International arrivals at Tom Bradley: timing your pickup

Tom Bradley International Terminal, also called Terminal B, handles most international arrivals at LAX. U.S. Customs and Border Protection says its officers processed nearly 10.4 million arrivals there in 2024, which made it the busiest single terminal in the country for processing foreign arrivals. Passengers on many airlines that check in at other terminals, including American, Delta, Alaska, JetBlue, British Airways and Japan Airlines, come out here on international flights.

Not every international flight uses Terminal B. CBP also runs federal inspection areas at other terminals, including Terminal 7, where United operates, so check your airline's arrival details before you give your chauffeur a terminal. If you are booking for someone else, ask them to confirm the arrival terminal in the airline app on the day of travel. Our terminal-by-terminal guide lists where each airline checks in and arrives.

Every international arrival follows the same sequence, and each step can be quick or slow depending on the hour and how many flights land together. Knowing the order helps you judge how far along you are and when to message your chauffeur. The gates in the West Gates concourse, numbered 201 to 225, add a walk before you reach the inspection area.

• Taxi to the gate and leave the aircraft
• Walk to passport control, where CBP uses facial comparison for U.S. citizens
• Collect every checked bag at the baggage claim
• Pass through customs, where officers take declarations and may inspect bags
• Exit to the lower arrivals level and meet your chauffeur

Three programs can cut the time you spend at passport control. Mobile Passport Control is a free CBP app that lets eligible travelers submit passport and customs information on a phone; the airport says it needs no pre-approval, and arriving passengers can join a dedicated LAX Mobile Passport Network Wi-Fi to use it. Global Entry, a CBP trusted traveler program, allows expedited clearance for pre-approved, low-risk travelers on arrival.

Since June 2025, CBP has used Enhanced Passenger Processing at Terminal B and Terminal 7, which confirms the identity of U.S. citizens with facial comparison at the inspection booth. Travelers who prefer not to take part can tell an officer and use the standard process. CBP reports that the system has cut wait times for U.S. citizens by about 25 percent since its national launch. Download any app before you fly, as the airport recommends.

Your chauffeur monitors the flight and arrives based on the actual landing time, so you do not need to guess a pickup time. International arrivals include 45 to 60 minutes of complimentary waiting after landing, which is meant to cover passport control, bags and customs. On a busy evening the process can run longer, and waiting beyond the complimentary allowance is billed at the hourly rate of the vehicle booked.

If the flight has landed and the chauffeur has waited about two hours, one additional hour may be billed. The best protection is a short message at each milestone: when you land, when you clear passport control and when you have your bags. That tells the chauffeur exactly when you will reach the curb, instead of leaving it to guesswork.

LAX lists two daily peak periods for international flights: 11:00 am to 2:00 pm and 8:00 to 11:00 pm. Arrivals that land in those windows share passport control and the baggage hall with many other flights, so expect the longer end of any estimate. Holiday weeks add volume on top of that, and our holiday travel guide covers the busiest days the airport has forecast in past seasons.

A flight that lands early can reach the inspection area ahead of the crowd from later flights, while a delayed flight can end up landing in the middle of the next peak. That is one more reason the chauffeur works from the actual landing time rather than from the schedule on your ticket.

After customs you exit to the arrivals level. Pre-booked car services pick up at the outer curb on the lower level outside baggage claim, and your chauffeur confirms the exact meeting point by text or phone. Meet & Greet, which includes up to one hour of terminal waiting, puts the chauffeur inside the terminal instead, which helps after a long-haul flight, with children or with a lot of luggage. Taxis for Terminal B wait inside Parking Structure 3 and ride apps load at LAX-it, so skip both when a chauffeur is booked.

• Confirm the arrival terminal in your airline's app
• Download Mobile Passport Control before departure if you are eligible
• Book with the flight number, and add Meet & Greet if you want help inside
• Message your chauffeur at landing, after passport control and after bags
• Choose a vehicle with room for long-haul luggage