Last updated: July 30, 2026
It depends entirely on whether you can stay airside:
- Airside walk (same secure zone): 20–40 minutes is usually comfortable for a domestic-to-domestic connection.
- Landside via Shuttle Bus A + re-screening: allow at least 90 minutes for a domestic connection, more at peak.
- International arrival connecting to a domestic flight: you must clear immigration, collect and re-check your bag, change terminals and pass security again — budget 2.5 to 3 hours.
Not sure whether your connection is safe? Run it through the layover calculator, which factors in terminal changes, security re-screening and immigration.
Popular LAX terminal transfers
A few of the connections travellers ask about most:
- Terminal 1 to Terminal 4/5: at opposite ends of the horseshoe — realistically the Shuttle Bus A or a long landside walk, so leave plenty of time.
- Terminals 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 (the “east” side): often walkable airside or via short connectors, handy for American and Alaska connections.
- Any terminal to TBIT (Tom Bradley): increasingly connected airside from the neighbouring terminals — check your gate, as this is where most international departures leave.
Frequently asked questions
How do you get from terminal to terminal at LAX?
If your terminals are connected airside, you can walk without leaving security. If not, take the free Shuttle Bus A, which runs 24/7 to all nine terminals on the arrivals level — but you’ll re-clear security at your connecting terminal.
Can you walk between terminals at LAX?
Between several terminals, yes — LAX has added airside walkways so you can change planes without leaving security. Coverage isn’t universal, so if your two terminals aren’t connected airside you’ll go landside and re-screen.
Is there a train between terminals at LAX?
Not yet. The SkyLink Automated People Mover is built but still in testing in 2026 and not open to the public. Until it opens, use the airside walkways or the free Shuttle Bus A.
How much time do I need to change terminals at LAX?
Allow 20–40 minutes if you can walk airside, at least 90 minutes if you go landside and re-clear security, and 2.5–3 hours for an international arrival connecting to a domestic flight.
How do I get from LAX Terminal 1 to Terminal 4?
They sit at opposite ends of the horseshoe. The simplest way is the free Shuttle Bus A from the arrivals level, then re-clear security at Terminal 4. Allow around 30–45 minutes including the wait and screening.
Related guides and tools
- Layover Calculator — is your LAX connection safe, tight or risky?
- JFK terminal transfer times
- Heathrow terminal transfer times
- All airport connection guides
- Airport arrival time calculator — how early to arrive for your LAX departure
Verified July 2026 against Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) terminal and Shuttle Bus A information and SkyLink People Mover status (in testing, not yet open). Airport layouts and services change — check LAX for your terminals and travel dates.
Los Angeles International is laid out as a giant horseshoe of nine terminals, and moving from one to another isn’t always as simple as a walk down the concourse. Whether you can go terminal to terminal at LAX without leaving security depends on which terminals you’re connecting — and if you can’t, the free Shuttle Bus A is your fallback. Here’s exactly how to change terminals at LAX in 2026, whether you’ll re-clear security, and how much time to leave.
LAX terminal to terminal: your options at a glance
| Method | Covers | Re-clear security? | Typical time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Airside walkway | Several connected terminals | No — you stay inside security | 5–20 min walk |
| Shuttle Bus A (free) | All 9 terminals, 24/7 | Yes — it runs landside | 15–40 min incl. wait |
| Walk landside (sidewalk) | Adjacent terminals only | Yes | 10–25 min |
| SkyLink people mover | Coming — not yet open (see below) | Yes (landside) | — |
Can you walk between LAX terminals?
Sometimes — and this is the big recent improvement at LAX. The airport has added airside connectors that let you walk between several terminals without leaving security, including links around the Tom Bradley International Terminal (TBIT) and neighbouring terminals. If your two terminals are connected airside, changing planes is easy: just follow the signs and stay inside the secure zone.
The catch is that not every terminal is connected airside. If yours aren’t, you’ll have to exit to the arrivals (lower) level, travel around the horseshoe, and re-clear security at your departure terminal — which is where the extra time goes. Always check whether your specific terminals have an airside connection before assuming a short walk.
The free LAX Shuttle Bus A
When you can’t stay airside, the reliable option is the free LAX Shuttle Bus “A”. It runs 24/7 and stops at every terminal on the lower/arrivals level, roughly every 10–15 minutes (more often at peak). Because it’s landside, you’ll need to re-clear security at your connecting terminal, so factor the screening queue into your timing. Look for the green “LAX Shuttle Airline Connections” signs at the arrivals-level kerb. It’s slower than walking airside but it reaches all nine terminals and costs nothing.
What about the SkyLink people mover?
LAX is building an Automated People Mover (SkyLink) — a 2.25-mile elevated train with six stations that will connect the terminals, car parks and the Metro rail station. As of mid-2026 it is still in testing and not yet open to the public; the opening date has slipped repeatedly (most recently targeted for late 2026) and may move again. When it opens it will run landside, so you’ll still re-clear security to change terminals — but it will be far faster and weatherproof compared with the shuttle bus. Until then, plan around the airside walkways and Shuttle Bus A, and check LAX’s official status for your travel dates.
How long to leave for a LAX terminal change
It depends entirely on whether you can stay airside:
- Airside walk (same secure zone): 20–40 minutes is usually comfortable for a domestic-to-domestic connection.
- Landside via Shuttle Bus A + re-screening: allow at least 90 minutes for a domestic connection, more at peak.
- International arrival connecting to a domestic flight: you must clear immigration, collect and re-check your bag, change terminals and pass security again — budget 2.5 to 3 hours.
Not sure whether your connection is safe? Run it through the layover calculator, which factors in terminal changes, security re-screening and immigration.
Popular LAX terminal transfers
A few of the connections travellers ask about most:
- Terminal 1 to Terminal 4/5: at opposite ends of the horseshoe — realistically the Shuttle Bus A or a long landside walk, so leave plenty of time.
- Terminals 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 (the “east” side): often walkable airside or via short connectors, handy for American and Alaska connections.
- Any terminal to TBIT (Tom Bradley): increasingly connected airside from the neighbouring terminals — check your gate, as this is where most international departures leave.
Frequently asked questions
How do you get from terminal to terminal at LAX?
If your terminals are connected airside, you can walk without leaving security. If not, take the free Shuttle Bus A, which runs 24/7 to all nine terminals on the arrivals level — but you’ll re-clear security at your connecting terminal.
Can you walk between terminals at LAX?
Between several terminals, yes — LAX has added airside walkways so you can change planes without leaving security. Coverage isn’t universal, so if your two terminals aren’t connected airside you’ll go landside and re-screen.
Is there a train between terminals at LAX?
Not yet. The SkyLink Automated People Mover is built but still in testing in 2026 and not open to the public. Until it opens, use the airside walkways or the free Shuttle Bus A.
How much time do I need to change terminals at LAX?
Allow 20–40 minutes if you can walk airside, at least 90 minutes if you go landside and re-clear security, and 2.5–3 hours for an international arrival connecting to a domestic flight.
How do I get from LAX Terminal 1 to Terminal 4?
They sit at opposite ends of the horseshoe. The simplest way is the free Shuttle Bus A from the arrivals level, then re-clear security at Terminal 4. Allow around 30–45 minutes including the wait and screening.
Related guides and tools
- Layover Calculator — is your LAX connection safe, tight or risky?
- JFK terminal transfer times
- Heathrow terminal transfer times
- All airport connection guides
- Airport arrival time calculator — how early to arrive for your LAX departure
Verified July 2026 against Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) terminal and Shuttle Bus A information and SkyLink People Mover status (in testing, not yet open). Airport layouts and services change — check LAX for your terminals and travel dates.
Reviewed by Muhammad Umar Khan
Founder and editor of TripBuffer. Reviewed against official airport, airline and transport-provider information. For our research standards, see the Editorial Policy.