Los Angeles LAX Airport

What a disgrace this horrible airport is as it is dirty passenger unfriendly and does not have enough clean inviting eating places. Staff at the bars were surly and wanted passports shown to order a lager even though we had obviously passed through security and were senior UK citizens. No shops worth looking at. What a shock after my experience of Miami International which I thought would be the normal standard in the USA. How wrong I was and never wish to return to LAX.

Traveling from Australia to Houston with connecting United flight through LAX terminal 7. The United counter is horribly laid out with the ticket and check in counters competing with the entrance to security. The security line was also crowded with security personnel yelling at passengers in order to maintain the 'obvious' three lines they are trying to pack in one cramped space. Those who were running close to their plane schedule would have a very difficult time navigating through the process in a timely manner. Try to space connecting flights if possible especially if you are flying international and must clear customs. Only redeeming factor is free wifi. I used to think Houston's Bush and Hobby were bad but in comparison those airports seem much more manageable. LAX is in serious need of re-engineering traffic flows and layout plans. An absolute mess!

I live in LA so I've gone to LAX a lot. It can be a bit annoying if you're traveling on the big airlines (AA Delta Southwest or United). I just flew Virgin America and it was so easy no lines for security with was a huge shock. IF you're flying out of LAX then arrive 2.5 hours early just for checking bags and security. I would suggest to use other LA airports like Long Beach Burbank Ontario or Santa Ana.

Having heard the horror stories of 4 hour queues and surly staff travelling with two young children I was not looking forward to clearing immigration and customs. Having seen that the terminal building is a dump and needs replacing with a modern facility my expectations were very low. However immigration staff were helpful and the queue took about 45 minutes to clear. We were using a shuttle bus service to Disneyland while this was signposted it was a bit vague and we needed assistance from a rival bus company to find the right spot - which turned out to be a tiny traffic island overcrowded with fellow tourists. Overall the people at the airport are friendly but the facilities are terrible.

If you're going to Southern California then LAX is your only choice for arrivals but I must admit that arrival or departure from Tom Bradley makes me as an American somewhat ashamed of the facility. Its old not user friendly security and immigration staff efficient but not friendly at all and the TBIT has hardly any facilities for shopping or meals. The upstairs food area is crowded and very expensive as well. Shops are minimal and offer very little. There is no airport in America that can come close to Seoul Hong Kong Bangkok or Singapore. Overseas visitors to LAX SFO JFK or ORD cannot have a good impression of our country when they arrive at these old and disorganized airports.

Going through airport security is like going through prison security. The lady who directed me was pretty aggressive. The line for the Delta baggage drop was extremely long and the handlers were working at a frantic pace. The people at custom were also intimidating cold and stern. So long for nice pleasant airports and staff like the ones in Asia.

When reviewing LAX whether for international or domestic arrivals we should specify the Terminal Number (or at least the airline name) since there are nine terminal buildings at this airport. International arrivals at the Tom Bradley International Terminal (TBIT) and those at the Delta terminal (Terminal 5) get much better reviews than those at the United Terminal (Terminal 8). My recent experience at United's international arrivals was shocking. The wheelchair I requested never arrived. The escalators were out of order both going down and later going back up. There were no moving sidewalks and the distances to cover were among the longest in the world. The ceilings were low. The queues were the longest I've ever seen at any US arrival point and in general the experience was comparable to those I have had in the worst of Third World terminals. I usually arrive at SFO which is ten times better. I would say avoid LAX but I guess I am really saying avoid UA arrivals from overseas. The other terminals might be better.

Old decrepit buildings poor signage and next to no facilities. However on this trip no queues at immigration for the first time pleasant immigration staff and luggage came quickly. For a country that demands high standards it doesn't seem to include their airports.

We arrived at TBIT on October 1 and were in a scene of mass chaos for almost 2 hours. The lines were endless and the area was so congested that moving was a challenge. Most of the third world airports I have used have been infinitely better and the first-time visitor could not have a worse first impression of the US. Miserable!

My last three arrivals at LAX international have been terrible. Immigration is chaos. It is a long walk from the gate and when you arrive at immigration there are visible clear signs or direction of where foreign and US passport holders should go. On the afternoon of 09/27/12 there was a woman acting as traffic cop but no one could hear her. A guard then starting directing but he seemed more interested in the show he was putting on than helping anyone. Customs was worse. Extremely poor and stupid setup with lines running right through the midst of baggage arrival. Just a mess. People were lined up in a very long queue on the left (from the arrivals point of view) that queue was then split into two lines by a rope the left side of the split was serviced by 2 agents while the right had 1 agent. Meanwhile across the room and hard to see was another that had a tenth of the number of people and two agents. No one seemed to care! It has been like this for the last year. Unbelievable.