Los Angeles International Airport is currently undergoing a massive renovation. Thanks to the renovation getting to the terminal is a nightmare. Even worse, American’s mainline flights mostly depart from Terminal 4 which is quite difficult to access due to its location. If you don’t mind walking a bit I’d recommend cutting across the departures road via the bridge and clearing security in Terminal 5. More on that later.
If you instead opt to go to Terminal 4 (currently the correct terminal for the departure) you’d better have TSA PreCheck. Security at Terminal 4 is horrible during peak travel times. I’m not exactly sure how long the wait was, but I’d be shocked if it’s under 30 minutes. Since I have TSA PreCheck I used the TSA PreCheck security lanes and made it through in less than 10 minutes. If you don’t have TSA PreCheck I’d strongly consider clearing security in Terminal 5 and walking back to Terminal 4 post-security.
Arriving At Terminal 5
The security lines in Terminal 4 aren’t the only reason to consider clearing security in Terminal 5. Another reason I’d currently recommend using Terminal 5 is due to the traffic. LAX like most international airports uses a circular arrivals thruway. To get to Terminal 4 you must first past Terminals 1-3 and the Tom Bradley International Terminal. The whole process takes a lot of time thanks to the various traffic jams caused by people getting out of their cars.
The shortcut here is to simply cut across World Way via the West Way bridge. By taking this bridge you’re essentially cutting the drive in half. Once you cross West Way you’ll reconnect with World Way at Terminal 5. Also, there’s a fully functioning traffic light at that intersection which makes cutting across World Way and accessing the terminal easy. The amount of time you’ll save with this shortcut is hard to quantify, but for my Sunday night departure it was a significant amount.
Clearing Security In Terminal 5
Once you arrive at Terminal 5 checking in and clearing security is a breeze. American Airlines offers full check-in desks and services in Terminal 5. Further more since the Terminals connect post-security you don’t have to worry about using the wrong terminal. The whole check in process took just moments. After checking in proceed upstairs to the security checkpoints. When I was there, on a Sunday night, there was absolutely no wait for TSA PreCheck and standard security took just a few minutes.
After checking in and clearing security you’re in the heart of LAX Terminal 5. The terminal it self is fairly nice and has quite a few restaurant offerings. I personally like Terminal 5 more than Terminal 4 given the current configurations.
Accessing Terminal 4
If you’re in a hurry and don’t have time to hang out in Terminal 5 it’s best to head directly to Terminal 4. The walk takes approximately 10 minutes. You must first walk to the center of Terminal 5 to access the underground tunnels which take you to the various terminals of LAX. The escalators and elevators which take you to the transfer corridor are located between businesses 11 and 9 as show in the map below.
As you make your way downstairs to the terminal tunnels you’ll find the long corridor which takes you to Terminal 4.
This walk is especially interesting because along the wall is the history of human flight. I didn’t have time to take pictures of each milestone, but it makes the walk much more entertaining. Both sides of the corridor are the same, but in reverse. So if you’re walking from 4 to 5 or 5 to 4 you’ll get the whole experience.
Final Thoughts
For my recent flight out of LAX Terminal 4 the standard security lines were horrible. The line stretched down a hallway and then into the security screening room which features everyone’s favorite twisty rope lines. I didn’t have time to or want to wait in the whole line, but I’d bed it took well over 30 minutes. TSA PreCheck is significantly shorter and only took about 10 minutes. That being said, if you don’t have TSA PreCheck and you hate waiting in lines, it may be easier to clear security in Terminal 5 and walk to Terminal 4.
LAX isn’t the only airport where clearing security in another Terminal makes sense either. If for any reason I don’t have TSA PreCheck on my boarding pass when flying American out of Chicago O’hare I always clear security in Delta’s Terminal 2. The lines in Terminal 2 are almost always empty and the walk to Terminal 3 takes just a few minutes.
Hopefully this tip helps you save some time the next time you have to fly out of LAX’s Terminal 4. At very least you’ll be a little less stressed out from waiting in a security lane for over 30 minutes!
