Los Angeles International Airport is located 26km (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.
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<div class="rxbodyfield">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.</div>
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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. The typical fares you can expect to pay for a train ride are around $1.35.
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 Centre near the economy parking lot. Most buses into the city cost $0.75, but the LAX FlyAway is a more expensive alternative and services the airport directly. Fares for the FlyAway cost $5 to $7, and leave the airport every ten minutes. You can catch the buses under the green Flyaway sign on the street level of each terminal.
Taxi: There are also taxis outside each terminal building. A trip to downtown Los Angeles would set you back around $30 and take around 40 minutes.
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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. Parking fees for the garages are $3 for the first hour, with an additional $2 every 30 minutes after that, to a maximum of $30. Parking in the Economy car park will set you back $4 for the first hour, with an additional $4 every 30 minutes, to a maximum of $12.
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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.
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. The service is not free - it'll cost $6 for the first hour, and $0.10 per minute after that. You can also buy a daily package for $9.99.
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