Connecting at Phoenix: Terminal 3, Terminal 4 and the Sky Train

Last checked 24 September 2026

Phoenix is simple most of the time and tricky some of the time. About three-quarters of passengers use Terminal 4, home to American and Southwest. Most connections never leave the terminal they started in. But if your flights are in different terminals, you'll leave security, ride the PHX Sky Train and go through screening again.

At a glance

• Same airline: you stay behind security, and your next flight is in the same terminal.
• Terminal 3 ↔ Terminal 4: leave security, take the free PHX Sky Train and go through TSA again. There's no way to change terminals airside.
• The Sky Train runs 24 hours. Daytime waits average about 3½–7 minutes; overnight they can be 15 minutes or more.
• Book your second screening: PHX Reserve lets connecting passengers book a free TSA time slot.

Who flies from where

• Terminal 4: American, Southwest, Aeroméxico, Air France, British Airways, China Airlines, Contour, STARLUX, Volaris and WestJet.
• Terminal 3: Alaska, Delta, United, JetBlue, Frontier, Allegiant, Breeze, Sun Country, Hawaiian, Air Canada, Porter, Advanced Air, Denver Air Connection and Southern Airways Express.

A codeshare partner can put your next flight in the other terminal, so check your boarding pass or the airline's app.

Changing between Terminals 3 and 4

The airport says it plainly: "There is no way for customers to transfer terminals without exiting security." The PHX Sky Train stations are before security. So a terminal change means:

1. Leave the secure area.
2. Get to the Sky Train. From Terminal 3, go up to Level 4. From Terminal 4, go to Level 3 and walk toward the centre of the terminal.
3. Ride to the other terminal. Trains run around the clock, every 3½–7 minutes on average during the day.
4. Go through TSA screening again.

GateCast adds each of those steps to the time budget, including a longer wait for a train late at night. That's why a Terminal 3-to-4 connection grades lower than a same-terminal one with the same time on the ticket.

PHX Reserve: book your second security check

If you have to be screened again, you can book a free PHX Reserve slot with its own lane. Slots run from 240 down to 60 minutes before your onward flight's departure time. So it helps when your connection leaves you more than an hour, not on a tight one. You can book up to six days ahead, and there's no account or membership.

Tips

• American to American and Southwest to Southwest stay in Terminal 4 and behind security.
• If you're changing terminals late at night, allow for a longer wait for the Sky Train.
• If your onward flight is at least an hour after you'll reach the checkpoint, book a PHX Reserve slot before you fly.

Checked 24 September 2026. Terminals and airlines change, so confirm with your airline before you travel.