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LAX Officials Forecast Slight Increase in Passengers for Memorial Day and Summer

LOS ANGELES, May 27, 2010 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Air travelers passing through Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) over Memorial Day weekend and throughout the summer can expect busy passenger terminals and mostly full flights due to an increase in travel demand.

During the upcoming four-day Memorial Day weekend, approximately 769,000 travelers are expected, an increase of 5.3 percent compared to 2009, with the busiest travel days on Friday, May 28, and Monday, May 31. Meanwhile, 16.9 million passengers are forecast during the summer travel season, an increase of 5.4 percent compared to 2009, beginning Friday and continuing through Labor Day. Overall, passenger volumes at LAX will be higher due to slight improvement in the economy and airlines offering summer sale fares. Airlines expect to handle the increased demand by using larger aircraft or adding flights on existing routes, and several airlines are adding new destinations.

LAX travelers can take advantage of a number of new amenities and services this summer including:

• Following its $737-million renovation, Tom Bradley International Terminal (TBIT) boasts modern and brighter airline check-in and passenger arrival (meet-and-greet) lobbies; customs and immigration arrivals hall; high-capacity baggage carousels; arrivals corridors; restrooms; in-line baggage screening system, public art displays, and boarding gates (including two aircraft gates to accommodate new-generation aircraft);
• LAX FlyAway bus service from Union Station, Van Nuys and Westwood added a fourth location in Irvine for Orange County residents. More information is at www.lawa.org/lax/laxflyaway.cfm;
• Daniels Bistro + Bar, LAX's newest full-service restaurant, offers California-inspired cuisine on the Lower/Arrivals Level of the Tom Bradley International Terminal (TBIT);
• Pink's Hot Dogs, the Hollywood landmark, will open its first airport location in TBIT in mid-June and will feature its very own "LAX International Dog" on the menu;
• A revised LAX: A Guide for Individuals with Disabilities is now available online at http://www.lawa.org/uploadedFiles/LAX/pdf/
  Guide%20for%20Individuals%20with%20Disabilities.pdf with important information for individuals with disabilities. Printed copies are available at Airport Information desks located throughout the terminals.
• Three additional animal relief stations have been added to better assist travelers with disabilities, who are accompanied by guide dogs or other assistance animals. The relief stations are located outside the terminals on the Lower/Arrivals Level between Terminals 1 and 2, between Terminal 3 and TBIT, between TBIT and Terminal 4, between Terminals 5 and 6, and at the end of Terminal 8.

This summer airlines introducing new service include:

• US Airways will add four nonstop flights to: Ottawa and Halifax, Canada (May 31 and June 1, respectively), and Los Cabos and Puerto Vallarta, Mexico on June 5.
• Alitalia will resume LAX-to-Rome service five times a week on June 5;
• Horizon Air will add flights between LAX and Reno, effective June 6;
• Delta Airlines will offer additional flights to four U.S. cities: Columbus, Ohio; Hartford, Connecticut; Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina; and San Francisco, beginning June 10;
• Virgin America will begin service between LAX and Toronto, Canada, effective June 23;
• Horizon Air will resume one daily flight to Sun Valley from LAX, effective June 26;
• JetBlue will add two daily flights between LAX and JFK, starting July 1;
• Cathay Pacific Airways will add a third flight three times a week from LAX to Hong Kong, effective July 1;

LAX passengers are advised to arrive at airline check-in three hours before departure for international flights and two hours before domestic departures, and to check with their airlines for flight status before arriving at the airport.

Airport officials advise passengers to check the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) website (www.tsa.gov) for up-to-date lists of prohibited items for checked luggage and carry-on bags. International travelers are advised to check U.S. Customs and Border Protection's "Know Before You Go" webpage at http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/vacation/kbyg/.

The airport also offers several "Smart Traveler Tips" at www.lawa.org to help passengers process quickly through airline and security procedures.

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 Last Updated:  07/27/10 08:05:01
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