Last updated: September 2, 2026
It depends entirely on whether you can stay airside:
- Airside walk (the usual case now): 20–40 minutes is comfortable for most connections; allow more if your gates are at opposite ends of the horseshoe.
- Landside via Shuttle Bus A + re-screening (backup, or to/from the American Eagle satellite): 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: now walkable airside (allow ~20–35 minutes end to end), or take Shuttle Bus A if you’d rather not walk.
- 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): connected airside from the neighbouring terminals — this is where most international departures leave.
Frequently asked questions
How do you get from terminal to terminal at LAX?
Since 2023 all of LAX’s terminals are connected airside, so you can usually walk between them without leaving security. The free Shuttle Bus A (24/7, all nine terminals, arrivals level) is a backup and the way to reach the American Eagle regional satellite — but it runs landside, so you re-clear security if you use it.
Can you walk between terminals at LAX?
Yes — since 2023 LAX’s airside walkways connect all of its terminals, so you can change planes without leaving security. The main exceptions are the separate American Eagle regional satellite (reached by an airside shuttle bus) and any non-precleared international arrival, who must clear immigration and reclaim bags first.
Is there a train between terminals at LAX?
For changing terminals you don’t need one — since 2023 the airside walkways connect all of LAX’s terminals. The separate SkyLink Automated People Mover mainly links the terminals to the car parks and the Metro station; check LAX for its current status and route.
How much time do I need to change terminals at LAX?
Allow 20–40 minutes for an airside walk (the usual case now), at least 90 minutes if you take the landside Shuttle Bus A and re-clear security, and 2.5–3 hours for a non-precleared 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, but the airside walkways now connect them, so you can walk it without leaving security in roughly 20–35 minutes. Prefer not to walk? Take the free Shuttle Bus A from the arrivals level and re-clear security at Terminal 4 (about 30–45 minutes with 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. The good news is that since 2023 all of LAX’s terminals are connected airside, so for most connections you can now walk from one terminal to the next without leaving security. The free Shuttle Bus A is a backup, and the way to reach the separate American Eagle regional satellite. Here’s exactly how to change terminals at LAX in 2026, when 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 | All terminals (connected airside since 2023) | No — you stay inside security | 5–20 min between neighbours; ~35–45 min end to end |
| 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?
Yes — and this is the big recent improvement at LAX. Since 2023 the airport’s airside connectors are complete, so you can now walk between all of its terminals without leaving security, including through and around the Tom Bradley International Terminal (TBIT). For most connections that means changing planes is easy: follow the signs and stay inside the secure zone. The full horseshoe from Terminal 1 to Terminal 8 is a long walk (roughly 35–45 minutes end to end), but neighbouring terminals are only a few minutes apart.
Two things still send you landside. The main one is the separate American Eagle regional satellite (“Eagle’s Nest”), which is reached by a dedicated airside shuttle bus rather than a walkway. The other is any international arrival that has not been pre-cleared: you must clear US immigration and collect your checked bags before re-entering security, even to change terminals. Outside those two cases, you can normally stay airside the whole way — but check your gate, as walking times across the horseshoe add up.
The free LAX Shuttle Bus A
If you’d rather not walk the horseshoe — or you’re heading to or from the American Eagle regional satellite — the free LAX Shuttle Bus “A” is the backup. 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 (the usual case now): 20–40 minutes is comfortable for most connections; allow more if your gates are at opposite ends of the horseshoe.
- Landside via Shuttle Bus A + re-screening (backup, or to/from the American Eagle satellite): 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: now walkable airside (allow ~20–35 minutes end to end), or take Shuttle Bus A if you’d rather not walk.
- 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): connected airside from the neighbouring terminals — this is where most international departures leave.
Frequently asked questions
How do you get from terminal to terminal at LAX?
Since 2023 all of LAX’s terminals are connected airside, so you can usually walk between them without leaving security. The free Shuttle Bus A (24/7, all nine terminals, arrivals level) is a backup and the way to reach the American Eagle regional satellite — but it runs landside, so you re-clear security if you use it.
Can you walk between terminals at LAX?
Yes — since 2023 LAX’s airside walkways connect all of its terminals, so you can change planes without leaving security. The main exceptions are the separate American Eagle regional satellite (reached by an airside shuttle bus) and any non-precleared international arrival, who must clear immigration and reclaim bags first.
Is there a train between terminals at LAX?
For changing terminals you don’t need one — since 2023 the airside walkways connect all of LAX’s terminals. The separate SkyLink Automated People Mover mainly links the terminals to the car parks and the Metro station; check LAX for its current status and route.
How much time do I need to change terminals at LAX?
Allow 20–40 minutes for an airside walk (the usual case now), at least 90 minutes if you take the landside Shuttle Bus A and re-clear security, and 2.5–3 hours for a non-precleared 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, but the airside walkways now connect them, so you can walk it without leaving security in roughly 20–35 minutes. Prefer not to walk? Take the free Shuttle Bus A from the arrivals level and re-clear security at Terminal 4 (about 30–45 minutes with 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.