For Immediate Release
August 30, 2023
MEDIA AVAILABILITY
August 31, 2023 from 5-7 a.m.
LAX - Departures Level, Curbside east of Terminal 7
Contact:
LAX Public Relations
(424) 646-5260
laxpr@lawa.org
Guests encouraged to pre-book parking, use cell phone waiting lots to help with increased vehicle traffic
(Los Angeles) Labor Day weekend is known to mark the end of the summer travel season, but at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) travel is not slowing down for the extended holiday weekend –more than 1 million passengers are projected to pass through the airport beginning Thursday, Aug. 31 through Monday, Sept. 4.
“LAX has experienced a very busy summer travel season welcoming more passengers through our airport than we have seen since early 2020,” said Justin Erbacci, Chief Executive Officer, Los Angeles World Airports. “We reached a major milestone in June and July when our international passenger traffic surpassed 2 million guests each month. The passenger volumes for the upcoming Labor Day weekend signify a successful summer and encourage us that this momentum will carry into the fall and winter months.”
For guests traveling over the extended Labor Day weekend, 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. Passengers can also make the travel journey more enjoyable by ordering food and beverages ahead of time for pickup or delivery to select gates on LAXOrderNow.com.
The busiest days of the Labor Day travel period are expected to be Thursday, Aug. 31, with about 224,000 passengers, Friday, Sept. 1, with about 229,000 passengers, and Monday, Sept. 4, with about 220,000 passengers. These peak days represent about 92% of the passenger volume compared to March 2019, and about a 12% increase compared to last year.
Vehicle traffic in the CTA is expected to be heavy during the travel period with more than 90,000 vehicles expected daily on peak days which include Aug. 31 and Sept. 1. With increased traffic around the airport and parking garages nearing full capacity, guests are encouraged to reserve a parking space online ahead of time at Parking.FLYLAX.com, which allows guests to book a space in the LAX Economy Parking facility, as well as the Central Terminal Area garages. Pre-booking is the only way travelers will have a guaranteed space at the airport.
A secondary cell phone waiting lot is now open at 96th Street and Alverstone Avenue, and provides a space for family and friends to wait in their vehicles until passengers are ready to be picked-up from the terminal curb. This will help reduce traffic volume around the Central Terminal Area. The other cell phone waiting lot is located at 96th Street and Vicksburg Avenue.Travelers also are asked to consider using alternative transportation including the LAX FlyAway.
Passengers traveling with United Airlines may also participate in the LAX Fast Lane program, which allows travelers using Terminals 7 and 8 to reserve a 15-minute window at the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screening areas for the fastest service using a dedicated lane, at no cost.
TSA Summer Travel Tips at LAX
- Pack smart. Travelers should be aware of the contents of their carry-on bags prior to leaving home. Ensure that carry-ons do not contain prohibited items since it will slow down the security screening process. To determine whether an item is allowed or prohibited in carry-on luggage, download the MyTSA app and use the “What Can I Bring?” feature. Another option is to snap a picture of an item and send it to @AskTSA on Twitter or Facebook Messenger for real-time assistance. Travelers can also send a question by texting “Travel” to AskTSA (275-872).
- Empty your pockets prior to arriving in the checkpoint. Place wallets, phones, keys, sunglasses and other loose items from your pockets inside your carry-on bag instead of placing them in a bin.
- Listen for guidance from TSA officers. It is important to listen to the direction provided at the security checkpoint. LAX has security screening technologies in use that allow travelers not to present a boarding pass during the travel document checking process or allow travelers to leave all items in their carry-on luggage as it is screened. Listen for directions that will make for a more streamlined, convenient and time-saving passenger experience.
- Follow the rule for traveling with liquids. Sunscreen, creams, bug spray and other liquids and aerosols are limited to 3.4 ounces (100 ml) or less in carry-on luggage. If a traveler brings liquids in quantities larger than 3.4 ounces, TSA will have to conduct a bag check, which slows the screening process for that traveler and everyone in line behind them. Any liquids in quantities larger than 3.4 ounces should travel in checked baggage.
Other Tips for Success
- 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.
- Check parking options ahead of time. Real-time parking availability at LAX facilities is available parking at lax. Parking structures could fill up at any time, so be aware of off-airport private lots as alternatives.
- Pre-book parking ahead of time. Visit parking.flylax.com for the best rates and to plan your parking ahead of time. Parking options may include discounts from the drive-up rates, depending on availability and demand.
- Parking and traffic updates are available 24/7 via the automated @FlyLAXstats X (formerly Twitter feed).
- 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.
- To help speed their journeys, travelers are encouraged to enroll in the Transportation Security Administration's Preè or other trusted-traveler programs, such as U.S. Customs & Border Protection's Global Entry, which improve security and reduce wait times.
- LAX Order Now: This program allows LAX guests to browse, order, pay for and pick up food from most of the airport's terminals using an online order system. The 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. Click here to view a video explaining the new LAX Order Now service.
Navigating Construction
- The public is reminded that LAX's multi-billion dollar modernization program continues. When coming to LAX, passengers should look for and follow wayfinding signage near all construction sites to ensure their safety and to enhance mobility. For more information, visit www.FlyLAX.com.
- LAX is under heavy construction within the Central Terminal Area, which means there will be additional road work and detours around certain areas. Be prepared to drive slowly and with caution around work zones.
Expedited Entry and Exit
- Guests flying out of Terminals 7-8 may reserve a time at TSA screening through a pilot program called LAX Fast Lane. This free program is being tested in coordination with TSA for customers traveling with United Airlines. Guests interested in this option can visit www.flylax.com/fastlane to reserve a 15-minute window to proceed through security in Terminal 7. Once a customer has selected their time window, they will receive a QR code that they will show upon arrival at the security checkpoint. They will then be allowed to enter a reserved TSA screening lane. Airlines are reaching out to their customers who are traveling from LAX to notify them of this option. The LAX Fast Lane is open from 5:00 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- Global Entry is a paid membership CBP program that allows expedited processing for pre-approved, low-risk travelers upon arrival in the United States. At LAX, Global Entry members enter the United States through upgraded facial biometrics portals eliminating paper receipts providing a secure, streamlined, and touchless experience while protecting the privacy of all travelers. The new portals can process a trusted traveler in a matter of seconds. After successfully completing a four-month testing period, LAX is now the first international airport in the country to deploy this enhanced biometric processing technology.
- Simplified Arrival is CBP's enhanced international arrival process that uses facial biometrics to automate the manual document checks that are already required for admission into the United States. This process provides travelers with a touchless process that further secures and streamlines international arrivals while fulfilling a longstanding congressional mandate to biometrically record the entry and exit of non-U.S. citizens. Simplified Arrival only uses the biometric facial comparison process at a time and place where travelers are already required by law to verify their identity by presenting a travel document.
Catching a Ride
- FlyAway® bus service is available to and from Union Station and Van Nuys, with parking available at both locations. Fares are $9.75 one way. Tickets can be purchased in-person at the Union Station or Van Nuys FlyAway Terminal. For pick-up at LAX, the FlyAway buses make use of dedicated inner lanes on the Lower/Arrivals Level. For more information on FlyAway, visit www.LAXFlyAway.org.
- Municipal buses from LA Metro, Beach Cities Transit, Culver City, Santa Monica (Big Blue Bus) and Torrance serve the LAX City Bus Center, located on 96th Street, and connect to the CTA via the free LAX "Lot South/City Bus Center" Shuttle, which stops on the Lower/Arrivals Level. In the CTA, the LAX "Lot South/City Bus Center" Shuttle arrives and departs from stops labeled "Employee Lot South/LAX City Bus Center."
- LAX also offers a free “Metro Connector” shuttle to and from the Aviation/LAX Metro Station on the C Line (Green) at Imperial Highway and Aviation Boulevard. The C Line connects to the J Line (Silver) and A-Line (Blue) for service to downtown Los Angeles. LAX shuttle drivers may ask for proof of payment/use of Metro via a TAP card for guests heading to the airport. The Metro Connector also arrives and departs from the pink stops on the lower level inner lane labeled “LAX Shuttle."
- Two cell phone waiting lots are open to the public at the corner of Vicksburg Avenue and 96th Street, and Alverston Avenue and 96th Street. Motorists can park and wait for up to two hours, then drive to the CTA when their guests have arrived.
- Guests who are leaving LAX via taxi or ride app vehicles (Uber, Lyft, Opoli) can walk to the LAX-it lot at 9610 Sky Way, across from Terminal 1, or take one of the LAX-it shuttles from stops located on the Lower/Arrivals Level. At the LAX-it lot, guests will find taxis as well as ride app vehicles. In addition to LAX-it, taxis can also pick up passengers from the Terminal B Pick-Up Area within Parking Structure 3 and from the Lower/Arrivals level outside of the baggage claim area of Terminal 7. Taxi and ride app vehicles continue to drop off guests curbside on the Upper/Departures Level.
Getting Help
LAX guests can find help at a number of places throughout their journey, including without having to interact in-person with a guest experience member.
- By phone: Guests may call (855) 463-5252 for assistance during business hours, or email infoline@lawa.org to receive a response within one business day.
- Restroom feedback: By pointing their smartphone camera at one of the QR codes on new signs installed at all restrooms, airport guests can provide fast feedback about the restroom via a drop-down menu or open comment option. Guests can also include a photo of the issue. All of this information is delivered to a maintenance dispatch center in real time. The new service is available in all restrooms at LAX, including all-gender and nursing rooms.
- Vision impaired services: Passengers with impaired vision may use the Aira real-time navigation service, which is free to use at LAX. Guests can download Aira for free from the App Store on their Apple device or from Google Play on their Android device.
- Online: An online, automated chatbot is available 24/7 to help answer common questions about LAX.
LAX, the sixth-busiest airport in the world serving nearly 66 million guests in 2022, is owned and operated by Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA), a proprietary, revenue-generating department of the City of Los Angeles that also governs Van Nuys Airport (VNY). As the international gateway to the Southern California region, LAX and its partners are dedicated to meeting global airport standards for customer satisfaction, safety, regional economic leadership, organizational performance and sustainability.
To better serve the millions of domestic and international guests that travel through LAX each year, the airport is undergoing a multi-billion-dollar capital improvement program to modernize its entire campus. Initiatives underway include an Automated People Mover, a Consolidated Rental Car Facility and two projects that will each add over one million square feet to the airport's existing property: Terminal 9 and Concourse 0. For more information about LAX, its transformation and its environmental, social and local workforce commitments, please visit flylax.com. Follow LAX on X (formally Twitter), Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook and YouTube.
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.
