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Australian needing advice on transferring at LAX
We are Australians in our late 60s and are arriving on an Air New Zealand flight arriving into LAX in late August at 12:40pm. We are transferring to Air Canada for a flight to Vancouver at 4:45pm. I appreciated your maps and description on the terminals, however as we have very little knowledge of LAX I am wondering if you are able to offer any guidance on the easiest and most efficient way for us to maximise our transfer, with the least stress and inconvenience. I am hoping to gain enough knowledge before we depart Australia to feel comfortable in this process. Thank you in anticipation.
Welcome, I assume you have read this post by Tiffany from a few months ago?
[URL]https://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2017/12/05/connect-terminals-lax/[/URL]
Arriving from any international flight (Air New Zealand included) you will have to clear Customs and Immigration at LAX. Once that is complete, I would assume you’d then have around 2 hours to get to your Air Canada flight, worst-case scenario. If Customs isn’t crowded, you may even have more time.
After clearing customs, you will then be landside (outside of security), so will have to clear security again at Terminal 6 – where Air Canada departs from.
If you have a Priority Pass membership, you could spend the remaining time in the Alaska lounge in Terminal 6.
The following only applies if you have to claim your bags at the international terminal at LAX–it might not if you’re just transiting between two other countries at LAX. Most airlines will let you re-check your bags in an area of the international terminal just after you clear customs at LAX, so you won’t have to carry your bags to another terminal. Make sure to look for the bag re-check sign and follow it rather than exiting the international terminal with your bags. Just make sure your bag tags issued by Air New Zealand indicate Vancouver as your final destination when you check them in Australia. Doing that will save you a lot of time.
[QUOTE=”Michael M, post: 56616, member: 3388″]The following only applies if you have to claim your bags at the international terminal at LAX–it might not if you’re just transiting between two other countries at LAX. Most airlines will let you re-check your bags in an area of the international terminal just after you clear customs at LAX, so you won’t have to carry your bags to another terminal. Make sure to look for the bag re-check sign and follow it rather than exiting the international terminal with your bags. Just make sure your bag tags issued by Air New Zealand indicate Vancouver as your final destination when you check them in Australia. Doing that will save you a lot of time.[/QUOTE]
Many thanks Michael, we really appreciate your advice as we are not familiar with LAX. Thank you for taking the time to reply to my question, it offers reassurance in what I assume is a large airport.
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