2.6 MILLION PASSENGERS EXPECTED AT LAX DURING HOLIDAY SEASON; 8.2 PERCENT INCREASE OVER LAST YEAR
(Los Angeles, California – December 19, 2013) Passenger volume at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) is expected to increase 8.2 percent to over 2.6 million passengers this upcoming holiday travel season, compared to 2.4 million actual passengers last year. The 14-day holiday travel period begins Friday, December 20, and continues through Thursday, January 2, 2014.
The busiest days at the airport are expected to be this Friday and Saturday, December 20 and 21; December 26, 27 and 29; and January 2, 2014. Nearly 200,000 travelers are expected to pass through LAX on each of those days. The least busy days are expected to be Christmas Eve and Christmas day, December 24 and 25, and New Year's day. While airlines at LAX report flights will be 85 percent full on average, passengers should expect many domestic flights to be 90 percent to fully booked.
Travel experts attribute the increase at LAX to more available seats as airlines at LAX are using larger aircraft with more seats on some existing flights and to the addition of several international flights on super-jumbo jets. Also, d uring the year-end holiday season, Los Angeles is popular with those seeking warmer climates for the holidays.
To assist additional passengers, a group of volunteer Los Angeles World Airports employees wearing red vests will roam the Upper/Departures Level curbside and the airline ticketing lobbies on select days. This is in addition to Volunteer Information Professionals and Customer Service Representatives regularly assigned to assist travelers at the passenger information counters and in the meet-and-greet areas on the Lower/Arrivals Level of each terminal. LAX's cadre of trained therapy dogs and handlers, called PUPs (Pets Unstressing Passengers), will also roam through the boarding gate areas of each terminal to provide a less stressful airport environment by visiting passengers awaiting flights, providing comfort, and offering airport information.
Airport officials recommend passengers departing LAX during daily peak travel periods – from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m.; from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.; and from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. – arrive in their airline’s ticketing lobbies two hours before domestic flights and three hours before international flights. Passengers should expect congestion in the terminals during the daily peak travel periods. Many passengers can avoid lines in the ticketing lobbies by checking in for flights on their airlines’ websites before arriving at the airport.
On-going Construction Impacts to Roadways, Sidewalks and Terminals
Passengers are reminded that a major $4.1-billion LAX Modernization Program-Phase 1 is still on-going, and should allow extra time to ensure they arrive in their airline terminals on time. To help lessen the stress for holiday travelers, construction work on roadways, parking structures, and sidewalks will be restricted to late-evening and early-morning hours. However, motorists and passengers in the passenger terminal area should still expect to encounter some traffic lane and sidewalk restrictions.
Also, passengers are advised that Parking Structures 3 and 4, across from the same numbered airline terminals and the Tom Bradley International Terminal, reach capacity faster and parking may not be available at these structures during the daily peak travel periods.
Real-Time Traffic Condition Webpage
To help passengers manage their travel into the airport, LAX has launched a program to provide motorists with information on real-time vehicular traffic conditions in the Central Terminal Area on its website. The information is provided by the Los Angeles City Department of Transportation.
General Travel Tips
Because of winter weather conditions throughout the nation, passengers are encouraged to check with their airlines regarding flight status before coming to the airport or sign up on the airlines' websites to receive up-to-date phone or text message alerts.
Passengers should also ensure any carry-on baggage complies with the airlines’ size and weight limitations and that they do not contain items prohibited by federal law. Gifts packed in checked luggage or as carry-on items should not be wrapped, in case federal security screening officers need to inspect them.
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 (including holidays) from Union Station, Van Nuys, Westwood and Expo/La Brea. 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 www.flylax.com/flyaway.
On-airport parking options include eight structures in the Central Terminal Area and Economy Parking Lot C at 96th Street and Sepulveda Boulevard. Meeters-and-greeters can wait in the free LAX Cell Phone Waiting Lot at 96th Street and Vicksburg Avenue (adjacent to the entrance of Lot C) until arriving passengers call to say they are ready for pick up at terminal curbside.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s website www.cbp.gov advises travelers what items can be brought into the U.S. from overseas. The Transportation Security Administration rel="noopener noreferrer" website www.tsa.gov lists items that are permitted onboard with passengers, items that must be packed in checked luggage, and items prohibited on flights.
About Los Angeles International Airport
LAX is the sixth busiest airport in the world and third in the United States, offering 660 daily flights to 96 domestic cities and 910 weekly nonstop flights to 59 cities in 30 countries on 60 commercial air carriers. It ranks 14th in the world and fifth in the U.S. in air cargo tonnage processed. In 2012, LAX served nearly 63.7 million passengers, processed over 1.9 million tons of air cargo valued at over $86.9 billion, and handled 605,480 aircraft operations (landings and takeoffs). An economic impact 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.
