How To Make It Through LAX In Under 20 Minutes | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Student Life

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!

51
How To Make It Through LAX In Under 20 Minutes
Madison Miller

In This Article:

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:)

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Entertainment

Every Girl Needs To Listen To 'She Used To Be Mine' By Sara Bareilles

These powerful lyrics remind us how much good is inside each of us and that sometimes we are too blinded by our imperfections to see the other side of the coin, to see all of that good.

68883
Every Girl Needs To Listen To 'She Used To Be Mine' By Sara Bareilles

The song was sent to me late in the middle of the night. I was still awake enough to plug in my headphones and listen to it immediately. I always did this when my best friend sent me songs, never wasting a moment. She had sent a message with this one too, telling me it reminded her so much of both of us and what we have each been through in the past couple of months.

Keep Reading...Show less
Zodiac wheel with signs and symbols surrounding a central sun against a starry sky.

What's your sign? It's one of the first questions some of us are asked when approached by someone in a bar, at a party or even when having lunch with some of our friends. Astrology, for centuries, has been one of the largest phenomenons out there. There's a reason why many magazines and newspapers have a horoscope page, and there's also a reason why almost every bookstore or library has a section dedicated completely to astrology. Many of us could just be curious about why some of us act differently than others and whom we will get along with best, and others may just want to see if their sign does, in fact, match their personality.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

20 Song Lyrics To Put A Spring Into Your Instagram Captions

"On an island in the sun, We'll be playing and having fun"

3281
Person in front of neon musical instruments; glowing red and white lights.
Photo by Spencer Imbrock on Unsplash

Whenever I post a picture to Instagram, it takes me so long to come up with a caption. I want to be funny, clever, cute and direct all at the same time. It can be frustrating! So I just look for some online. I really like to find a song lyric that goes with my picture, I just feel like it gives the picture a certain vibe.

Here's a list of song lyrics that can go with any picture you want to post!

Keep Reading...Show less
Chalk drawing of scales weighing "good" and "bad" on a blackboard.
WP content

Being a good person does not depend on your religion or status in life, your race or skin color, political views or culture. It depends on how good you treat others.

We are all born to do something great. Whether that be to grow up and become a doctor and save the lives of thousands of people, run a marathon, win the Noble Peace Prize, or be the greatest mother or father for your own future children one day. Regardless, we are all born with a purpose. But in between birth and death lies a path that life paves for us; a path that we must fill with something that gives our lives meaning.

Keep Reading...Show less
Health and Wellness

10 Hygiene Tips For All College Athletes

College athletes, it's time we talk about sports hygiene.

7390
Woman doing pull-ups on bars with sun shining behind her.

I got a request to talk about college athletes hygiene so here it is.

College athletes, I get it, you are busy! From class, to morning workouts, to study table, to practice, and more. But that does not excuse the fact that your hygiene comes first! Here are some tips when it comes to taking care of your self.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments