One map, pinned from each airport’s published coordinates.
Category scores
Overall is the published weighted sum. A highlighted score is ahead; a tie stays plain.
Ease of use
25% · Wayfinding, security wait, and layout.
LGB8.8+2.0
LAX6.8
Comfort & amenities
20% · Seating, Wi-Fi, cleanliness, and quiet.
LGB8.1+1.1
LAX7.0
Food & retail
Best for
LGB
Domestic LA-basin trips that do not need a lounge or a rail station at the curbCLEAR Plus / PreCheck travelers on morning and early-afternoon flightsDrivers who will reserve Structure A or walk Structure B
Watch out for
LGB
No passenger lounge — aggregator “The Club LGB / Gate 5” is fictionCLEAR+ lanes close mid-afternoon even if the checkpoint is still openOfficial transportation page still says rental cars are in a GTC across the street — counters moved into the Historic Terminal on 17 Dec 2025
LGB · One checkpoint, an open-air garden between two short concourses, and real local food — traded against no lounge, $30 official parking, and a transportation page that still describes last year’s rental trailers.
LAX · LAX is a sprawling CTA hub with T5 closed until 2028. Official 2025 traffic is 73,709,594 — not 80 million. Live Priority Pass is only the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse in TBIT with a US$35 extra fee. SkyLink is still forthcoming on official pages.
15% · Food and retail quality and variety.
LGB7.5
LAX7.5
Ground access
15% · Transit, taxi, and parking to the city.
LGB6.6
LAX7.8+1.2
Reliability
15% · Delays, cancellations, and weather resilience.
LGB8.0+1.0
LAX7.0
Lounges
10% · Worth-it density and access quality.
LGB2.0
LAX7.3+5.3
Anyone who wants Hawaiian HNL/OGG or Alaska SEA without going to LAX
LAX
Delta and United flyers with lounge accessInternational connections via TBITPublic transport options like FlyAway
Parking banner advertises $35/$30 from 1 October; live card on 12 Sep 2026 was still $30/$25
LAX
Following an old Terminal 5 pin — T5 is closed until 2028Assuming Air France TBIT accepts Priority Pass (it is not on the live PP list)Quoting 80 million passengers — LAWA 2025 is 73,709,594Treating SkyLink as open; official language is still forthcoming / 2026CTA traffic and construction adding more time than security
Free terminal Wi-Fi
No passenger lounge
Official pages do not print a standing TSA clock
First departures on the 12 Sep 2026 board are around 06:50–07:00. CLEAR+ lanes close mid-afternoon; official enrollment hours run later.
One sterile side — North and South are a garden walk
After the only TSA you can walk between the North and South concourses through the open-air garden. Wrong side is embarrassing, not a reclear.
Trust the official shop-and-dine hours, not a lounge pin
Local names: Sheldrake/Sweet Jill’s, Boathouse on the Bay, Taco Beach, 4th Street Vine, Long Beach Burger Bar, George’s Greek. Several kitchens close mid-afternoon.
