LAX FORECASTS 758,000 TRAVELERS DURING MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND; SUMMER TRAVEL SEASON TO BREAK RECORD WITH 21.5 MILLION PASSENGERS
(Los Angeles, California – May 22, 2014) Officials at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) estimate nearly 758,000 travelers are expected to pass through the airport this Memorial Day weekend – an increase of eight percent over the 703,070 passengers of the 2013 holiday period. Airport officials also forecast 21.5 million passengers this summer travel season, an increase of four percent over last summer’s record of 20,663,209 travelers.
Memorial Day weekend begins Friday, May 23, and ends Monday, May 26. Friday and Monday are expected to be the busiest days. The summer travel season begins May 23 and ends Labor Day, September 1. Almost all of June, July, and August will experience higher passenger levels compared to last summer. With July 4, Independence Day, falling on a Friday this year, the first two weeks of July are expected to be extremely busy, as well as the first half of August.
Experts attribute this year’s increase at LAX to several factors: an improving economy; increased consumer confidence; airfares that overall are rising more slowly than inflation; more available seats as airlines at LAX use larger aircraft with extra seats on some existing flights; the addition of several international flights by airlines new to LAX; increased tourism in Los Angeles from growing markets in the Asia-Pacific Region; and pent-up domestic demand for international travel, especially to Canada, China, Germany, Japan, Mexico, and the United Kingdom.
Travelers should expect congestion in the passenger terminals as airlines continue improving operational efficiencies through mergers, acquisitions, and route consolidations to streamline markets served. Airlines will continue their practice of operating flights closer to full capacity – averaging 80 to 85 percent full for international flights and 85 to 90 percent for domestic flights.
On-Going Construction Impacts to Roadways, Sidewalks, and Terminals
The public is reminded that LAX’s $7.3-billion, multi-year modernization program is still on-going, and travelers should allow extra time to ensure they arrive at their airline terminals in a timely manner. Construction work on roadways, parking structures, and sidewalks will be scheduled as much as possible during late-evening and early-morning hours. However, motorists and passengers should still expect to encounter some delays due to traffic-lane and sidewalk restrictions.
Smart Traveler Tips
Airport officials recommend passengers departing during LAX’s daily peak travel periods – 5 a.m. to 9 a.m., 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. – arrive in their airlines’ ticketing lobbies two hours prior to departure for domestic flights and three hours for overseas flights. Most domestic travelers can avoid ticketing-counter lines by checking in through their airlines’ websites before coming to the airport.
More than 70,000 vehicles daily are expected to use the airport’s Central Terminal Area’s roadways during the summer. Motorists should expect several parking structures across from the terminals will close and reopen intermittently as capacity is reached during daily peak periods.
To eliminate the hassles of driving to and parking at or near LAX, passengers are encouraged to take convenient and reliable public transportation, including: Metro Rail Green Line, door-to-door shuttle vans, taxis, limousines, long-distance buses, and the LAX FlyAway® nonstop bus service. The convenient and economical FlyAway® service operates daily from Union Station and Metro Rail Expo/LaBrea Station (both $7 one way), from Van Nuys ($8 one way), and from Westwood ($10 one way). Children five years old and under ride free. Tickets may be purchased online for the Union Station and Van Nuys routes. For more information, visit:
To avoid driving repeatedly around the Central Terminal Area until arriving passengers come out to the sidewalk, motorists can wait in their vehicles for up to two hours free in the well-lit, 24-hour LAX Cell Phone Waiting Lot at the intersection of 96
th Street and Vicksburg Avenue, adjacent to the southwest corner of LAX Economy Parking Lot C. Motorists meeting arriving passengers also can park in Lot C for $4 an hour, up to the daily maximum of $12, and take the free, 24-hour LAX shuttle bus to the terminals.Travelers can find timely information on flight status, real-time traffic conditions, construction impacts on roadways and inside terminals, and other tips at LAX’s web and social-media sites at
Detailed information about LAX’s accommodations for passengers with disabilities can be found at
www.lawa.org/lax . In addition to airlines providing wheelchairs and other services, LAX’s accommodations include free lift-equipped LAX shuttle buses and special vans to transport passengers between Parking Lot C and the terminals, as well as between terminals; relief areas for service animals; telephone/teletypewriter for people with hearing disabilities (TTY); and accessible restrooms, elevators, and other services in each terminal.Airport officials also recommend passengers check the following websites for useful travel info:
• Airline websites – sign up to automatically receive status updates on flights.
• Transportation Security Administration (TSA) website at
www.tsa.gov -- lists of items that are permitted onboard with passengers, that must be packed in checked luggage, and that are totally prohibited on flights. Enrolling in the TSA Pre-v Program allows participants to be expedited through TSA security screening.• U.S. Customs & Border Protection (CBP) website at
www.cbp.gov – list of items that can be brought into the U.S. from overseas. Enrolling in CBP’s Global Entry Program allows participants arriving on international flights to be expedited through federal inspection screening.• U.S. Department of State’s website at
www.usstate.gov – sign up to receive travel advisories on foreign destinations and assistance should an emergency occur.Los Angeles Airport Police officials remind passengers to watch their bags and personal belongings at all times; to lock parked vehicles and not leave valuables in plain sight; and to board public transportation ONLY at designated stops and taxi stands in front of each terminal. Police caution travelers to NEVER go with drivers who approach and offer rides at discounted fares. This is illegal and unsafe.
Airport Police and federal law-enforcement officials at LAX especially caution passengers to avoid making false threats to or joking with any airport employee about security-related matters. Such comments are treated seriously and may cause significant, unnecessary delays and inconvenience to others if a terminal is fully or partially evacuated. In almost all cases, people making such comments are arrested, fined, and subject to possible claims by airlines for business disruption losses.
The entire law-enforcement community at LAX, comprised of more than 3,000 federal and local officers and agents, encourage travelers and airport visitors to report suspicious behavior to any security personnel or to the Airport Police hotline at (424) 646-7911.
About Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
LAX is the sixth busiest airport in the world and third in the United States. LAX offers 692 daily nonstop flights to 85 cities in the U.S. and 928 weekly nonstop flights to 67 cities in 34 countries on 64 commercial air carriers. LAX ranks 14th in the world and fifth in the U.S. in air cargo tonnage processed, with over 1.9 million tons of air cargo valued at over $86.9 billion. An economic study in 2011 reported that operations at LAX generated 294,400 jobs in Los Angeles County with labor income of $13.6 billion and economic output of more than $39.7 billion. This activity added $2.5 billion to local and state revenues. LAX is part of a system of three Southern California airports – along with LA/Ontario International and Van Nuys general aviation – that are owned and operated by Los Angeles World Airports, a proprietary department of the City of Los Angeles that receives no funding from the City’s general fund.
As a covered entity under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the City of Los Angeles does not discriminate on the basis of disability and, upon request, will provide reasonable accommodation to ensure equal access to its programs, services, and activities. Alternative formats in large print, braille, audio, and other forms (if possible) will be provided upon request.
