AIRPORTS IN LOS ANGELES
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) may be the most well-known airport in the LA metro area, but there are actually 5 total airports in the region:
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR)
Long Beach Airport (LGB)
Orange County (SNA)
Ontario Airport (ONT)
This Los Angeles airport guide strives to provide you with practical information about flying into Los Angeles.
We are not going to bore you with details like how many terminals LAX has, or tell you which airport restaurant to eat at. It’s an airport. Don’t eat there unless you have to.
Flying in and out of the smaller airports tends to be faster and an easier travel experience overall.
Smaller runways and noise curfews keep flights to a minimum at the smaller airports, which results in less people, traffic, and stress.
However, the ticket prices to fly at these smaller airports can be higher. Your mileage may vary.
Consider your entire travel plans before choosing which airport to fly into, as buses, cabs/ubers, trains will have additional costs.
Depending on how close your destination is from any airport, expect total round trip ground travel costs to cost about $100. An example would be a $40 Uber each way ($80 total) plus tip.
Make sure to check TSA regulations to confirm you have the correct paperwork to board your flight and avoid bringing prohibited items on board.
Be aware that beginning on March 3, 2023 that all travelers over 18 years old will need a REAL ID-compliant, state-issued driver’s license or federally approved ID to fly. Learn more
LOS ANGELES INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (LAX)
Los Angeles International Airport is the main international airport that serves Los Angeles and the nearby metro area.
Los Angeles International Airport is the airport you’re likely flying into. It is the best option if you are staying on the West Side, Mid-City, the South Bay, or Downtown.
LAX is the busiest airport in the Los Angeles area, and holds the record for the world’s busiest origin and destination airport. In 2019, over 88 million passengers passed through this airport.
It is not only filled with local travelers departing Los Angeles.
LAX is also the largest hub in the US for international and domestic flight connections, so you can expect to find even more people on the other side of the security line.
Keep that in mind when planning to arrive for your flight, as traffic into LAX can become unwieldy on regular days, let alone holidays.
There is no train access directly to LAX.
Landing at LAX can be a little confusing. See the section below for our best tips for arriving at LAX and getting to your destination.
LAX is open to the public from 5am to Midnight.
Helpful links:
ARRIVING AND DEPARTING FROM LAX
TRAVELING TO LOS ANGELES INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (LAX)
Getting to and from LAX can be a daunting task for someone not familiar with the airport and its unusual way of doing things.
The absolute best way to do LAX is to have someone drop you off and pick you up. The challenge is convincing them to do it.
If you’re visiting and don’t know anyone in town, don’t worry, there are a number of transportation options available to passengers arriving to and departing from Los Angeles.
However, there is no direct access to the Metro Rail system from LAX, and the Metro Bus System is not something we would recommend for a tourist.
The What’s Good travel recommendations are:
Rideshare (Uber, Lyft, or Taxi Cab)
Flyaway Bus
Rental Car
Pre-pandemic, you would never find us recommending that you take a taxi cab anywhere in the city. The terrible experience, over priced ride, and poor reputation of cabs definitely did not qualify as What’s Good before the pandemic.
However, things are changing due to labor shortages in the Rideshare industry. The author of this article actually found a Cab cheaper than Uber when riding home from the Burbank Airport.
Rideshare used to be insanely cheap compared to cabs, but now, they are comparable in price.
RIDESHARE / TAXI CABS IN LOS ANGELES
Uber and Lyft are a godsend for many of us. The ability to call a ride from an app on your phone and get taken directly to the airport is amazing.
However, there are a few things you should know about using a Rideshare app to get to the airport.
There is a $4 airport tax for every ride arriving or departing from LAX.
Check out our tip for saving money by walking out of the airport before calling your ride.
ARRIVING AT LAX
Taking a Rideshare service after landing at LAX can be confusing.
Curbside pickup is banned for passengers landing at LAX. Instead of being picked up at the curb, passengers must ride a shuttle to a parking lot, called LAX-IT (pronounced LA EXIT), where their driver will pick them up.
After you exit the terminal with your luggage, you will need to walk to a shuttle pickup point that is designated with the LAX-IT.
Shuttles arrive every 7 minutes and shuttle pickup locations can be found on level one outside the baggage claim areas.
Once you are at the LAX-IT parking lot you can call an Uber, Lyft or classic Taxi Cab.
This rule was put in place to reduce the traffic within the airport terminal horseshoe itself, but it is massively inconvenient for passengers.
DEPARTING FROM LAX
Fortunately, you can still get curbside drop off when using a Rideshare app.
Just call the ride from wherever you’re at and the driver will pick you up and drop you exactly at your terminal.
No shuttle is required for those passengers departing from LAX - just have your driver drop you at your airline’s terminal for check-in.
Flying out of one of the other airports in LA? Check out our Airport Guide for more details
Helpful Links:
Sign up for Uber
Sign up for Lyft
Cab referral link?
FLYAWAY BUS FROM LAX TO UNION STATION OR VAN NUYS
The LAX Flyaway Bus is a great way to get to LAX for relatively cheap. The bus has 2 separate pickup/dropoff destinations - from Union Station and from Van Nuys.
You can board at either location and ride to LAX, and you can also take the Flyaway bus from LAX to Union Station or Van Nuys.
Union Station connects with the Metro Rail, Metro Bus, and Metrolink transit lines, which is very convenient if you stay along any of those routes.
LAX Flyaway bus tickets are under $10 per rider (as of 10/2021)
You can also store your vehicle at a nearby parking lot, but make sure to check the long-term parking rules for each garage before you travel.
For passengers staying on the Eastside of Los Angeles, a common travel plan would be to take the Flyaway Bus from LAX to Union State, and have a loved one pick you up from there.
This way they don’t have to drive through the entire city to pick you up at LAX and you still get a ride home. Rideshare and cabs will also be cheaper from Union Station than LAX.
Helpful Links:
HOLLYWOOD BURBANK AIRPORT (BUR)
If you’re staying in the San Fernando Valley, East Los Angeles or Pasadena, you may want to fly into the Hollywood Burbank Airport (also known as the Bob Hope Airport).
This airport is 3 miles from downtown Burbank and 15 miles from both downtown Los Angeles and Pasadena.
This is one of the easiest airports to fly out of because there is hardly any traffic (compared to LAX). The check-in and security lines are historically short and swift.
It is considerably smaller than LAX but what it lacks in terminals it makes up for with convenience.
Depending on where you’re staying, we recommend you do some calculus to determine the total cost of getting to your destination.
For example, you may save $50 on your flight into LAX, but the Uber you take to Glendale may cost you $50 (plus 90 minutes in traffic). You could pay $50 more, avoid traffic and arrive at your destination with significantly lower stress and time saved.
We highly recommend doing a price-analysis if you’re staying in the San Fernando Valley (Burbank, Glendale, Van Nuys), east Los Angeles, or the Pasadena area. Your mileage may vary.
Helpful Links:
LONG BEACH AIRPORT (LGB)
The Long Beach Airport is about 3 miles from downtown Long Beach. Look into this airport if you’re staying in Long Beach, the South Bay, or a nearby city in Orange County.
Prices can be cheap to fly out of Long Beach Airport. It is also considered much easier to get into and out of, when compared to LAX.
When you arrive at Long Beach Airport you have plenty of ground transportation options. Rideshare companies like Uber and Lyft are available at the outer curb in front of the terminal.
Unfortunately, there is no direct access to the Metro train network.
The best method for accessing the Metro from LGB is to take a cab or rideshare service. Expect the cost to be around $15-20.
Helpful links:
FLYING INTO ORANGE COUNTY CALIFORNIA AT JOHN WAYNE AIRPORT (SNA)
John Wayne Airport is the only airport in Orange County that offers commercial service. It is located roughly 30 miles south of Los Angeles in Santa Ana, California.
If you’re planning to stay in Orange County cities such as Costa Mesa, Irvine, Newport Beach or Anaheim, you may want to check flights into Orange County.
John Wayne Airport is the closest airport to Disneyland. You can save yourself a huge headache by flying into Orange County instead of sitting in the Los Angeles traffic on the way from LAX to Anaheim.
Helpful links:
ONTARIO AIRPORT (ONT)
Fly into Ontario if you’re staying anywhere in the Inland Empire, or heading to Palm Springs, Joshua Tree or the Coachella Valley.
Ontario International Airport in San Bernardino County is located 2 miles from downtown Ontario, 18 miles from San Bernardino, and 38 miles from Downtown Los Angeles.
ONT is almost 60 miles from LAX, so keep this in mind if you are planning on trekking through the Inland Empire onward to the high desert. It is very accessible via the Freeway System so either rent a car or get picked up by a friend or family member for an easy exit.
Flying into LAX to reach these destinations could be a ground transportation nightmare, especially if you don’t have a local to pick you up and show you around.
The closest rail is the Metrolink at the Ontario-East Station, about 3 miles from the actual airport. Buses also connect to the airport but make sure to check the operating schedule.
Helpful links: