LAX EXPECTS 690,000 PASSENGERS DURING THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY; OFFERS TRAVEL TIPS UNDER NEW SECURITY MEASURES

(Los Angeles, California - November 19, 2001) Airlines serving Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) are estimating 690,000 passengers will travel through the airport during the five-day Thanksgiving holiday period from Wednesday, November 21 through Sunday, November 25. Wednesday and Sunday are expected to be the busiest days. This holiday period's passenger volume is 25 percent less than last year's record-breaking level and equivalent to Thanksgiving 1994.

Travelers will experience many additional security measures implemented by the airlines and the airport during the past few weeks -- all of them designed to increase their personal safety and security. Airport officials are asking travelers to exercise patience and understanding because more time will be necessary for passenger processing, especially through security screening.

LAX Airport Police is joined this year by an increased complement of federal and local law enforcement personnel, as well as 179 California National Guard troops who will oversee vehicle inspection, enhance parking lot security, and monitor luggage screening at curbside check-in.

Airport officials consider this to be the first test of how LAX will perform under a myriad of new security measures during a busy holiday period. Thanksgiving is traditionally the busiest holiday period of the year for air travel. Airport officials are offering a number of travel tips to assist passengers to navigate the new operational environment at LAX:

Before Coming To LAX

• Pack all items that may conceivably be used to cut, stab, strike, or pound someone in luggage to be checked. Many items that previously were allowed in carry-on baggage are now being confiscated, including all utility knives, nail files and clippers, razor blades, large cans of aerosol sprays, etc.
• Airlines are restricting passengers to one carry-on baggage and one personal item, such as a purse or briefcase. Some airlines are restricting carry-on items to only one total.
• Call your airline to confirm your flight's schedule.
• Reduce traffic congestion by taking commercial transportation such as taxis, door-to-door shuttle vans, direct-to-airport buses, and limousines-for-hire to take you to/from LAX.
• Bring photo identification. IDs will be required at the ticket counter, passenger screening and at the boarding gate.
• Put identification on the outside and inside of luggage to be checked, and put identification on all carry-on bags.
• Do not wrap gifts if you plan to carry them onboard the aircraft. Take batteries out of toys and other electronic items to ensure the product does not accidentally turn on and make noises inside checked or carry-on baggage.

Passengers are advised to be in ticket counter lines two hours before a domestic flight and three hours before an international flight. Please be patient and cooperative if selected by airport security or airline employees for random search of yourself, vehicle, and/or luggage and personal belongings.

Accessing the Central Terminal Area

• Parking is available in the Central Terminal Area structures and in LAX's remote Parking Lots B and C, which offer free shuttle bus service to the terminals.
• Private vehicles are not allowed to drop-off or pick-up passengers at terminal curbside. All private vehicles entering the Central Terminal Area must proceed to a parking structure and park in a metered or hourly rate parking stall. The metered rate is 25 cents per 15 minutes up to two hours. The hourly rate is $1 per each 30 minutes up to $24 daily.
• Passengers being dropped off only for departing flights are advised to use the Passenger Drop-Off Only facility located at 9011 Airport Boulevard, just north of the intersection of Airport Boulevard and Arbor Vitae/Westchester Parkway between Manchester and Century Boulevards, and to board the free LAX shuttles buses to the terminals. No parking is allowed in or near the facility.
• While approaching the Central Terminal Area, if one roadway (Upper or Lower Level) is congested, use the other. With the Upper/Departure Level roadway restricted to only one lane for private vehicles, airport officials recommend private vehicles use the Lower/Arrival Level.
• All vehicles entering the Central Terminal Area are subject to random search. Large vehicles, in particular, such as sports utility vehicles and vans will be subject to increased scrutiny at entrances to parking lots.
• Vehicles displaying disabled placards or license plates are allowed to park free at any of the metered parking spaces inside the parking structures. Such vehicles parked in hourly-rate spaces in the structures must pay the hourly rate. Open-air, metered lots in the Central Terminal Area are closed to private vehicles.

Airline-contracted passenger screening agents have increased scrutiny of all carry- on baggage and personal items. If at all possible, passengers should try to avoid carry-on baggage in order to facilitate passenger screening.

While at the Airport

Airport officials stress the importance of passengers watching their bags at all times while they are in the airport. Unattended bags that cannot be identified may be confiscated and/or destroyed. Reports of unattended bags may cause unnecessary closure of terminals and delay airline flights while law enforcement officials determine the contents of unattended and unidentified bags.

Passengers are also advised to refrain from making comments or jokes that might be construed by airport and airline employees, as well as by fellow passengers, as threatening.

Travelers can use a number of sources for LAX passenger service information. For up-to-date information on current airport conditions:

• Log onto the LAWA Internet website at www.lawa.org.
• Call the LAX toll-free phone number at 1-888-544-9444.
• Tune radios to AiRadio 530 AM traffic information station.
• Call LAX General Information Operators at (310) 646-5252.
• Call the LAX Public Relations Division at (310) 646-5260.
• In the terminals, visit the Travelers Aid Society passenger information booths located on the Lower/Arrival Level outside of baggage claim areas.
• In the Tom Bradley International Terminal, visit the Visitors Information Booths located on the Departures and Arrivals Levels, or the Travelers Aid booth on the Arrivals Level.
• Log onto the Federal Aviation Administration website for passenger security information at www.faa.gov.