LAX Terminal 7

I’m going to start off by saying that as a family we never fly. It’s such a pain in the ass trying to keep everyone together. Especially with little ones. It was our first time and I was a mess in the weeks leading up to our trip. I even had nightmares about our carryon luggage.
We flew out of T7 on United airlines on a 6 a.m. flight. The attendants were very helpful in explaining our options about checking luggage, carrying on items, and gate checking our stroller and car seats.
Even the TSA ladies were very patient about us not having our crap together. Most other places would make rude or snide comments. Bad enough we woke these kids up at 3 a.m. to catch a plane. I honestly thought the worst. Nope. We were in the line and directed to screening with friendly faces.
Screening was a breeze, and we were done with everything in less than an hour. We went to one of the concession stands to get snacks for the plane. Not really necessary for a short flight to AZ, but we got them anyways.
Boarding went smoothly and I was relieved on how easy the transition went.

I was worried about delays here, as I read that terminal 7 is currently under construction. But I made it to my gate just on time. Yay!

It’s a bit dated, crowded, and limited in terms of options. The bathrooms are a bit dirty and the entrance/​exits are congested!

The terminal itself is strictly a United Airlines terminal. This use to be my favorite frequent mile club, but they have gone downhill fast. I need to seek a better program on one that rewards its customers. Because of United, it is kind of difficult to rate the terminal any higher. Meanwhile, it does have a food court and some restaurant options. Not too many shopping options in here. The terminal itself is wide and seems to have a lot of seating areas. Due to the way United processes the check in, the terminals are filled with people standing in line way before they need to and thus tying up the hallways. If I didn’t need to fly to Hawaii, I would have chosen different airport options, like Orange County.

Pros: renovated, newer restaurants. All United flights for the most part. Free WiFi!!!
CONS: OLD uncomfortable chairs. Most still don’t have plugs for cellphones and computers. Baggage claim is slooooow.

Okay terminal, but ruined by the fact that it houses United Airlines.
United has pobably the awful customer service. (Shout out to Elita in Terminal 7 of LAX, the worst of the worst!) United employees are experts at saying every variation of «not my problem/​I don’t care.» They switched my seat and when I tried to get it switched back so I was sitting next to my partner (as I booked it MONTHS ago), they continued to say «They can’t switch seats.» Yeah. They can. THEY DID.
Elita literally laughed in my face when I asked, treated me like an idiot, and then threatened to called security when I called her out on her rudeness. How she continues to have a job is a testament to how little united cares about customer service.

The only part I hate about traveling on an airplane is the lack of good grub throughout the whole process. You’re forced to abandon any conviction you have in the real world about always trying the local mom and pop outpost over the chain gang options and most of the time you have to settle for some sad sandwich, gross breakfast plate, or fried bites to tide you over until you reach your final destination and can subsequently find the first place worthy of your money and mouth. While LAX may not be a lot of things (like pleasant in any way shape or form), it has definitely stepped up its culinary game with outstanding local eateries that we, as Angelenos, should be proud to have representing our city’s diverse and ever-​changing food landscape to the rest of the USofA upon arrival in our fine metropolis.
Terminal 7 (United) offers a little piece of home before you take off to some foreign land. And I was elated to see places like bld and Loteria serving up a limited selection of dishes you would find if dining at one of their non-​LAX locations. While still flanked by chains (The Counter, Yogurtland, and Coffee Bean), they were little beacons of light for me instead of grabbing a Wolfgang Puck prepackaged something or other that I would just hate eat because not noshing on a long flight would leave me a cranky visitor for my final destination (and who really brings a sack lunch on a plane these days?!).

This is United Airlines terminal. gates 60 – 88. and you can access terminal 6 and 5 also through the back tunnel wthout leaving security. United is very bossy and wants things ran a certain way and even tries to tell TSA how to run their area, causing more chaos. You can also access terminal 7 from terminal 6, they have the scanners if you need them :).