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LAX Terminal 6 Arrivals to Departures

My teenage daughter will arrive at LAX Terminal 6 (Air Canada) and depart from the same terminal (Alaska) an hour later. She only has a carry-on, no checked luggage.

Given the short time between flights, I'm concerned if she’ll make it to her next flight on time. Can anyone familiar with Terminal 6 confirm if it’s possible to move from Arrivals to Departures without leaving the secure area or going through security again? Is one hour enough for this connection? Thanks in advance!

At LAX, Terminal 6 is primarily a domestic terminal. When arriving on Air Canada (assuming this is a US domestic leg from a previous connection) and departing on Alaska Airlines, your daughter will need to consider the following points:

1. Security Check: Even if she only has a carry-on, arriving passengers typically exit into the arrivals hall. To get to departures, she will almost always need to go through TSA security again unless there is an airside connection for the same airline or code-share that keeps passengers in the secure area. At Terminal 6, there is no direct “airside connection” between arriving and departing gates for different airlines.

2. Time Consideration: One hour is extremely tight. This includes deplaning, walking to the main departures/security area, waiting in line at TSA (which can be unpredictable), and reaching her gate. Even with only a carry-on, this is a very short window, and any delay on her arriving flight could make the connection risky.

3. Practical Tips:

  • Contact both airlines to see if they can provide advice or facilitate a faster connection.
  • Check if the arrival and departure gates are close—Terminal 6 is not large, but gate walking distances can still take 10–15 minutes.
  • Use TSA PreCheck if she is eligible, which can speed up security significantly.
  • Prepare her with clear instructions and have a plan if she misses the flight, such as standby options.

In summary, she will likely need to exit arrivals and go through security again, and one hour is a very tight connection. While it’s physically possible in the best-case scenario, it leaves very little margin for delays. If there’s any way to book a longer layover or get assistance from the airlines for a tight connection, that would reduce stress.

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