(Los Angeles, CA) As the Memorial Day weekend approaches, marking the unofficial start of summer travel, passenger traffic at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) continues to increase. As the airport becomes busier and remains under heavy construction, it is important that guests plan ahead for parking, ground transportation, check-in and security.

May is now the busiest month to date for LAX since early 2020, with an average of about 61,400 passengers per day at the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoints. While that is only about 53% of the daily passenger traffic compared to the same period in 2019, it's significantly more people than have been at LAX over the last year and traffic is increasing each week. Sunday, May 23 set a new record for 2021 with 74,881 passengers at TSA, which is nearly 70% compared to the same day in 2019. While LAX is not projecting passenger numbers for the holiday weekend, it's likely that traffic will continue to increase. 

“We are seeing passenger numbers rise quickly as the demand for air travel surges across the U.S., so we want to make sure our guests know they will be returning to an airport that is bustling with travelers and at times experiencing heavy traffic," said Justin Erbacci, Chief Executive Officer, Los Angeles World Airports. "LAX is ready and excited to welcome back our guests to an airport that is safe and clean with new technology and amenities that offer a more touchless passenger experience.”

With many passengers returning to the airport for the first time in a while, LAX is encouraging travelers to plan their trip ahead of time based on current parking availability, traffic and their scheduled flight time.

The LAX parking garages have been especially busy in the mornings and are expected to be very busy again Friday and through the weekend, and may fill up. The airport provides real-time updates on current parking availability on its website, as well as updates on parking and traffic around the airport every 30 minutes on the automated Twitter account @FlyLAXstats. Additional parking options can be found here. Passengers are urged to consider alternative ground transportation options including the LAX FlyAway bus service, municipal buses, taxis, ride app services or rides from family and friends.

Additionally, LAX remains under heavy construction as part of its $14.5 billion modernization, which includes an Automated People Mover train, a Consolidated Rent-A-Car facility and modernizing every terminal. When coming to LAX, passengers should look for and follow wayfinding signage near all construction sites to ensure their safety and to enhance mobility. LAX is also under much heavier construction within the Central Terminal Area compared to the same time last year, which means there will be additional road work and detours around certain areas. Be prepared to drive slowly and with caution around work zones.

The airport recommends arriving at the terminals at least two hours prior to scheduled departure for a domestic flight and three hours prior to an international flight. This will allow extra time to navigate the terminals, including any alternate pathways in place due to construction, and time for any congestion at the security screening areas during peak travel hours.

Several airlines have relocated from Terminals 5 and 6 to Terminal 1, including Allegiant, Frontier, Sun Country and Viva Aerobus earlier this month. These airlines now depart from the new West Gates at Tom Bradley International Terminal. Signs are in place to help direct passengers to the new check-in location at Terminal 1.

• Check parking options ahead of time. Real-time parking availability within the LAX Central Terminal Area (CTA) parking structures is available here. Parking structures can fill up at any time, so be aware of off-airport private lots as alternatives. A list of private parking options near LAX is available here, including many that provide courtesy transportation from LAX terminals. Stops for off-airport parking lot shuttles are located on the Upper/Departures Level identified, and are identified by red curbside pillars.
  
  
• Parking and traffic updates are available 24/7 via the automated @FlyLAXstats Twitter feed.
  
  
• Consider alternative ground transportation
  
  • FlyAway® bus service is available to and from Union Station and Van Nuys, with parking available at both locations. As of Monday, May 24, there are six more trips in each direction on the Van Nuys route. Fares are $9.75 one way. For pick-up at LAX, the FlyAway buses make use of dedicated inner lanes on the Lower/Arrivals Level. For more information on FlyAway, including a real-time bus tracker, visit www.LAXFlyAway.org.
    
    
  • Municipal buses are available from LA Metro, Beach Cities Transit, Culver City, Santa Monica (Big Blue Bus) and Torrance.
    
    
  • LAX also offers the free LAX "G" Shuttle to and from the Aviation/LAX Metro Station, which serves the LA Metro Green Line (light rail) at Imperial Highway and Aviation Boulevard. Read more on our website. 
    
    
  • Guests who are leaving LAX via taxi or ride app vehicles (Uber, Lyft, Opoli) can walk to the LAX-it lot located at 9610 Sky Way, across from Terminal 1, or take one of the LAX-it shuttles from stops located on the Lower/Arrivals Level. Shuttles arrive every 3-5 minutes and stop at no more than two terminals. At the LAX-it lot, guests will find taxis as well as ride app vehicles. Taxis and ride app vehicles drop off departing guests at the terminals.

• Check in online with your airline before you leave for the airport. This prevents the need to interact with a check-in kiosk. If you are traveling without checked luggage, you can skip the ticket counters entirely this way.
  
  
• Picking someone up? Curbside pickup and drop-off is permitted on the Upper/Departures and Lower/Arrivals levels. All parking structures are free for the first 15 minutes, and the Terminal B (Tom Bradley International Terminal) pickup area is also free to use. To access the Terminal B pickup area, use the second entrance to Parking Structure 3 from World Way North on the Lower/Arrivals Level. This area is for passenger loading only with no parking allowed.
  
  
• To help speed their journeys, travelers are encouraged to enroll in the Transportation Security Administration's Pre√® or other trusted-traveler programs, such as U.S. Customs & Border Protection's Global Entry and Mobile Passport, which improves security and reduce wait times.
  
  
• Know the rules. Many destinations, both international and domestic, have implemented travel restrictions or rules for visitors. Knowing the current rules for your destination is essential this year. Non-vaccinated guests arriving at LAX from other countries or states, as well as California residents returning from out-of-state travel, are required to complete a mandatory form acknowledging that they have read and understood the state's travel advisory. The form can be found here, or for more information click here.

Travel Safely Reminders

• Wear a face mask at all times, inside and outside at LAX. Face masks remain required under federal law for everyone at LAX, even those who are completely vaccinated.
  
  
• Remain physically distanced. While LAX has installed signage at security screening, along jet bridges, at baggage claims and other locations to help guests remain physically separated, it is everyone's individual responsibility to maintain a distance of six feet from one another at all times. Signage on elevators will indicate whether two or three people are allowed in the elevator at a time, depending on the size of the elevator (family groups are exempt from this limit). LAX requests that those who are able to take an escalator or stairs do so, so the elevators can be reserved for those who need them.
  
  
• COVID-19 tests are available for purchase at multiple locations at LAX. Make an appointment online or visit www.FlyLAX.com/TravelSafely for more information.
  
  
• LAX Order Now: This program allows LAX guests to browse, order, pay for and pickup food from any of the airport's terminals using an online order system. The new service is part of LAX's digital marketplace strategy to enhance the travel experience by allowing guests to search, browse and order food and non-alcoholic beverages from any of the dozens of participating restaurants across the airport. It also provides a way for passengers to order and pick up food without having physical contact with another person. Delivery service to the gates is now available inside the Tom Bradley International Terminal and the West Gates at Tom Bradley. Remember, guests can remove face coverings to eat or drink, but must put them back on when finished. Click here to view a video explaining the new LAX Order Now service.