currently there is a project underway to build an additional terminal building west from the Tom Bradley International Terminal. The terminal will have ten gates, and is expected to be completed in 2012.
As this is a busy mega-airport, queues can be long and chaotic. The best thing to do would be to give yourself plenty of time to get all of the hassles of checking in and clearing customs over with, and then relax at one of the restaurants or pubs and get a nice big meal and a refreshing drink. Then, if you still have some time to spare, you could do a little gift shopping for that special someone.
Terminal Transfer
There is a shuttle that transports passengers between terminals. Passengers will generally be required to exit security, take a shuttle, and clear security at the next terminal. This could be a bit time-consuming, and should be taken into account when booking connecting flights.
Getting into Town
Train: The Metro Green Line Aviation Station is situated near the airport. Passengers can take the free shuttle service which runs between each terminal building and the station. If you want to use this service, you’ll need to wait under the LAX Shuttle & Airline Connections sign outside the terminal buildings and catch the G Shuttle.
Bus: There are a variety of buses that service the airport, transporting passengers to various locations in and around Los Angeles. The C Shuttle, which can also be caught under the LAX Shuttle & Airline Connections sign, takes passengers to the Metro Bus Center near the economy parking lot. You can catch the buses under the green Flyaway sign on the street level of each terminal. There are also taxis outside each terminal building. A trip to downtown Los Angeles takes around 40 minutes.
Car Parking
There are a number of central parking structures (around 8,000 parking spaces), as well as an economy car park (more than 7,300 spaces). The parking garages are located opposite the roadways from the passenger terminal buildings, with P1 serving Terminal 1, P2 serving Terminal 2 and so on. P4 serves the Tom Bradley International Terminal as well as Terminal 4, and P7 serves both Terminal 7 and 8. The economy car park is serviced by a shuttle which stops at each terminal building.
Information Desks
Customer Service Representatives assist passengers throughout the airport. There is also a Volunteer Information Professionals program, which has information booths on the arrivals level of each terminal.
Airport Facilities
Money and communications: There are ICE Currency Exchange booths on the departure levels of all the terminal buildings, as well as on the arrivals level of terminals 2, 5, 6, and the Tom Bradley International Terminal. There are ATMs throughout the airport terminals.
Luggage: There are no left-luggage facilities. The lost-and-found office is operated by the Airport Police, and is located off-site at 5600 W. Century Blvd.
Conference and business: There are airport lounges in each of the terminals which provide conference and business facilities.
Shopping: There are plenty of shops to keep you busy at Los Angeles International. In Terminal 1, you’ll find Kidsworks, Brookstone, a couple of Crews of California outlets, See’s Candies, and a Hudson News shop. In Terminal 2 there’s an I Love LA store, a Hudson News, Flight Time, and a Jetway Express. Terminal 3 also has a few Hudson News outlets, as well as a See’s Candies. In Terminal 4 you’ll find a few of these, and a $10 Boutique, and a Destination LA/LA EDGE. Terminal 5 has a Life is Good store. Terminal 6 has a few News shops, a Caterina’s, and a Jetway Express. In Terminal 7 you’ll find a Jetway Booksellers, ACI, Hudson News, Kidsworks, and The Body Shop. There are a couple of Hudson News outlets in Terminal 8. The Tom Bradley International Terminal has several Hudson News outlets, a few Crews of California stores, a Luggage Store, a Hollywood Store, a Kidsworks and a Via Voyage.
Food and drink: There are plenty of restaurants, coffee shops, and bars in each of the terminal buildings. In Terminal 1, you’ll find a Starbucks, McDonald’s, California Crush, and La Brea Bakery, as well as a Home Turf Sports Bar, Backlot Deli, and Camacho’s. Terminal 2 offers a Burger King, Starbucks, La Brea Bakery, Wolfgang Puck Express, and L.A. Roadhouse-Route 66. In Terminal 3, you’ll be able to get a bite to eat at Burger King, coffee and a snack at Java Java or Starbucks, or you could try Gladstone’s 4 Fish Restaurant for a full meal. There’s also a Burger King and Starbucks in Terminal 4, as well as a Chili’s Too, Brioche Doree, and On The Border Mexican Grill. In Terminal 5 you can find Euro Coffee and Haagen-Dazs, McDonald’s, California Pizza Kitchen, Creative Croissants, El Cholo Cantina, and Malibu Al’s. You’ll find a Cinnabon, Jody Maroni’s, Home Turf Sports Bar, Monet’s, Starbucks, and Java Java in Terminal 6. Along with a handful of takeaway joints in Terminal 7, you’ll also find a Karl Strauss Microbrewery, and a Baja Fresh Express. There are only three options on hand in Terminal 8, and you’ll have to make do with Starbucks, California Pizza Kitchen, or L.A. Roadhouse-Route 66. The Tom Bradley International Terminal also has a wide variety of places to grab a bite to eat. Some of these include Cinnabon, Sushi Boy, Daily Grill, Daniels Bistro, Sam Adams Taste of LA and Hamada Orient Express.
Other facilities: There is a variety of other services available at the airport including a first aid station, a police station, a medical clinic, and a number of art exhibitions.
Wi-Fi: Wireless Internet access is provided by T-Mobile HotSpotSM.
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