LAX Travel Safely Guide
The safety and security of our guests and employees at LAX is our first priority. Los Angeles World Airports is working nonstop to update our policies, procedures and physical spaces to ensure a clean, safe and healthy airport journey. Below you will find some of the steps we are taking as part of the new airport experience.
Traveling To and From LAX & Parking
There are many ways of getting safely to and from LAX. Because of the way air circulates and is
filtered on a plane, your time spent in the air may actually bear you less risk than everything
that happens before and after. As you travel to and from LAX, it is important to limit your
contact with others as much as possible, avoid high-touch surfaces and sanitize your hands
often. Follow the CDC guidelines and the rules of the transit option you choose.
Here is a short list of transit options to and from LAX, but more detailed information on these
options can be found here.
- FlyAway Shuttle Service – offers nonstop bus service provides transportation between LAX and Union Station and Van Nuys. See the schedules here, or visit the FlyAway page here.
- Ride Apps - Lyft, Opoli, and Uber are the authorized providers for ride app services at LAX. When arriving at LAX with a ride app service you can be dropped off directly at your terminal on the Upper/Departures level. When leaving LAX, rides can be picked up at the LAX-it lot next to Terminal 1.
- Taxi Cabs - A variety of Taxi services operate to and from LAX. Taxis may drop passengers off at their terminals on the Upper/Departures Level and guests leaving from LAX can pick up taxis at the LAX-it lot, inside Parking Structure 3.
- Driving and Parking - All Central Terminal Area garages are open with the first 15 minutes free and a daily maximum fee of $50. LAX Economy Parking, located at 6100 W. 94th St., features about 4,300 spaces with a daily maximum fee of $30 for drive-up customers, and offers frequent, free shuttle bus service. In addition, there are a number of off-airport parking operators, many of which provide courtesy transportation from LAX terminals.
- Being Dropped off or Picked up - Passengers can be dropped off at in the terminals on the Upper/Departures Level and picked up on the outer curb on the Lower/Arrivals Level outside of baggage claim. If picking up a passenger please use the 24-hour LAX Cell Phone Waiting Lot where motorists meeting arriving passengers can wait for free until passengers call to say they are ready to be picked up.
- Public Transit - Several public transit providers serve LAX, including L.A. Metro, Culver City Bus Lines, Santa Monica Big Blue Bus, Torrance Transit, and Beach Cities Transit. (Click on transit provider for more information including routes, timetables and trip planners.) Passengers can pick up many bus lines from the LAX City Bus Center.
- Hotel Shuttles - Many major airport-area hotels provide courtesy transportation from LAX terminals. Stops for shuttles to hotels are located on the Upper/Departures Level identified by RED curbside pylons. You can get more information on these shuttle here
More information on travel options can be found here.
Traveler Information
- Know Your Destination's Rules
Many destinations, both international and domestic, have implemented travel restrictions or rules for visitors. Knowing the current rules for your destination is essential this year. The dashboard on travel restrictions and health related travel requirements by AITA is a good resource to find out all requirements of a country before you travel.
For international travel, consult the U.S. State Department or individual country embassy and consulates for current restrictions and guidance.
Flight Rules and Information:
Contact your airline for the latest travel requirements and flight status. Please see LAX's list of airlines here. - Passenger Health Screening:
Health entry screenings at LAX are conducted for travelers arriving from some countries or regions with widespread ongoing transmission of COVID-19. Health screenings are managed by the Department of Homeland Security, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP). You can find the latest guidelines on health screening procedures here. - Restaurants and Retail at LAX:
Some airport shops and restaurants are open with reduced hours and food service only for grab-and-go and orders to go. Please visit our Shop and Dine site for more information. - LAX Hours of Operation and Access:
Entry to LAX is limited to airline passengers and persons meeting, accompanying or assisting them, and airport personnel whose employment requires their presence. LAX is closed to the general public 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
How LAX Is Keeping You Safe
Los Angeles World Airports is working to ensure the health and safety our guests and employees. Specific actions we have taken include:
- Hand Sanitizers: LAX has installed hundreds of additional hand sanitizer stations throughout our terminals for easy access by our guests.
- Frequent Cleaning: Crews clean our public areas and restrooms at least once per hour using virus and bacteria-killing disinfectants.
- Hospital Grade Products: high touch areas such as elevators, escalators, trash and recycling cans, kiosk touch screens, water fountains, seating areas, hand and grab rails, doorknobs, counters, restroom fixtures, and others are sanitized with 3M Brand Quat disinfectant, an EPA approved, hospital grade cleaning product.
- Partner Cleaning: LAX coordinates with our contracting partners to ensure that their cleaning crews are following the same cleaning protocols.
- Informational Signage: LAX has added signage in high-traffic passenger areas with up to date information on ways to stay safe and healthy including physical distancing and wearing face coverings.
- Transit Cleaning: The LAX Shuttle fleet is cleaned a minimum of three times per day using virus- and bacteria-killing disinfectants and limiting the number of guests on each shuttle.
- Floor Markings: Physical distance floor markings are being added to some passenger areas with lines to ensure appropriate space between guests.
- Dining and Shopping: We are reconfiguring dining areas by limiting seating to ensure appropriate physical distancing and many restaurants will be offering order ahead service to limit interactions and help passengers avoid lines at www.laxshopdine.com
- Touchless Faucets: Many restrooms are currently being equipped with touchless faucets.
- Plexiglas Barriers: Plexiglas separators/sneeze guards have been placed in high volume locations to keep distance between staff and guests.
- Advanced Air Filtration: The airport uses ionization and UV light to sterilize air circulating inside its facilities.
International Arrivals Process at LAX
The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), determines the immigration and customs protocols and facilitates the immigration and customs process.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHS), monitors for infectious disease at airports and other points of international travel.
Federal agencies implement the same international arrival process requirements at every U.S. airport, including LAX. However, the international arrivals process changes frequently and may differ for passengers by their itinerary or health. The latest guidelines can be found at the DHS website and CDC website.
US Welcomes Back Foreign Travelers
As of June 12, 2022, the CDC will no longer require air passengers traveling from a foreign country to the United States to show a negative COVID-19 viral test or documentation of recovery from COVID-19 before they board their flight. Details about the change can be found here.
U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, U.S. lawful permanent residents, and immigrants traveling to and from the United States should visit the following CDC website for the most up-to-date information on steps to follow for each part of their trip.
Non-U.S. citizens and non-U.S. immigrants traveling to and from the United States must be fully vaccinated with the primary series of an accepted COVID-19 vaccine to travel to the United States by plane. Visit the following CDC website for the most up-to-date requirements, including a list of approved vaccines.
New Security Check Point Rules on Food and Hand Sanitizer
- The TSA is currently allowing one liquid hand sanitizer container, up to 12 ounces per person, in carry-on bags. Hand sanitizer will need to be screened separately.
- Travelers will now be required to remove food from their luggage and put it through the scanner in a clear plastic bag to help minimize TSA officer contact with food items.
- More information on TSA security protocols can be found here.
Frequently Asked Questions
- There are concessions available in every terminal. Many concessions in the airport terminals have temporarily closed or have reduced hours. Click here to see a list of the current hours of operations. Remember, you can take your face covering off to eat or drink, but must put it back on when you are finished.
- Keep six feet distance when in line for food and drink, or skip the line entirely by ordering through www.laxshopdine.com
- LAX does not have the authority to regulate air travel, schedule flights, or close the airport. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulates the civil aviation industry and maintains air traffic control. Individual airlines determine and manage their flight routes, not the airport.
- Many airlines operating at LAX have suspended or reduced their international flights. Airlines flying domestic routes have also reduced flights across their networks. If you have a question about your travel, the best advice is to check with your airline.
The decision to travel is up to you and your family, and the first step should be to check the list of travel advisories for the country you are planning to visit. The State Department's list of advisoriess for various countries across the world can be found here.
Due to limited flight and passenger activity, social distancing, terminal cleaning and sanitizing schedules, construction and a priority to keep all guests and employees safe and healthy, LAX's CTA will restrict access 24 hours a day 7 days a week to only:
- Ticketed airline passengers and persons meeting, accompanying or assisting them
- Airport and City personnel whose employment requires their presence.
We are working with other airports as well as with both local and national public health agencies, the FAA and national and regional task forces to continuously evaluate what measures can be made to keep our passengers safe and healthy.
Currently LAX has put in place a variety of measures to keep our guests safe. These include:
- Adding several hundred hand sanitizer stations throughout terminals.
- Requiring face coverings to be worn by everyone inside terminal areas.
- Conducting more frequent cleaning of our public areas and restrooms (at least once per hour) using virus- and bacteria-killing disinfectants.
- Using hospital grade EPA approved cleaning products on all high touch areas such as elevators, escalators, trash and recycling cans, kiosk touch screens, water fountains, seating areas, hand and grab rails, doorknobs, counters, restroom fixtures, and others.
- Coordinating with our contracting partners to ensure that their cleaning crews are following the same cleaning protocols.
- Added new informational signage in high-traffic passenger areas with up to date information on ways to reduce the spread of the coronavirus including social distancing.
- Cleaning all shuttles a minimum of three times per day using virus and bacteria-killing disinfectants.
We encourage travelers to practice physical distancing in queues such as ticketing, security checkpoints, transacting with food concessionaires, and boarding aircraft as well as in seating areas at gates. LAX has placed signage and floor markings around terminals to encourage physical distancing throughout the airport. Plexiglass separators/sneeze guards have also been placed in high volume locations to keep distance between staff and guests.
Physical separation is a shared responsibility to help protect yourself, fellow travelers, and airport employees and we encourage you to:
- Maintaining your distance of six feet or two meters from others
- Limit the number of people in elevators to either two or three people depending on the size of the elevator. Follow the guidance on posted signs. Family groups are exempt from this limit, as are those requiring assistance.
Negative COVID Test Required to Board International Flights to the US Beginning on January 12, 2021 (updated May 23, 2022)
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now requires a negative COVID-19 test for all air passengers entering the United States from outside the country.
- All passengers (US Nationals and Non-US Nationals) coming to the US from international destinations need to get a COVID-19 viral test (regardless of vaccination status or citizenship) no more than 1 day before you travel by air into the United States. You must show your negative result to the airline before you board your flight.
- Non-US Nationals must also show proof of vaccination prior to entry into the US.
- For the most up to date information for both US and Non-US citizens please visit the CDC site here.
- There are no quarantine requirements to enter Los Angeles, however, if you’re not up to date on your vaccines it is highly recommended that you self-quarantine for 5-days upon your arrival. See more from the CDC on quantizing here.
- This website lists other states that have travel restrictions.
TSA is currently allowing one liquid hand sanitizer container, up to 12 ounces per person, in carry-on bags. Hand sanitizer will need to be screened separately.
- Travelers will now be required to remove food from their luggage and put it through the scanner in a clear plastic bag to help minimize TSA officer contact with food items.
- More information on TSA security protocols can be found here.
Resources
Information about the novel coronavirus is updated frequently; check the following resources for the most up-to-date information:
- Los Angeles County Department of Public Health
- California Department of Public Health
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
- Guidelines for Returning from Other Countries (CDC)
- Click here to read about all federal travel advisories.
- To contact the CDC directly, please call 1-800-CDC-INFO (1-800-232-4636)
