Name: American Express® Gold Card
Brand: American Express

Quick summary

Los Angeles International Airport is undergoing a $15 billion modernization, featuring new terminals, a consolidated rental car center and an automated people mover to ease congestion.
Recent upgrades include a new international concourse, expanded Terminal 1 and improved parking facilities, with more enhancements planned before the 2028 Olympics.
Two new terminals, Concourse 0 and Terminal 9, will add gates and improve connections, especially for international travelers and Star Alliance airlines.
LAX is actively incentivizing international airlines to launch or resume routes, aiming to restore and expand global connectivity.

What to consider

The automated people mover is expected to open by the end of 2023, replacing shuttle buses and reducing terminal traffic.
Construction on the new terminals is scheduled for completion ahead of the 2028 Summer Olympics, pending ongoing progress.
LAX is deliberately structured to prevent any single airline from dominating, ensuring a competitive environment for travelers.

What you'll miss from the article

Insights from the airport CEO on how these changes will impact passenger experience, traffic flow and airline competition at LAX.

Generated by AI with support from our editorial team.

The pandemic might have temporarily brought the air travel industry to a halt, but there’s a big silver lining for travelers who are just now returning to the skies.

When it’s time to pass through the nation’s biggest hubs, you might not believe your eyes. The outdated airports of yesteryear are finally being rebuilt with modernized facilities that reflect the latest in design with a host of upgraded passenger amenities.

Of the nation’s busiest airports, Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) is getting perhaps the biggest upgrade.

LAX is undergoing a massive, $15 billion overhaul, with upgrades ranging from new terminals to a consolidated rental car center to an automated people mover.

Just last week, Delta, along with its partners at Los Angeles World Airports, the city agency charged with managing LAX (and nearby Van Nuys Airport), welcomed the first passengers into the new “Sky Way” terminal.

Other recent improvements include a new mid-field international concourse, an extended Terminal 1 and a new economy parking structure.

And this is only the first stage in a multi-year transformation program. Many more improvements are coming to LAX — and who better to give us the lowdown in an exclusive interview than the airport chief himself, LAWA CEO Justin Erbacci. Here are five things he told TPG that travelers should know:

The APM will ease traffic woes

Anyone who’s recently driven through LAX has likely stopped still in traffic.

With more vehicles than ever driving to the airport coupled with airport-wide construction projects, LAX’s roadways can get really backed up.

Erbacci is hopeful that will change with the new automated people mover (APM) that’s slated to open at the end of 2023.

The APM will connect three stations in the central terminal area with the new economy parking structure, a Metro station and the soon-to-open consolidated rental car center (which has space for over 18,000 cars).

Just last week, LAWA celebrated a major milestone in the landside redevelopment project — the last concrete for the APM was poured on April 20.

When it opens, the people mover will replace the rental car shuttle buses that currently make 3,200 daily trips on average around the airport’s roadways.

Several other types of commercial vehicles will also be banned from the terminal curb once the APM opens. (Erbacci and his team are planning a traffic management study to determine which types of commercial vehicles to bar.)

To alleviate congestion, these banned vehicles will instead pick up passengers at a new meet-and-greet area that’s being built on the ground floor of the economy parking structure.

projection of LAX APM system — A rendering of the new LAX people mover system. (Illustration courtesy of Los Angeles World Airports)

It will take just four minutes from the APM stop to the central terminal area.

Erbacci thinks that the new meet-and-greet area also will become a popular spot for family and friends doing airport pickups and drop-offs. The curb will be just four minutes from the terminal by APM, and it's significantly more convenient for those driving on the 405.

“We’re going to be moving a lot of traffic,” Erbacci told TPG. “Much of the traffic that normally comes in here won't, and that'll just be a game-changer for accessing the airport roadways.”

In addition to the APM, Erbacci is excited about the upcoming launch of the second iteration of “FlyAway," a bus service that connects LAX with Van Nuys and Union Station.

Buses at LAX. (Photo by Zach Griff/The Points Guy)

“We're about to enter into a contract with a new bus provider, whereby we don't just offer point-to-point service with huge 50-foot buses… We're going to offer service with smaller buses on many different routes that will become more of a micro-transit type of solution," he said.

2 new terminals

While much of the near-term focus is on improving landside access to LAX, the airport also continues to charge ahead with terminal redevelopment programs.

In addition to Delta’s ongoing work in Terminals 2 and 3, the airport is planning to build a new Concourse 0 and Terminal 9, in the northeast and southeast ends of the terminal area, respectively.

Los Angeles Concourse 0 conceptual plan (Courtesy of LAWA)

Los Angeles Terminal 9 conceptual plan (Courtesy of LAWA)

Concourse 0 will add nine new gates to the existing Terminal 1 and will include space for a new international arrivals facility.

Southwest is building the new concourse, Erbacci said, which means that “Southwest will get a first crack at some of the gates there.” However, the new gates are technically going to be considered "common use," so they won’t be used exclusively by Southwest.

Meanwhile, Terminal 9 will soon sprout out of the ground on the southeast end of the airside area.

This terminal will eventually become home to the Star Alliance airlines that serve LAX, including Air Canada, Lufthansa, Swiss and ANA, many of which currently operate from the Tom Bradley International Terminal (TBIT).

Moving the international Star Alliance operations closer to United’s two LAX terminals (7 and 8) will facilitate easier airside connections, Erbacci said.

Construction hasn't yet begun on either terminal (the project just recently received environmental approval), but the hope is to have both areas open for the Olympics in 2028.

Going for gold even without the Olympics

Los Angeles will host the Summer Olympic Games in 2028, which are poised to bring a huge influx of visitors from around the world.

While some might assume that was the impetus to invest in the airport, Erbacci says that's not the case.

“If we didn't have the Olympics, our capital improvement program would not be any different than it is right now. We have to make this airport the world-class facility that this city deserves,” he said.

Tom Bradley International Terminal at LAX. (Photo by Zach Griff/The Points Guy)

The landside access modernization and the new terminal developments are strictly about “making this airport better,” he said.

While the Olympics aren’t necessarily the reason for the investment, they are driving the timing, he said.

If all goes according to plan, most of the work will wrap up by the summer of 2028.

A long-haul comeback

LAX is doing something that it’s never done before: The airport is wooing international airlines with financial incentives for inaugurating or resuming suspended flights.

To help drive a rebound in international traffic, LAWA recently put together a list of strategic routes and regions in which it wants to see new flights. This includes many currently unserved markets from LAX, including Puerto Rico, Jamaica and India.

The view from the new economy parking garage at LAX includes a close-up look at planes landing. (Photo by Zach Griff/The Points Guy)

If an airline launches a new route to one of the priority markets, LAWA will discount the landing fees and provide a marketing budget to jumpstart sales.

The incentive package isn't just designed to solicit new service — it's also trying to get carriers to resume suspended routes.

To date, many of the largest European, Asian and Middle Eastern carriers have restarted serving LAX, but some others are still missing, including Ethiopian’s service to Addis Ababa (via Dublin).

To explain why LAX is spending money to bring international carriers back to Southern California, Erbacci said that it’s about convincing the airlines that Los Angeles should return (or should be added) to the route map before another U.S. city, such as San Francisco or Dallas/Fort Worth.

“We want the airlines to choose LAX in the short term before some of the other domestic airports when they're making their determinations in where they're going to put their aircraft back,” he said.

Whether the incentives will work is anyone's guess, but Erbacci said that he's already received calls from interested airlines.

LAX is competitive … on purpose

The six largest carriers in the U.S. compete fiercely for the local market in Los Angeles. They all operate a hub or focus city at LAX, and there’s no sign of that changing.

“We actually have a concerted effort to make sure that there is no airline that has a dominant position here at this airport,” Erbacci said about this competitiveness.

American Airlines planes — American jets at LAX (Photo by Zach Griff/The Points Guy)

“It allows us to have a broader range of opportunities here for passengers and people in this region,” he explained.

LAX is one of the largest origin and destination markets in the country, and Erbacci wants it to continue growing.

As the airport expands its destinations served, terminal amenities and landside facilities, travelers may soon once again enjoy passing through the nation’s fifth-busiest airport.

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Rewards rate

Rewards rate
Rate	Category
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Intro offer

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Annual fee

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Regular APR

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Recommended credit

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Pros + cons

Pros

Valuable dining and food-related credits
Points are transferable
Multiple travel and purchase protections
No foreign transaction fees
Access to Amex Offers for additional savings (enrollment required)

Cons

Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
Difficult credit redemption

More details

You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App™.
Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App™, or purchased directly from airlines.
Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App™ and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com.
Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
Pay It® lets you tap in the American Express® App to quickly pay for small purchase amounts throughout the month and still earn rewards the way you usually do. Plan It® gives you the option to split up big purchases into equal monthly payments with a fixed fee. You’ll know upfront exactly how much you’ll pay.
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Book two nights or more with The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App™ and receive a $100* credit towards eligible charges at over 1,400 upscale hotels worldwide. *Eligible charges vary by property.
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Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
No Foreign Transaction Fees.
Annual Fee is $325.
Terms Apply.

Pros

Valuable dining and food-related credits
Points are transferable
Multiple travel and purchase protections
No foreign transaction fees
Access to Amex Offers for additional savings (enrollment required)

Cons

Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
Difficult credit redemption

You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App™.
Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App™, or purchased directly from airlines.
Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App™ and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com.
Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
Pay It® lets you tap in the American Express® App to quickly pay for small purchase amounts throughout the month and still earn rewards the way you usually do. Plan It® gives you the option to split up big purchases into equal monthly payments with a fixed fee. You’ll know upfront exactly how much you’ll pay.
$120 Dining Credit: Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub (including Seamless), Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, and Wonder. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
$100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants after you pay for eligible purchases with the American Express® Gold Card. That’s up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
$84 Dunkin' Credit: Earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin’ locations. Enrollment required.
$120 Uber Cash on Gold: Enjoy up to $120 in Uber Cash annually with your Gold Card. Just add your Card to your Uber account and you'll get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
Enjoy complimentary Hertz Five Star® Status benefits like skipping the counter at select locations, adding an additional driver at no additional cost*, and vehicle upgrades**. Benefit enrollment and Hertz Gold+ registration are required. *Additional drivers must meet standard rental qualifications and must be a spouse or domestic partner to qualify as complimentary. Other additional drivers subject to fees. **Benefits are subject to availability and vary by location. Additional Hertz program Terms and Conditions including age restrictions apply.
Book two nights or more with The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App™ and receive a $100* credit towards eligible charges at over 1,400 upscale hotels worldwide. *Eligible charges vary by property.
Book your travel through the Amex Travel App™ with added peace of mind – backed by American Express® service and support. Only for American Express® Card Members.
Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
No Foreign Transaction Fees.
Annual Fee is $325.
Terms Apply.