arrival/dep. terminal 4 lax-query tbit lounge

[parsonstrish]

I realize this will be probably a personal choice but i find aa lounge in lax terminal 4 not as good as the combined qf/ba/etc. lounge in tbit.

a) am i allowed to use the lounge in tbit arriving and exiting t4?

b) i've got tons of time bet. flts., so going thru. security whatever in both terminals isn't a big deal for me, but am I allowed to do this?
thanks,
trish

 

[serfty]

I think you are out of luck. On arrival into LAX off an international flight you will go through US customs/immigration. After being processed you end up landside.

As a rule you can generally only go though security of the terminal you are departing from, so you can't go back into TBIT in this case.

If you arrive into T4 on a domestic US flight and are departing from TBIT, on arrival you are airside in T4 so can access the A/C there. At the appropriate time you can go landside, walk to TBIT and go through security to the lounge.

 

[dot]

If you arrive into T4 on a domestic US flight and are departing from TBIT, on arrival you are airside in T4 so can access the A/C there. At the appropriate time you can go landside, walk to TBIT and go through security to the lounge.

Or use the airside shuttle bus to go from T4 airside to TBIT airside...

 

[serfty]

Or use the airside shuttle bus to go from T4 airside to TBIT airside...

Each to their own:

[From: Has The Qclub Lounge Opened In Lax Tbit?]

It was open when I came through on Nov 5th for QF94 but never got to seeit.

I came in off QF108 which was 15 minutes early. :shock: QF94/QF176 passengers were told to go to gate 40(IIRC) at T4 to await a bus to take us around airside to TBIT. We waited in a small room for 35 minutes before being herded onto a bus where we waited another 25 minutes. The bus trip then took 20 minutes and we only arrived at TBIT as boarding for QF94 had commenced! :evil:

(In hindsight, I should have gone out of T4 and back through TBIT security - would have saved at least ½ an hour).

 

[dot]

Each to their own:

I agree - going landside is pretty much always going to be faster - I was just pointing out alternatives esp as the OP was suggesting they had plenty of time at LAX to burn.

 

[Danger]

It might be worth emailing AA about this as I did earlier this year with the same query about San Francisco. They emailed back saying as long as I had a valid boarding pass for that day I could move airside at any terminal.

Now I'm not familiar with SFO and it sounds like this same procedure isn't possible at LAX. However, I do recall reading elsewhere (perhaps the AA forum at FT) that AA may be able to give you a 'pass' to go airside at a different terminal.

Anyway, I'd suggest you email AA.

 

[comint]

I can confirm that I have accessed a different terminal to my departing terminal in the USA (same airport, same day, no airside interconnection) for the purpose of using a lounge.

It wasn't LAX, it was BDL, but the TSA had no problems. (In fact they were very friendly about it, but maybe that’s a Connecticut thing?!) I informed the TSA screener before attempting to enter the terminal with the lounge in it, and the response was something like - "I can certainly understand wanting to wait in the lounge instead of at the gate".

They still signed off on the boarding pass, which does create a double take from security in your actual departure terminal (when presenting a boarding pass that is already initialled/highlighted), but I just said that I had been to the lounge in the other terminal. The response was a nod and a smile.

Can't vouch for LAX though. (P.S. the people at the AA check-in counter were unaware this was possible. Not their job I guess.)

 

[Lendav Orav]

Yeah, my experience at LAX is that they'll only let you into the terminal you are departing from, unless you get a pass from AA. I did it once but it was because I left my cabin bag in the T4 lounge and went landside without even thinking about it. (My connecting flight was from T3 on QF AS codeshare). It was quite an ordeal to get back in- TSA said no and sent me to the AA checkin. AA did give me the pass but only reluctantly. My guess is they wouldn't allow it under normal circumstances especially as there IS a lounge in T4, they'll just send you there. What about trying to take the transfer bus over- you could sweet talk the attendants at transfer gate, and then you don't have to deal with TSA at all...