We recommend at least 1 hour for a comfortable connection at Los Angeles International. The minimum connection time is 50 minutes for domestic flights and 100 minutes for international flights. Transit between terminals takes up to 45 minutes.

Domestic-to-Domestic: 50 min. Domestic-to-International: 70 min. International-to-Domestic: 90 min. International-to-International: 100 min. These are the shortest layovers airlines will sell at Los Angeles International.

LAX is one of the most challenging US airports for connections due to its sprawling horseshoe layout with terminals separated by the central roadway loop. The new Automated People Mover (APM) train, completed in 2023, has improved things significantly, but international arrivals still face mandatory customs and baggage recheck with no sterile transit corridor. Tight connections, especially involving international flights or Terminal 4/5 (TBIT), remain risky. The Automated People Mover connects most terminals via elevated stations outside the terminal doors, but you must exit security to reach it, meaning a full walk plus re-screening at your next terminal. Some legacy connections still rely on shuttle buses on the inner roadway, especially during APM outages or for gate-adjacent transfers. International arrivals always clear CBP and recheck bags at the TBIT baggage claim before reaching any onward gate.

Still under the domestic MCT of 50 minutes; the walk to the APM station alone can eat most of this time. See full 30 min guide →

Workable for a same-concourse domestic connection (e.g., within T7/8) but risky across terminals. See full 45 min guide →

Generally sufficient for domestic connections and borderline workable for domestic-to-international via TBIT. See full 1 hr guide →

Solid for domestic-domestic and meets the domestic-international MCT with a small buffer. See full 1¼ hr guide →

Comfortable for most domestic and domestic-international connections, and meets the international-domestic MCT. See full 1½ hr guide →

Ample time for any connection type, including international-international with customs clearance. See full 2 hr guide →

Very comfortable even accounting for peak security lines or APM delays. See full 2½ hr guide →

Well above any MCT threshold, leaving room to explore terminal amenities if needed. See full 3 hr guide →

Excess time for any connection, effectively a long layover rather than a tight transfer. See full 4 hr guide →