Los Angeles Cheap Flights - LAX

Los Angeles International Airport, located about 26 kilometers from downtown LA, is often known by its airport code of LAX. It is LA’s number one airport and ranks among the top 10 busiest airports in the world. Most international flights to Los Angeles arrive here, from around the Pacific Rim in particular, and flights from Los Angeles International head off to over 60 destinations around the world, as well as more than 85 within the United States.

There are nine terminals at LAX, so it is a good idea to find out ahead of time which one your flight leaves from. Many of the long-haul flights depart from Terminals 2, 3, 4 and 7, and the Tom Bradley Terminal. The other terminals are predominantly for domestic flights. Getting between the terminals can involve a short walk or may require a shuttle bus. Be warned, however, that you may need to clear security when leaving and entering each terminal.

All the major US airlines, including United Airlines, American Airlines and Southwest Airlines, run a large number of flights to Los Angeles International. Direct international flights are mainly to South and Central America and the Pacific Rim, although there are a limited number of flights to Europe from LA.

There are dozens of mid-range and luxury hotels close to LAX, all designed specifically for air passengers. All the major hotels run continuous shuttle buses between their hotel and the airport.

Although you are likely to fly in or out of LAX, the other airports can be more convenient because there is less traffic around, and they are situated close to some of the city’s main attractions, such as Disneyland (John Wayne Airport) or Hollywood (Bob Hope Airport). Bob Hope Airport is popular with some of the discount airlines and has LA’s only direct rail link to downtown.

Despite each airport handling millions of passengers a year, none of these airports are close to LAX in terms of size or passenger volume, and none of them handle a large number of international flights. They are also dotted around the vast LA metropolitan area, so transferring from one to the other can take some time.