Landing at LAX: a first-time visitor's guide to getting to your hotel

Short version: LAX is big, busy, and — for a first-time or international visitor — genuinely confusing on arrival. The smoothest path from the plane to your hotel bed is a pre-arranged private chauffeur with meet & greet: someone is waiting for you at baggage claim with your name on a sign, helps with the bags, and drives you straight to your hotel at a price you locked in before you flew. No rideshare app in a foreign SIM-card limbo, no taxi-line negotiation, no figuring out which level the pickup is on.

With Los Angeles hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup and a wave of international visitors this summer, here's how an LAX arrival actually works — and how to make it effortless.

What arrival at LAX is really like

Most international flights land at Tom Bradley International Terminal (TBIT, Terminal B). After you deplane you'll clear immigration, collect your bags, and pass through customs — on a busy day that whole sequence can take 45 minutes to well over an hour. Then you step out into one of the busiest curbsides in the world, where rideshare pickup has been moved to a separate lot (LAX-it) that requires a shuttle or a long walk.

That last 100 feet is where a first visit goes sideways: tired, possibly in a new time zone, phone not yet on a local network, luggage cart in tow, surrounded by a crowd. It's exactly the moment you don't want to be opening an app and haggling.

Why meet & greet changes the arrival

With meet & greet, your chauffeur parks and walks into the terminal to meet you at baggage claim, holding a sign with your name. They help with your bags and walk you to the vehicle — no curbside scramble, no LAX-it shuttle, no app. For a first-time or international arrival, it's the single biggest upgrade to the trip. (Curbside pickup is included on every transfer; meet & greet is a small add-on — our meet & greet guide breaks down exactly when it's worth it.)

Getting to your hotel — wherever it is

From LAX we run visitors to every part of the region: Beverly Hills, Hollywood, Santa Monica and the beaches, Downtown LA, West Hollywood, and out to Anaheim and Disneyland. You ride in a Cadillac Escalade ESV with room for your group and your luggage, and you arrive at the front door — not a corner two blocks away.

A few first-timer tips

• Have your hotel's full address saved before you land — your chauffeur will confirm it, but it helps if your phone isn't online yet.
• If you're arriving for a specific event — a World Cup match, a concert, a game — book the ride to it at the same time; match days and event nights book up fast.
• Traveling with kids? Ask for child seats when you book; we carry them on request.
• Want the airport handled both ways? Book the round trip and your departure pickup is timed to your flight automatically.

The bottom line

Your first impression of a city is the ride from the airport. Arrive to a chauffeur holding your name, hand off the bags, settle in, and watch Los Angeles roll by on the way to your hotel — at a price you already knew. That's how a great trip starts.