Burbank, LAX or Long Beach: Which Los Angeles Airport?
Burbank's new terminal changes the math. How to match LAX, Burbank, Long Beach, Ontario or John Wayne to where your clients are actually sleeping.
Los Angeles has one famous airport and four useful ones. For years the advice was simple: fly LAX for choice, put up with the crawl. That calculus shifted on 13 October 2026, when every passenger at Hollywood Burbank Airport moved into its new terminal opened that day. The right answer for your clients now depends less on the airport and more on the address of their first hotel.
What changed at Burbank
According to Alaska Airlines, which has flown to Burbank since 1981, all arriving and departing passengers now use a 355,000-sq-ft terminal with one centralized ticketing hall, one TSA checkpoint and one indoor baggage claim area. Dedicated arrivals and departures lanes are meant to ease traffic at the kerb. One tradition survives: boarding and deplaning still happen outdoors, directly from the tarmac.
The airport’s Elevate BUR project site puts the terminal at 14 gates and the total project cost at US$1,298,700,000, “just under $1.3 billion.” The old terminal was 232,000 sq ft, so this is a bigger building, not more gates; the airport committed to no more than 14.
The airlines listed on the airport’s site are Southwest, Alaska, American, Delta, United, JetBlue, Allegiant, Breeze and Frontier. Nonstops reach the West Coast, the Mountain West, Texas, Chicago, Atlanta, Nashville, New York and (seasonally) Honolulu. There are no international routes.
The five airports at a glance
Straight-line distances below are our calculations from map coordinates, not road distances or drive times. Los Angeles traffic does the rest.
| Burbank (BUR) | LAX | Long Beach (LGB) | Ontario (ONT) | John Wayne (SNA) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Hollywood, Studio City/the Valley, Pasadena, Downtown | Santa Monica, Westside, Malibu, Beverly Hills; all long-haul | Long Beach, South Bay, Disneyland area | Inland Empire, Palm Springs-bound drivers | Disneyland, Orange County coast |
| Hollywood | ~11 km / 7 mi | ~19 km / 12 mi | ~36 km / 22 mi | ~68 km / 42 mi | ~64 km / 40 mi |
| Santa Monica | ~25 km / 15 mi | ~11 km / 7 mi | ~38 km / 24 mi | ~83 km / 51 mi | ~69 km / 43 mi |
| Downtown LA | ~20 km / 12 mi | ~20 km / 12 mi | ~28 km / 17 mi | ~59 km / 37 mi | ~54 km / 34 mi |
| Disneyland | ~59 km / 37 mi | ~47 km / 29 mi | ~21 km / 13 mi | ~40 km / 25 mi | ~16 km / 10 mi |
| Nonstops to Canada (official pages) | None listed | Air Canada and WestJet sell LAX–Canada routes; check which are nonstop | None listed | None listed | Vancouver (Air Canada), Calgary (WestJet) |
| International | None | Extensive | None | Mexico, Central America, Asia (airport says) | Canada, Mexico |
| Rail link | Metrolink and Amtrak stations, with airport shuttle | Metro C and K Lines via free shuttle | Metro A Line at Wardlow, a taxi ride away | Not covered here | Not covered here |
| Boarding | Outdoors, from the tarmac | Varies by terminal | Not covered here | Not covered here | Not covered here |
| Premium | Simplicity: one checkpoint, one claim | Tom Bradley lounges, widest choice | Compact, city-run | Growing international | Air Canada, WestJet, JSX listed |
Burbank: the Hollywood and Valley airport
Look at the map and Burbank is the natural airport for anyone staying in Hollywood, Studio City, Universal City or Pasadena. It is roughly 7 km from Studio City in a straight line and 11 km from Hollywood. Beverly Hills and Downtown sit at about the same straight-line distance from Burbank as from LAX, so those clients have a genuine choice.
Read next · GuideYellowstone in Winter, the Insider Season4 min →The rail story is the quiet asset. The airport’s buses and trains page lists two stations: Burbank Airport-South on Empire Avenue, served by Metrolink‘s Ventura County Line and the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner, and Burbank Airport-North on the Antelope Valley Line. The airport describes complimentary, on-demand shuttles from both stations. BurbankBus runs to Metro’s North Hollywood station on weekdays only. For a light-packing client heading downtown or to Santa Barbara, the train is a real option; check schedules, which are not all-day.
The trade-off is reach. Every Burbank flight is domestic, and clients from Canada, the UK, Australia or New Zealand will connect somewhere first.
LAX: range, lounges and the long walk
Los Angeles International Airport is the only one of the five with full long-haul reach, and the place your premium clients will spend real time. The Tom Bradley International Terminal, also called Terminal B, handles carriers including Qantas, Air New Zealand, Emirates, Cathay Pacific and Flair. LAX’s lounge map for Tom Bradley names the oneworld Alliance, KAL and Qantas lounges on the fifth floor, and the Star Alliance, Emirates and Air France lounges on the sixth.
Ground transport is mid-renovation. Taxis and standard ride-app pickups happen at LAX-it, a lot beside Terminal 1 reached by a free shuttle or a short walk. LAX says limousines, town cars and premium tiers such as Uber Black still pick up at the terminal kerbs. The FlyAway bus runs to LA Union Station and Van Nuys; LAX’s rate chart, updated 3 March 2026, lists the fare at US$12.75 each way and a taxi to Downtown from US$64.
For rail, LA Metro opened the LAX/Metro Transit Center on the C and K Lines in June 2025, linked to the terminals by a free shuttle. SkyLink, the 2.25-mile automated people mover with six stations, is meant to replace that shuttle. Los Angeles World Airports said in March 2026 that it would open in 2026; as of 23 October, LAX’s own pages give no opening date. The new consolidated rental car centre opened in March 2026.
Long Beach: small, city-run and southbound
Long Beach Airport lists four airlines and 21 nonstop cities, nearly all on Southwest, with Hawaiian to Honolulu and Maui, Delta to Salt Lake City and Alaska to Seattle. Nothing international is listed.
It suits clients staying in Long Beach, the South Bay or heading to Disneyland, roughly 21 km away in a straight line. Long Beach publishes flat taxi fares that double as a geography lesson: US$50 to Disneyland, US$75 to LAX, US$85 to Downtown LA and US$185 to Burbank. The nearest Metro rail is the A Line at Wardlow station, a short taxi ride from the terminal.
Ontario and John Wayne, briefly
Ontario International Airport, about 59 km east of Downtown in a straight line, says it serves destinations across the US, Mexico, Central America and Asia. It makes sense for Inland Empire stays or clients driving on to the desert.
John Wayne Airport in Orange County is the closest of the five to Disneyland, roughly 16 km. For Canadians it is the sleeper pick: the airport lists nonstops to Vancouver on Air Canada and to Calgary on WestJet, plus Southwest to Cabo San Lucas and Puerto Vallarta.
FAQ
Is Burbank or LAX better for Hollywood?
On geography, Burbank. It is about 11 km from Hollywood in a straight line, against about 19 km for LAX, and since 13 October it has a single checkpoint and one baggage hall. LAX wins if the client needs an international or long-haul flight.
Does Burbank airport have international flights?
No. The airport’s nonstop list is all domestic, with Honolulu the farthest point. Clients from Canada, the UK, Australia or New Zealand connect at a US hub or fly into LAX.
Can you take the train from Burbank airport to Downtown LA?
Yes, the airport lists Metrolink’s Ventura County Line and the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner at its Burbank Airport-South station, with an on-demand shuttle to the terminal. Check schedules before relying on it, especially late at night.
Is the LAX train open?
Not as of 23 October 2026, as far as LAX’s own pages show. SkyLink is described as forthcoming. For now, a free shuttle links the terminals with the LAX/Metro Transit Center on the C and K Lines.
Which LA airport is closest to Disneyland?
John Wayne (SNA), roughly 16 km in a straight line, then Long Beach at about 21 km. Visit California makes the same broad point: LAX is the best known, but depending on where clients will spend their time, it may not be the best choice.
Sources
- https://www.hollywoodburbankairport.com/
- https://www.hollywoodburbankairport.com/pages/buses-trains
- https://www.hollywoodburbankairport.com/pages/airlines
- https://www.hollywoodburbankairport.com/pages/alaska-airlines
- https://www.hollywoodburbankairport.com/pages/press-releases
- https://www.hollywoodburbankairport.com/pages/gallery
- https://elevatebur.com/
- https://elevatebur.com/faq/
- https://news.alaskaair.com/destinations/step-inside-hollywood-burbank-airports-stunning-new-terminal/
- https://www.flylax.com/lax-traffic-and-ground-transportation
- https://www.flylax.com/lax-it
- https://www.flylax.com/flyaway
- https://www.flylax.com/sites/lax/files/documents/LAX%20GTRate%20Chart.pdf
- https://www.flylax.com/terminals/terminal-b
- https://www.flylax.com/sites/lax/files/documents/TBIT.pdf
- https://www.flylax.com/lax-terminal-maps
- https://www.lawa.org/transforminglax/projects/skylink
- https://www.lawa.org/news-releases/2026/lax-opens-consolidated-rental-car-center-increasing-convenience-travelers
- https://www.lawa.org/news-releases/2026/los-angeles-board-airport-commissioners-approves-increased-fees-rideshare
- https://www.metro.net/about/media-relations/now-boarding-metros-lax-metro-transit-center-station-officially-opens-connecting-communities-bringing-faster-easier-travel-for-angelenos-visitors/
- https://www.longbeach.gov/lgb
- https://www.longbeach.gov/lgb/airlines-destinations/
- https://www.longbeach.gov/lgb/airlines-destinations/transportation/
- https://www.flyontario.com/flights/nonstop
- https://www.ocair.com/travelers/flights/non-stop-destinations/
- https://www.ocair.com/travelers/flights/airlines/
- https://www.aircanada.com/en-ca/flights-from-canada-to-california
- https://www.aircanada.com/en-us/flights-from-los-angeles-to-canada
- https://www.westjet.com/book/cheap-flights-from-los-angeles
- https://www.cbp.gov/travel/preclearance
- https://www.visitcalifornia.com/experience/traveling-plane/
Where to stay near Hollywood Burbank Airport
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Andrew Lovesey is Editor-in-Chief of Not An Atlas, and always on the hunt for the next big thing: where to go, where to stay and what's worth the photo. His first trip was to the family cottage in Prince Edward Island, all rolling hills, red sand cliffs and jellyfish drifting in the North Atlantic. He'll sit anywhere but the middle seat (no armrest wars), never flies without the adapter that lets his AirPods play the in-flight movie, and has eaten at a McDonald's in every country he's visited. Iceland gets a pass because it doesn't have one. He once learned to bead earrings from Aleqa Hammond, Greenland's first female premier, on a ship in the Northwest Passage, and will tell anyone who'll listen that Cincinnati is wildly underrated. Friends say charming, driven and loyal. His mum says persuasive. Next stop: Greece.
