LOS ANGELES, Nov. 17, 2004 (PRIMEZONE) -- Airlines serving Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) are forecasting Thanksgiving 2004 will see approximately 1.8 million travelers passing through the airport from Friday, November 19 through Monday, November 29.
This holiday period's passenger volume is expected to be 11 percent above last year's 1.6 million passengers, but still below the record-breaking level of two million passengers seen during Thanksgiving 2000. However, passenger terminals will seem as crowded as in 2000 because up to 40 percent of public space in the airline ticketing lobbies is occupied by luggage screening equipment.
Airport officials recommend that passengers departing during LAX's daily peak travel periods of 6 am to 9 am, 11 am to 2 pm, or 7 pm to 10 pm, be in their airlines' ticketing lobbies two hours before a domestic flight and three hours before an international flight. Wednesday, Thanksgiving morning, and Sunday are expected to be the busiest days with airlines predicting very high passenger load factors at virtually 100 percent.
Airport officials are recommending several "Smart Traveler" tips for holiday travelers.
Before arriving at LAX, passengers should remember:
-- Do not pack or bring prohibited items to LAX, especially those
that resemble any type of weapon. Replicas of guns, lighters
shaped like guns, belt-buckles shaped like grenades, and other
similar items that have delayed passenger or checked-luggage
screening while officials determine whether or not these items
were real.
-- Leave gifts or large boxes unwrapped for inspection. Bring
materials to wrap boxes that will be checked in.
-- Save time at check-in by obtaining boarding passes
electronically from airlines' Internet websites, especially if
traveling with carry-on bags only.
-- For travelers with early-morning flights, consider getting to
the airport the night before. Many LAX-area hotels offer guests
additional days of free parking if the guest has paid for one
night's lodging.
While at the airport, travelers should remember:
-- Take advantage of the convenient two hours free parking available
in Economy Lots B and C and take the free LAX shuttle buses to
the terminals to meet arriving passengers. Or have arriving
passengers call drivers by cellular phone when they are ready to
be picked up curbside.
-- Passenger drop-off and pick-up is allowed at terminal curbside
only. Drivers should not drop-off or pick-up passengers in the
middle of traffic or along prohibited curbs. No parking or
waiting curbside will be allowed. Meet arriving passengers in
the baggage claim areas on the Lower/Arrivals Level.
-- All metals should be placed inside carry-on bags. This includes
jewelry, loose change, keys, mobile phones, pagers and personal
digital assistants. Many Smart Travelers bring clear plastic
zipped bags to place these items inside so they can drop in and
zip through passenger screening checkpoints.
-- Do not agree to watch strangers' luggage or personal belongings.