LAX officials often boast that their facility is one of the safest in the world. Over 50 million passengers use the airport annually, and negative security incidents are very rare.

Our experiences of going through LAX at least a dozen times a year is that security is functioning well. The only complaints we have is that the screening process can get very slow during busy check-in times. Also, we've found that LAX waiting areas, including bathrooms, often become wall-to-wall, shoulder-to-shoulder mob scenes. If you plan to fly in and/or out of LAX, the best advice we can offer is that you book for very early or very late (red eye) flights, when the always-busy airport is not quite as crowded. Getting there an hour or two before your flight also has advantages. LAX has some great shops and restaurants where you can relax and nosh until flight time.