As an Angeleno, I will concede my local bias upfront, but LAX is transforming itself into a world class airport. Here are five ways LAX is arguably becoming America’s best major airport.
1. Tom Bradley International Terminal + Expansion
The Tom Bradley International Terminal (TBIT) is already an airport jewel. If you remember what the terminal was like just a few years ago, you understand what a colossal transformation has taken place. This beautiful, bright, open-space terminal can easily compete with HKG, SIN, and ICN. But it is getting even better.
Construction is now underway for a new midfield concourse connected to TBIT that will offer even more space, gates, shopping, and lounges. Here’s a video (h/t TPG) on the new project–
The end product will further alleviate crowding and deliver a greater airport experience to customers.
2. Connecting All Terminals Airside
Right now, LAX is like four small airports. While Terminals 4,5,6,7, 8, and TBIT are all connected via walkways or tunnels on the secure side (beyond security), Terminal 1, 2, and 3 are stand-alone buildings. Transiting from one terminal to another, thus, requires exiting the secure side and then re-clearing security. Work is underway to connect all terminals airside so that you will not have endure double security if simply transiting from a domestic flight in another terminal.
3. Landside Access Modernization Program (LAMP)
The biggest problem at LAX right now is the congestion. During busy periods it can take 45 minutes to reach your terminal from the freeway exit. LAX is adding a terminal to terminal people mover and direct access by train to LA’s Metro system. You can read the plans here (.pdf). While not as convenient as a central train station on the airport premises like in Amsterdam, Frankfurt, or even Chicago, this will help tremendously. Once completed, fleets of busses will no longer clog the arrivals level and as long as trains are run efficiently, more will be drawn to public transportation.
A couple pictures of the project, courtesy of LAWA:
4. Refreshed Terminals
The renaissance at LAX also includes remodeling every terminal. Delta is moving over to Terminals 2 and 3 and will turn what are now two rather ugly terminals into something beautiful. American will take over Terminal 5 and United continues to refresh Terminals 7 and 8. In all terminals, beautiful restaurants are being added and new shopping options are available.
5. Great Lounges
LAX is home to many wonderful lounges, including my favorite lounge in the USA: the Qantas First Class lounge in TBIT. The beautiful new United Club in Terminal 7, Star Alliance and oneworld lounges in TBIT, and nine additional lounges mean that with the right mix of status or Priority Pass, you have some great places to wait for your flight.
CONCLUSION
While LAX still has a long way to go, the airport has the chance to become America’s crown jewel airport. If these projects draw in more airlines, lead to more access, and alleviate congestion, LAX will be an airport to be reckoned with.
Just want to say love your blog! And yes, as a fellow angeleno, I’m also super excited by the changes that have happened and are happening at LAX. Keep up your quality work. =)
Thank you Ben!
Let’s all take a moment and appreciate the fact that LAX is now ranked 4th in the world in passenger traffic 🙂
T2 is already remodled and lovely. Westfield did great work.
The terminal connection is the single most important factor here. Based out of SFO but connect pretty frequently through LAX before an international trip. It’s just ridiculous getting off a short 1 hour flight to LAX and then taking the shuttle for a loop to TBIT and going through the ridiculous security lines, even as a business class passenger.
But this is no longer necessary now if you are flying DL/UA/AA
LAX sucks. It’s so many years away from all the thing you mention. Massive delays , rude employees and cramped terminals (other than TBIT) and airlines all playing musical chairs means for years to come LAX is a chaotic mess and Not even close to world class . Oh and can we mention the rental car situation !? LAX is a mess
Interesting information. Any idea how long it will take for these improvements?
I guess I missed the TBIT. This airport, while progressing, is years away from being updated to compete. Last visit it was a huge construction site. And as a previous poster mentioned, the rental card issue is cumbersome.
As far as the rental car situation goes, along with the people mover, they are constructing a centralized rental car depot off site that is supposed to be accessible via the people mover. This will further eliminate the need for rental car shuttles to bring people to/from the airport.
This is all years away. It really cannot come soon enough because as it stands now, the traffic is unbearable. I loathe going to and from the airport currently.
The terminal tram will eliminate many shuttles but not all of them unfortunately. Hopefully the reduction is enough to make driving through the horseshoe a lot easier and faster.
Please tell us if you know of any plans for airside connections from, let’s say, T7 to T1? That would awesome too!
Keep mining and reporting on LAX
Progress is good but LAX and “best” do not belong in same sentence and won’t for a very long time. Security screening at TBIT is atrocious, TBIT Starbucks line is often 30m, food in most terminals is beyond awful, the traffic is horrendous and rental cars take an hour.
What Boraxo said!
As someone who usually flies into LAX but then has to schlep all the way to the Inland Empire to visit family, I second that the rental car situation is the single most unpleasant aspect of dealing with LAX at the moment. It’s bad enough having to deal with the shuttle pick-up area. But then, it can easily take 30 minutes+ to get to National’s counter because of the congestion/construction along Century. Not what you really want to deal with when you have a 60 mile drive after getting off the plane!
That being said – count me as very, very happy to see the connectors open between T4/T5/T6/TBIT. Makes it a whole lot easier to enjoy the PP lounges in TBIT or the Alaska Board Room, all of which beat the Admirals Club.
What about terminal 1? I fly southwest a lot and they were still working on the construction when I was there a few months ago. How long until any connectors to connect other terminals? I haven’t heard what the time frame is and don’t have any priority club lounges there.
I don’t have a timeframe for when all terminals will be connected airside, but I do know that is the plan.
At over a billion per mile in construction cost alone the people mover is a boondoggle of historic proportions. A few zero emission buses would have accomplished the same thing which you acknowledge is subpar relative to other airport solutions around the world…
I don’t know where the money is coming from, but I sure hate the way LAX is now. Something drastic must be done and I think the zero emission busses would not help the congestion. Too bad we can’t knock it down and start over.
Palmdale is still waiting… 🙂
Sure it would, you run buses (roughly speaking) where you’d otherwise lay track. Does the exact same thing for a ton less money.
The CTA is overburdened by vehicular traffic from Ubers, Hotel/RAC shuttles to the general traffic. On a bad day, that’s 45 min around the horn. The APM track is elevated, and leads to a CONRAC (eliminating those shuttles), and an ITF station to catch shuttles/buses that otherwise would have stopped in the CTA. I see what you might be alluding to though Gary – do the same, but take the APM out of the equation. While I revolt a little bit saying this given the reliability of the train system here in LA, APM would be more efficient and provide a higher LOS IMHO.
I know that “Angelenos” want so badly to have an airport they can be proud of. But LAX is an abomination. Traffic getting to the airport is a mess, traffic at the airport is a mess. Security screening is among the worst anywhere (although it does vary by terminal and airline). Food is horrible, if you can find any. One of my biggest frustrations with LAX is the inability to find anything decent to eat in the early morning hours before a 6:00 a.m. or 7:00 a.m. departure. If LAX wants to be taken seriously as a premiere International airport, the security screening lines should be open 24 hours and a decent variety of food options should be available 24 hours.
Here’s a question to ask yourself: When was the last time you ever heard anyone say “Hey, I get to fly out of LAX today!?” Nobody LIKES to go to LAX. Often, LAX is the best option, or the only option, for reasons of price or flight availability. But most would prefer, all other factors being equal, to fly out of Orange County, Long Beach, Ontario, or Burbank. There’s a lot of wishing and hoping in this post. But even in a best case scenario, it will be years before LAX is considered “good,” let alone “best.”