What Terminal Is Delta at LAX? Terminal 2 vs 3 Explained (Gates, Sky Club, and the Walk Between Them)

If you’re flying Delta out of Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and the airport signs, your boarding pass, and Google all seem to say something slightly different, you’re not losing it. Delta genuinely splits its LAX operation across two connected buildings — and sends most international flights to a third one.

I spent six years in Korean Air ground ops here, and “which terminal is Delta?” was the question I fielded at the curb more than almost any other. Here’s the clean answer nobody seems to put in one place.

The quick answer: Delta uses both Terminal 2 and Terminal 3 at LAX

Delta’s domestic gates at LAX are spread across Terminal 2 and Terminal 3 — two physically separate buildings that now work as one connected complex. Most of Delta’s international flights, and all of its international partner flights, use a third building entirely: Terminal B, the Tom Bradley International Terminal (TBIT).

The part that trips everyone up: no matter which of those domestic gates you’re leaving from, you check in and clear security in Terminal 3. Here’s the short version:

• Domestic Delta: gates in the old Terminal 2 building (gates 20–28) and the new Terminal 3 building (gates 30–38). Check in at Terminal 3.
• International on Delta: boards from Terminal B.
• International on a Delta partner (Air France, KLM, Korean Air, Virgin Atlantic, China Eastern, LATAM): Terminal B.
• Aeroméxico: the odd one — check in at Terminal 3, fly out of Terminal B.

Everything airside is walkable once you’re through security, per Delta’s own airport map. So a “wrong” terminal is rarely a disaster. But knowing the layout before you arrive saves you a stressed lap of the curb.

Why this looks confusing (and isn’t, once you know the layout)

Delta hasn’t always lived here. For decades it ran out of Terminals 5 and 6 — a footprint it inherited from its 1987 merger with Western Airlines — before moving its entire LAX operation over to Terminals 2 and 3 in a single switch during May 12–17, 2017, according to Wikipedia’s LAX terminal history.

Then came the big build. Under the $2.3 billion Delta Sky Way at LAX project, Delta and Los Angeles World Airports put up a brand-new Terminal 3 building right next to the old Terminal 2 — a 1.2-million-square-foot, 27-gate complex, per Delta’s own news hub. The two buildings now share one check-in headhouse and function as a single operation. That’s the whole source of the confusion: two building names, one airline, one check-in hall.

It’s a genuinely split setup, unlike Southwest’s own single-terminal setup at LAX, where everything happens under one roof in Terminal 1. Travelers feel the difference — there’s a live r/delta thread literally titled “LAX Delta Terminal 2 vs 3 confusion” ranking on page one of Google for this exact question.

And this isn’t a shrinking operation you can ignore. Delta has been actively growing at LAX, adding nonstop service to Hong Kong and three daily flights to Chicago O’Hare in June 2026, on top of new Melbourne service that started in December 2025, per Delta. Two terminals, and expanding.

Domestic gates: which building your gate is actually in

Delta’s domestic gates sit in two concourses, both reached from that shared Terminal 2/3 headhouse. Your boarding pass will name a gate number — that number tells you which building you’ll end up walking to.

Gates 20–28 — the old Terminal 2 building

The eastern concourse is the original Terminal 2 building: gates 20, 21, 21A, 22, 23A/23B, 24, 25A/25B, 26A/26B, 27 and 28, per the terminal breakdown at UpgradedPoints.

Here’s the key point flylax.com’s own Terminal 2 page confirms: gates 20–28 are now officially part of Delta’s Terminal 3 complex and are accessed from Terminal 3 after security. So even though the building is labeled “Terminal 2,” you don’t check in there — you go through Terminal 3 and walk over airside.

Gates 30–38 — the new Terminal 3 building

The western concourse is the new build: gates 30A/30B, 31A/31B, 32A/32B, 33, 34A/34B, 35, 36, 37A/37B and 38, again per UpgradedPoints.

This is the shiny part of the Delta Sky Way project — the 1.2-million-square-foot, 27-gate concourse with a centralized check-in lobby, an expanded security checkpoint, and its own baggage claim. Delta opened it in phases: the first three gates on May 25, 2022, with nine more gates, concessions and seating following that October, according to Delta.

One honest note on premium cabins: don’t assume Delta One or a premium transcon always leaves from the fancy new building. On FlyerTalk, a traveler flying Delta One was told their gate was over in the Terminal 2 concourse. Check the gate number on your pass, not the vibe of the terminal.

International flights: Terminal B (Tom Bradley International Terminal)

If your Delta flight is international, mentally cross Terminals 2 and 3 off the list for boarding. Delta’s international flights — and all international arrivals on Delta and its partners — use Terminal B, the Tom Bradley International Terminal, per Delta.

The good news is that the walk got dramatically easier. In August 2023, Delta and Los Angeles World Airports opened the final major phase of the Sky Way project, connecting Terminal 3 directly to Terminal B with moving airside walkways — which officially killed the old inter-terminal bus between them, according to Delta. You can now stay behind security the whole way.

Delta’s partner airlines that also use Terminal B

Delta’s SkyTeam and joint-venture partners run entirely out of Terminal B. Air France, KLM, Korean Air, Virgin Atlantic, China Eastern and LATAM check in, drop bags and board there, per Delta’s LAX map. From my Korean Air years, I can tell you that’s exactly how KE’s LAX operation works — the whole thing lives in Bradley, not in Delta’s home terminals.

So if you’re connecting from a Delta domestic flight onto, say, Korean Air or Air France, your destination is Terminal B — not a different gate in Terminal 3.

The Aeroméxico exception: check in at T3, fly out of Terminal B

This is the trap that catches people, because it splits your check-in and your gate across two buildings. Aeroméxico passengers check in and drop bags at Terminal 3, then walk or take the shuttle to Terminal B for their actual departure gate, per Delta.

If that’s your flight, build in extra time. You’re doing check-in in one building and boarding in another, and no gate agent is going to chase you down the corridor.

Check-in is unified: it’s all Terminal 3, regardless of your gate

Here’s the mental model that makes the whole thing simple: for Delta itself, check-in is Terminal 3, full stop.

Because Terminals 2 and 3 share one headhouse and are connected airside, Delta handles check-in and Sky Priority counters out of the Terminal 3 lobby — including for flights that ultimately depart from a Terminal 2 gate or even from TBIT. That’s what a Delta One flyer was told on FlyerTalk when their gate turned out to be in the Terminal 2 concourse: check in at T3, walk to the gate airside.

The one wrinkle worth flagging, because it’s where the official pages disagree: flylax.com’s Terminal 2 page still lists WestJet, LATAM and Virgin Atlantic customers as checking in at the physical Terminal 2 counters before walking to their gates in Terminal 3 — while Delta’s own map puts Virgin Atlantic and LATAM check-in over in Terminal B. Translation: for a couple of partner carriers, the two official sources don’t line up. Trust the terminal printed on your boarding pass, and if it’s blank or ambiguous, ask at the Terminal 3 desk before you commit to a building.

How long it actually takes to walk between gates (and to Terminal B)

LAX’s own current airline location map tells travelers to allow roughly 10 to 15 minutes to walk between each terminal. If you’d rather ride, there’s a free Terminal Connector shuttle — look for the pink signs on the Lower/Arrivals Level — running about every 10 minutes.

And the airport is far more connected than its reputation suggests. After the modernization work wrapped in 2023, ticketed passengers can now walk post-security along an airside path from Terminal 1 all the way to Terminal 8 — a spine of roughly 2 miles, per flylax.com. For Delta specifically, that means your walk from the Terminal 3 side over to Terminal B for an international connection is a comfortable, indoors, no-bus affair.

If you want the full picture of how LAX’s terminals really connect, I’ve mapped the whole airside network — and if your connection falls apart, I’ve got a separate playbook on surviving a delay or misconnect at LAX.

Where the Delta Sky Club actually is

People hunt for this one. The main Delta Sky Club sits in the “Sky Way” corridor between the remodeled Terminals 2 and 3 — after you clear the Terminal 3 TSA checkpoint, the entrance is immediately on your right, per a hands-on review at Live and Let’s Fly. You don’t wander; you clear security and it’s right there.

LAX now has two Delta Sky Clubs that together seat about 800 guests, according to Delta. The newer Terminal 3 club runs over 30,000 square feet, with a year-round outdoor Sky Deck bar, private phone booths, proper shower rooms and a curated art gallery — one of the largest Sky Clubs in Delta’s entire system.

And it’s not done growing. When Delta’s Phase 2 lounge expansion wraps in 2028, the airline’s total LAX lounge footprint is set to hit 60,000 square feet with more than 1,000 seats, including a second Delta One Lounge planned for Terminal 2.

Quick reference: Delta at LAX by trip type

Your trip	Where you check in	Where you board
Domestic Delta (any cabin, incl. Delta One transcon)	Terminal 3	Terminal 2 gates (20–28) or Terminal 3 gates (30–38) — go by your gate number
International on Delta	Terminal 3	Terminal B (TBIT)
International on a Delta partner (Air France, KLM, Korean Air, Virgin Atlantic, China Eastern, LATAM)	Terminal B (a few counters may still sit in the T2 hall — check your pass)	Terminal B (TBIT)
Aeroméxico	Terminal 3	Terminal B (TBIT)

Flying Delta cross-country? The setup at the other end is different — here’s what terminal Delta uses at JFK.

FAQ

Is Delta in Terminal 2 or Terminal 3 at LAX?

Both. Delta’s domestic gates span the old Terminal 2 building (gates 20–28) and the new Terminal 3 building (gates 30–38), but you check in and clear security in Terminal 3 either way. Most international Delta flights leave from Terminal B.

What airlines fly out of LAX Terminal 2?

On the Delta side, Terminal 2 is really just the eastern concourse of gates 20–28 — accessed through Terminal 3 after security. Per flylax.com, WestJet, LATAM and Virgin Atlantic passengers may also check in at the Terminal 2 counters before walking to their gates in the Terminal 3 complex.

What airlines fly out of LAX Terminal 3?

Delta domestic flights from gates 30–38, plus Delta’s unified check-in for the whole Terminal 2/3 operation. Delta’s Sky Club and its main check-in lobby are both here, so nearly every Delta passenger passes through Terminal 3 regardless of their final gate.

How far is the walk from Terminal 2/3 to Terminal B for an international connection?

About 10 to 15 minutes, per LAX’s own guidance, or you can grab the free Terminal Connector shuttle (pink signs, Lower/Arrivals Level) about every 10 minutes. Since the moving airside walkways opened in 2023, you can make the whole trip from Terminal 3 to Terminal B behind security — no bus required.