JSLALALAND

BEFORE YOU LAND

LAX, It's Complicated

19 pages on LA's complicated relationship with LAX, every airport hack fact-checked.

Translated from Jasmine’s original Chinese. The illustrated slides are on the interactive reader.

Key points

Full text

  1. LA's love-hate relationship with LAX

    After all these years of complaining, we've complained our way into a set of secret hacks. Years of complaints, 10 hacks to show for it.

  2. LAX isn't just an airport; it's a relationship you can't quit

    World Way, the loop, almost missing your flight, and the people still willing to drive you to LAX.

  3. By your third lap, you'll know the people in the car next to you

    You can see the terminal; you can't get to the terminal. World Way is LA's patience-training ground.

  4. I'll be your bridesmaid, but I won't drive you to LAX

    The Cell Phone Lot, FlightAware, and the truly advanced move: pickup on the Departures level.

  5. The day LAX is finished, LA will collectively panic

    Terminal 1.5 isn't a typo; this airport never asks when construction will be done, only which road it's closing this time.

  6. The train overhead has been running empty for a year and it's busier than me

    The People Mover, the Metro Transit Center and that last 2.5 miles that never quite connects.

  7. 14 hours to Taipei, 3 hours to the airport; very balanced

    The 405, check-in and security lines: three hours isn't anxiety, it's math.

  8. You land, then you have to take a ride to get to your ride

    UberX goes to LAX-it first; Uber Black, walking from T1 and Departures pickup are the escape hatches.

  9. Fly BUR once, and LAX becomes your ex

    Step off the plane straight onto the tarmac, and your bags beat you there. If you can fly BUR, never fly LAX.

  10. The 626 aunties and uncles saw through LAX ages ago

    From the SGV, take the 60 straight to ONT; if you don't gamble on the 405, you win.

  11. Everyone else waits 90 minutes; you take the VIP lane

    TSA PreCheck, Global Entry and CLEAR: give the time you'd spend in line back to the trip.

  12. Money you don't have to spend yourself

    Global Entry, PreCheck, CLEAR and MPC; first check what your credit card's already paying for.

  13. 30 seconds before you leave, scope out the enemy

    Security wait times, FlightAware, the Cell Phone Lot and FlyAway: the formula for heading out to LAX.

  14. Just walk over

    Connected terminals, the checkpoint next door and walking routes: don't always stay stuck in the longest line.

  15. Some people never set foot in the terminal

    PS LAX's private terminal, its own security and a car to the plane; some people have never even seen the loop.

  16. You hate the airport, but you can't quit the fries next to it

    The Sepulveda In-N-Out: watching planes land while eating a Double-Double is the most romantic free date next to LAX.

  17. Leaving feels like goodbye; coming back feels like a hug

    The LAX light pylons: when you leave, it's hard to say goodbye; when you come home, they're the lighthouse you spot right away.

  18. The second you see the sea of lights: fine, you're forgiven

    The traffic, construction and LAX-it are all forgiven, for a moment, by the sea of city lights at night.

  19. Next time you land at LAX, look out at the sea of lights

    LAX / BUR / ONT, shuttles, rental cars, parking and getting around, all in the new LA Guide.

Places in this story

Read it with the slides →The illustrated version on the LA Guide →

An original JSLALALAND field guide by Jasmine Chang (@jslalaland).