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How To Make It Through LAX In Under 20 Minutes

All of the tips and tricks you need for beating the game that is travel time!

Madison Miller

Mar 05, 2019

University of Southern California

How To Make It Through LAX In Under 20 Minutes

Madison Miller

Airports are notoriously painful. The Los Angeles International Airport, in particular, has a reputation of being slow, tedious, and crowded! While lines and delays may be inevitable on some days, making a typical flight at LAX is not as difficult as it is reputed to be. No matter where in the world you are headed, it's actually not too hard to make it through in no time at all! My personal record for making it from the USC campus to my GATE is under 18 minutes! While my record time only applies to LAX, I could make it through any airport unconscionably fast using my dad's airport system:

1. Do some research!

First of all, you need to know exactly what terminal and gate you are going to in order to avoid having to take a train or a bus. Additionally, every airport and every terminal has a different system, so if you really need to make it through fast, prepare in advance to make sure you know the ways in which you can bypass a line or two! Some airports have separate lines for families with children, some simply have lines that tend to go faster than others! Either way, it is important to know in advance what you are getting into.

2. Uber, never drive

Trying to deal with airport parking is a rookie mistake. They charge astronomical parking rates or force you to park ridiculously far away and take a shuttle. While you might be a faster driver than any chauffer out there, getting dropped off shaves precious minutes off of your airport time. To reduce this amount even more, I would suggest scheduling an Uber in advance so that a driver will be ready to pick you up exactly when you need them to!

3. Take a carryon-no checked bags except for skycap!

Having to wait in the line to check bags is time consuming in itself, without even factoring in the many delays that figuring out how to check the bag can create! Not only does this save you time, but it also allows you to be later to the airport! To check a bag, you are typically required to be at the airport at least 45 minutes before your flight takes off. By using this system, you could get to the airport 20 minutes before your flight leaves and be totally fine! However, if your trip details require you to take a bag, be sure to use skycap outside of the airport, as they will check your bag no matter how late you are for your flight!

4. Most importantly-CLEAR CLEAR CLEAR

This is the real trick to avoiding spending your whole day at the airport. CLEAR Is a service that basically lets you skip the security line. You walk up to a kiosk, scan your fingerprint and boarding pass, and a CLEAR employee will escort you past the entire security line. Having both this and TSA Pre-Check cuts the time I spend in security on a busy day from 20 minutes to less than 2 minutes. While it does require an annual fee, CLEAR offers a three-month free trial that is ABSOLUTELY worth it.

Good luck and bon voyage:)

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How To Make It Through LAX In Under 20 Minutes

All of the tips and tricks you need for beating the game that is travel time!

1. Do some research!

2. Uber, never drive

3. Take a carryon-no checked bags except for skycap!

4. Most importantly-CLEAR CLEAR CLEAR

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May the odds be ever in your favor.

Phase One: The “I got this” phase

Phase Two: The “I have time” phase

Phase Three: The uncontrollable sobbing phase

Phase Four: The “help me, I've fallen and I can't get up” phase

Phase Five: The rejoicing phase

10 ways to prepare for finals week—beginning with getting to the library.

Who knows where we would be without them.

1. Thank you for laughing at my jokes, even when they really aren’t funny.

2. Thank you for singing unbearably loud with me all the time.

3. Thank you for letting me vent to you for hours about anything and basically being my personal therapist.

4. Thank you for ordering pizza with me at 2 in the morning.

5. Thank you for all the movie days when we don’t feel like moving.

6. Thank you for being my workout buddy everyday.

7. Thank you for sharing your closets with me.

8. Thank you for taking naps with me at random hours during the day.

9. Thank you for cleaning our home with me when we absolutely need to.

10. Thank you for all the rides when it’s late and you don’t want me to walk home alone in the dark.

11. Thank you for studying with me in our kitchen when we didn't want to go the library.

12. Thank you for making dinner with me.

13. Thank you for helping with my hair, makeup and outfit every time we go out.

14. Thank you for taking countless ugly pictures with me.

15. Thank you for not judging me when I go too long without showering.

16. Thank you for making our apartment feel like a second home.

17. Thank you for being there through all of our boy troubles.

18. Thank you for giving me a hug when I feel homesick.

19. Thank you for getting excited with me when one of us gets a good grade on an exam.

20. Thank you for still being my friend and not judging me when I say or do dumb things.

21. Thank you for telling me what I should do when I am sick.

22. Thank you for dancing horribly with me everywhere we go.

23. Thank you for staying up super late with me when we aren’t tired or can’t sleep.

24. Thank you for being super weird with me.

25. Thank you for all the unforgettable college memories.

26. And most of all, thank you for being the best friends a girl could have.

I may or may not be stressing right now.

1. "What do I have to study for?"

2. "What class do I need to study for the most?"

3. "I’m going to ace this."

4. "Focus!"

5."I have no idea what I'm reading."

6. "I should call my smart friend about this."

7. "I’m going to fail. I’m going to fail."

8. "I’m dropping out of school."

9. "What grade do I have to get on the final to pass the class?"

10. "Oh, no, I have to do good."

11. "I shouldn’t have procrastinated all semester."

12. "I wanna go to bed."

13. "We did not learn this!"

14. "I should go get food."

15. "Why do we even have finals?"

16. "I don’t want to be at the library."

17. "Get off your phone."

18. "I can watch Netflix for like 20 minutes and then go back to studying."

19. "I shouldn’t have watched Netflix."

20. "You have to study now!"

The "Happiest Place on Earth" has a lot of characters with some pretty great advice.

Remember you’re the one who can fill the world with sunshine. — Snow White

The past can hurt. But the way I see it, you can either run from it or learn from it. — Rafiki

You don't have time to be timid. You must be bold and daring. — Lumière

If watching is all you're gonna do, then you're gonna watch your life go by without ya. — Laverne

Sometimes the right path is not the easiest one. — Grandmother Willow

Always let your conscience be your guide. — Jiminy Cricket

To infinity and beyond. — Buzz Lightyear

Life is a journey to be experienced, not a problem to be solved. — Pooh

Let it go. — Elsa

If you can't say something nice, don't say nothin' at all. — Thumper

Today's special moments are tomorrow's memories. — Genie

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