Will I have to go through TSA again when I land at LAX? I'm coming in on United and leaving on New Zealand Air. I will be leaving Montana on United; it’s all booked on one itinerary through United and I go to New Zealand Air at LAX. I was just wondering once I get to LAX and I have to go into the international part of the airport, are you required to go through security to get into the international part or can I bypass TSA?
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4What's the full itinerary? You're flying into and then out of LAX, but where are those flights coming from/going to? Whether or not you need to go through security again at LAX may depend on whether your flight into LAX was domestic or international. – Anthony Grist May 19 at 21:09
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1And are the flights on the same ticket? – David Richerby May 19 at 22:13
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1Question seems clear to me: Depends on how you want to get there. You'll most likely be arriving in Terminal 7 or 8 on United. There is an air-side by connection to the Tom Bradley International Terminal where New Zealand most likely will depart from (check your itinerary). However, it's walk only and a fairly long walk. If you want to take the shuttle bus you need to exit the secure area and go through TSA again. – Hilmar May 20 at 1:07
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No, you will not go through the TSA again at LAX.
US airports make no distinction between departing domestic and international flights, since there is no passport control on departure. You will go through TSA security in Montana, board your flight, then arrive on the "airside" (post-security) of LAX and simply walk to your connecting international flight to New Zealand.
Note: This applies as long as there's airside connectivity between your arrival and departure terminals. This is the case for Terminals 7/8 (United) and TBIT at LAX, and more generally most through-ticketed connections on the same alliance at major airports, but this may not be true for all airlines at all airports.
Source: I had essentially the same transfer at LAX earlier this year (domestic-LAX-international on United).
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3Maybe a short clarification for other readers: Only Terminals 4 - 8 are connected airside to the international terminal. For terminals 1 - 3 (i think Delta uses them) you have to exit the terminal and go through security at the international terminal again. – dunni May 20 at 7:14
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2Keep in mind that it's walk-only and quite long from TBIT to 7 or 8. It's about a mile from Terminal 8 and travelcodex.com/long-take-change-terminals-lax puts it as a half hour walk or so. If you want to take the bus, you need to exit out of security, – Hilmar May 20 at 15:04
