MAYOR VILLARAIGOSA ANNOUNCES FIRST-EVER AIRLINE AND BAGGAGE CHECK-IN SERVICE AT VAN NUYS FLYAWAY BUS TERMINAL FOR LAX PASSENGERS
Service To Open Soon at L.A. Convention Center, Union Station and Port of Los Angeles; Combining Airport Check-in and Dedicated Airport Bus Service Is First in U.S.
(Los Angeles, California -- September 8, 2006) Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa today announced the start of a revolutionary new service that will increase security and improve the customer experience at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).
The new service – known as remote airline and baggage check-in – allows U.S. domestic travelers to obtain boarding passes and check luggage for a nominal fee before arriving at LAX. It is facilitated by Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) in collaboration with airlines at LAX, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), and Baggage Airline Guest Services (BAGS), Inc.
“Remote flight and baggage check-in for LAX travelers is a key element of the LAX Customer Service Improvement Program,” Mayor Villaraigosa said. “It benefits travelers, federal security screeners, the airlines and the airport. It eliminates a passenger’s need to wait in line at the airport to check bags. Passenger security is increased because congestion is reduced in the terminal lobbies and on the sidewalks in front of the terminals.”
Mayor Villaraigosa and representatives from LAWA, the airlines, and the Transportation Security Administration inaugurated the new service today during a ceremony at the Van Nuys FlyAway Bus Terminal, which is the first location to offer the inexpensive check-in service.
The Van Nuys FlyAway Bus Terminal is located at 7610 Woodley Ave., (corner of Woodley Avenue and Saticoy Street) in the San Fernando Valley. Travelers can obtain airline boarding passes and check up to two bags for a nominal fee of $5 before boarding a FlyAway bus for the 21-mile, nonstop trip to LAX. BAGS, Inc. will operate the remote airline and baggage check-in service from a counter located inside the terminal from 4:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily, including weekends and holidays. Representing the airlines, BAGS will charge passengers checking more than two bags and/or bags weighing more than their airlines’ weight limits will be charged the airlines’ normal overweight fees. Baggage check-in at the FlyAway terminal will be accepted up to two and half hours before flight departure.
Passengers using the new service will be able to proceed directly to passenger security upon arrival at LAX. The new service is the first in the United States to combine remote airline check-in with a dedicated airport bus service.
Initially, the service is available on domestic flights operated by American, American Eagle, Alaska, Continental, Delta, Horizon, Northwest, Ted, United, and United Express/Skywest Airlines. Additional airlines are expected to join the program soon.
Expansion of the new remote airline and baggage check-in service is set for the Los Angeles Convention Center on Sept. 13, the Union Station FlyAway on Sept. 18, and the Port of Los Angeles Cruise Ship Terminal on Sept. 24.
LAWA Executive Director Lydia Kennard said, “The possibilities for remote flight and baggage check-in are limitless. LAWA is exploring other future locations, such as airport parking lots, hotels and rental car facilities, and possibly an off-airport, drive-through facility.” She added that as LAWA expands FlyAway bus service program beyond Van Nuys and Union Station to other Southern California sites in the next few years, remote check-in will be included in the start-of-service.
The Van Nuys FlyAway serves up to 90,000 passengers monthly and the Union Station FlyAway served over 100,000 travelers during the first six months of service, which began last March.
“The airlines are excited for their passengers,” said Dennis Olson, managing director of the LAX Airlines-Airport Affairs Committee. “With this new service, passengers can avoid dragging bags through the airport or waiting in congested airport lines. This is a natural progression of the multi-year effort by the airlines to develop web-based passenger check-in services. Those efforts and innovative thinking by the Mayor's Office, the airport and TSA led to this key service extension. It is now possible for most domestic passengers to complete the entire check-in process without ever standing in any ticket counter line."
BAGS Chief Executive Officer Craig Mateer said, “A FlyAway traveler handles a bag only once before a flight and then is free to use time traditionally used for flight processing for more productive things. For example, a passenger checks-in with BAGS the required two and half hours before their flight. Upon arrival at LAX, the traveler proceeds directly to passenger security screening and then to his boarding gate. It affords the passenger more time to shop or conduct business before flight departure.”
“TSA appreciates the initiative and leadership of our partner Los Angeles World Airports,” said Lawrence Fetters, TSA federal security director at LAX. “The implementation of new tools, like remote baggage check-in, enhances both the customer service and security experience. LAX is one of a handful of airports that offers this time-saving tool to passengers, and TSA recognizes the value in remote baggage check-in, as it enhances security by reducing congestion in our terminals and moves passengers through the ticketing and check-in process in a timely manner.”
The FlyAway bus fare is $3 one way for adults, $2 for children 2 to 12 years old, and free for children under 2 years. The FlyAway bus departs from Van Nuys every 15 minutes from 3:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.; every 30 minutes from 10 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.; and hourly from midnight to 3 a.m.. The bus departs LAX every 30 minutes from 5:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.; and on a 15- and 30-minute schedule between midnight and 4:45 a.m.
BAGS uses proprietary technology through its partnership with ARINC Incorporated to access airline reservation systems to facilitate the automated check-in process. Its agents are trained and credentialed to adhere to strict TSA regulatory practices.
For more information, visit the LAWA website at http://www.lawa.org.
