Phoenix Sky Harbour Airport has 2 terminals in a large area connected by a free automatic train. It only runs on the public landside.
The terminals are 3 minutes apart by train.
Which terminal?
Which Phoenix Sky Harbour Airport terminal will your flight depart from? For a clear breakdown of all airlines and specific flights, visit: skyharbor.com/flights.
The airport has terminals 3 and 4. Terminals 1 and 2 have been demolished, but the new buildings have not been renamed to maintain the established system.
Both terminals have a central check-in building with departure gate corridors leading off of it. Movement around the terminals is on foot or on moving walkways and it takes approximately 10-15 minutes to reach the furthest departure gates.
- Terminal 3 - Advanced Airlines, Air Canada, Alaska Airlines, Allegiant, Breeze Airways, Contour Airlines, Delta, Denver Air Connection, Frontier, Hawaiian, JetBlue, Southern Airways Express, Spirit, Sun Country, United
- Terminal 4 - American Airlines, British Airways, Condor, Flair Airlines, Lynx Air, Southwest, Volaris, Westjet
Airport Map
An interactive map of the entire airport and each terminal can be found on the airport's official website: maps.skyharbor.aero.
PHX Sky Train
An automatic train is available above ground to move between terminals.
It runs 24/7 and connects the two terminals with the car parks, the car rental building or the metro station.
Frequency is 3-5 minutes and journey time between terminals is 3 minutes.
Transfer between flights
Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport is a major domestic transfer point. There are relatively few international flights to Phoenix, but especially when traveling from Canada, Mexico or London, you may be able to transfer from international to domestic flights or vice versa.
Purely international transfers are rare in Phoenix, but not impossible.
What checks do I go through when I transfer?
What are the exact procedures for each type of transfer?
- Domestic -> domestic: no check
- International -> domestic: immigration and security check
- National -> international: no check
- International -> International: immigration and security check
Do I have to leave the transit zone when transferring between terminals?
You do not need to leave the transit zone for a domestic transfer or a transfer from a domestic to an international flight purchased within the same booking.
In the vast majority of cases, you will only transfer within one terminal.
However, if you need to go to another terminal, you must always leave the transit zone and find a station on the automatic "PHX Sky Train", which will transport you to the next building free of charge within 3 minutes.
The journey between the furthest corners of the airport takes a net time of approximately 35 minutes.
If you arrive in Phoenix on an international flight, you will always arrive at Terminal 4.
If you're not changing terminals, just go to the 2nd level of Terminal 4 after you exit outside, where the check-in counters and security checkpoints are located.
Check in again and go through security to the transit area.
Do I need to collect my luggage?
If you are arriving in Phoenix from abroad, you must always collect your baggage and re-deliver it at the check-in counter.
If you are flying from a destination within the U.S. and you have a layover of no more than 8 hours, your bag will be automatically transferred. It does not matter whether you continue on an international or domestic flight.
Do I need to apply for ESTA?
Every time you transfer from an international flight, you must collect your baggage and exit the transit area.
Therefore, you must have an electronic ESTA to enter the United States (for 21 usd online processing at the official website: esta.cbp.dhs.gov).
How long does the immigration check take?
If you arrive during off-peak hours, you can be in the public section in 20 minutes. Because Phoenix doesn't have many international flights, it rarely takes more than 1.5 hours to clear immigration.
If you don't make your guaranteed connection due to the length of immigration, the airline will arrange the next flight free of charge. However, accommodation at the airline's expense is not provided in these cases.
Do I go through passport control on departure?
No. There is no longer an immigration check on departure from the USA.
