THE GATE ESCAPE INTERNET CYBERPORT AND PRODUCTIVITY CENTER OPENS AT LAX
Additional Offering of Entertainment Media is Unique in Airport Business Centers
(Los Angeles, California — June 29, 2001) The Gate Escape, a full-service cyberport and office productivity center, is now open in Terminal 8 at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) providing business and entertainment services in high demand by air travelers. Computers in The Gate Escape are connected to a high-speed T1 Internet server allowing Internet connection speeds that are four times faster than Digital Subscriber Lines (DSL). Similar in operation to Internet cafés, The Gate Escape is unique among cyberports in its offering of an entertainment package to augment business services.
The Gate Escape in Terminal 8 features full concierge service and 29 cyberports in semi-private cubicles that allow customers to utilize flat-screen monitors. Customers can access the Internet and e-mail, view free traveler information and real-time video, watch over 100 channels via DirectTV satellite service, or simply type and print a document – all at a cost of $5 for the first 15 minutes with discounts given to groups and students. Customers can select the amount of time they would like to spend, and a "color bar" on their computer alerts them when their time is almost up. Other business-related services offered at The Gate Escape include the ability to send and receive faxes, ship overnight documents, make photocopies, or buy last-minute office supplies at the concierge desk.
"Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) is striving to meet the expectations of travelers to ‘stay connected’ in this information technology-driven era," said Ramon Olivares, who heads LAWA’s Concessions Management Division. "More that 50 percent of the 67 million passengers are using LAX for business purposes. Businesses like The Gate Escape can help passengers who want to catch up on work, watch a movie or television while they wait for flights, or check e-mail."
"We are excited to offer LAX travelers these highly sought-after services at The Gate Escape," said Charles P. Meister, president and CEO of The Gate Escape centers. He added, "Whether you have five minutes or five hours, The Gate Escape provides entertainment and essential business-related services to passengers in order to make their travel experience more enjoyable and productive."
Two additional Gate Escape cyberports, one at Terminal 7 and the other at Tom Bradley International Terminal, are currently under construction and will be open by the end of this year. Two more centers at Terminals 3 and 4 are scheduled to open in 2002.
For more information on facility services and locations, call The Gate Escape at 1-866-THEGATE or log onto www.thegateescape.com.
Los Angeles World Airports is a self-supporting department of the City of Los Angeles, which owns and operates a world-class system of four airports: Los Angeles International, Ontario International, Palmdale Regional and Van Nuys. LAWA’s combined airports move 74 million passengers and 2.7 million tons of cargo annually; employs, directly and indirectly, 478,000 people; and pumps nearly $70 billion into the Southern California economy. Additional information about LAWA may be obtained at www.lawa.org.
(HJ - 6/29/01)
