Phoenix Sky Harbor runs two passenger terminals, Terminal 3 and Terminal 4, and they are not connected inside security. If your itinerary splits between them, the transfer happens landside on the free PHX Sky Train, which means planning for a re-screen as well as the ride.
Where the Sky Train stations are
Related: Terminal 3 pickup guide
The PHX Sky Train is free, runs 24 hours a day and trains arrive every few minutes. Read more about PHX Sky Train guide. At Terminal 4 the station is on Level 3, and you can walk from the platform straight to the security checkpoint. At Terminal 3 the station is on Level 5; you reach it by taking the escalators in the Ticketing area up to Level 4 and then continuing to the boarding platform. Read more about Terminal 3 airlines guide. Both stations are built for travelers with luggage. Read more about Smooth airport transfers tips.
How the transfer works
Because the Sky Train runs outside security, a Terminal 3 to Terminal 4 transfer means exiting the secured area, riding the train, and clearing security again at the other terminal. Build that into your connection time: the train ride itself is short, but the walk, the wait for a train and a second security line are what actually consume the clock. Always confirm your departure terminal on your boarding pass or the airline's airport listing, since carriers are assigned by concourse and assignments can shift.
Where the other stops fit
The same train serves more than the terminals. Heading east it links the 24th Street Station, East Economy Parking, the Rental Car Center and the 44th Street Station, where you can connect to Valley Metro Rail. Greeters who would rather avoid terminal curbside traffic can meet arriving passengers at the 24th Street or 44th Street stations instead.
If a shuttle is picking you up
Give your driver the terminal number, not just the airline. A Sky Harbor airport shuttle can meet you on the arrivals level of the correct terminal, and the Phoenix shuttle service and Tempe shuttle pages cover pickup patterns in the surrounding areas.
Checked bags versus carry-on
Whether the transfer is painless depends mostly on what happens to the luggage. On a single ticket with bags checked through, the bags move on their own and the passenger just rides the Sky Train and re-clears security. On separate tickets, or when the first airline does not interline with the second, the traveler has to claim the bags at the first terminal, haul them onto the train, and recheck them at the other terminal — a materially longer process that also means a landside walk with luggage at both ends. Before booking a tight inter-terminal connection, confirm that the bags are tagged to the final destination; if they are not, treat the layover as two separate trips with a train ride in the middle and allow time accordingly.
Traveling with kids, elders or limited mobility
The Sky Train itself is step-free and elevator-served at both terminal stations, and airport staff can arrange wheelchair assistance across the transfer when it is requested through the airline in advance. Families should know the transfer is entirely landside: strollers get folded for the security re-screen, snacks and liquids go through the standard screening again, and the whole party needs its boarding passes ready at the second checkpoint. Build in a cushion beyond the solo-traveler estimate, keep the terminal number visible on every bag tag and every phone lock screen, and use the station elevators rather than the escalators when managing luggage plus children.
If the connection goes wrong
The most common failure is simple: the traveler goes to the wrong terminal and discovers it at the departure board. The fix is equally simple — ride the Sky Train to the correct terminal and re-clear security — but it costs a minimum of half an hour in practice, which is why the departure terminal deserves a check before leaving home, not at the curb. If a delay makes the connection genuinely unmakeable, rebooking happens with the airline whose flight was missed, at that airline's counters or service desks in the correct terminal. For groups, sports teams and wedding parties splitting across terminals, a Sky Harbor airport shuttle to the right door beats five separate ride-shares guessing at terminal numbers; the Phoenix shuttle service and Tempe shuttle pages cover the surrounding pickup patterns.
International arrivals land in Terminal 4
Every international arrival at Sky Harbor processes through Terminal 4, which sets the shape of any onward connection. After customs, checked bags come off the belt and must be rechecked even on a single ticket, and the traveler re-clears security with the domestic flow. That full sequence needs a longer minimum connection than a domestic-to-domestic hop through the same terminal. Travelers connecting from an international arrival to a Terminal 3 departure should treat the Sky Train transfer plus the recheck and re-screen as a single budgeted block of well over an hour, and flag tight bookings with the airline before leaving the customs hall.
Frequently asked questions
Are Terminal 3 and Terminal 4 connected at Phoenix Sky Harbor?
They are connected landside by the free PHX Sky Train, not inside security, so a transfer means re-clearing security.
How long does it take to get between Terminal 3 and Terminal 4?
The train ride is only a few minutes. Allow considerably more once you count the walk to the station and a second security screening.
Is the PHX Sky Train free?
Yes. The PHX Sky Train is free and operates 24 hours a day.
