These are the busiest times to travel through LAX over Labor Day weekend
Travelers heading out of town for Labor Day weekend will be hit with major crowds as around one million people are expected to pass through LAX.
The busiest travel days will begin Thursday, Aug. 31 and last through Monday, Sept. 4, according to Los Angeles International Airport officials.
For anyone traveling over the extended holiday weekend, officials recommend arriving at the airport:
-At least two hours prior to departure for a domestic flight
-At least three hours prior to an international flight
The busiest travel days are expected to be:
-Thursday, Aug. 31, with about 224,000 passengers
-Friday, Sept. 1, with about 229,000 passengers
-Monday, Sept. 4, with about 220,000 passengers
Vehicle traffic will be heavy during the holiday weekend with more than 90,000 vehicles expected on Aug. 31 and Sept. 1.
This year’s peak travel numbers mark a 12% increase compared to last year and about 92% of the passenger volume compared to March 2019, airport officials said.
As parking garages are expected to be at full capacity, drivers should reserve a parking space online ahead of time at Parking.FLYLAX.com. This ensures drivers will have a guaranteed spot.
Passengers flying out of Terminals 7-8 can reserve a TSA screening time through a pilot program called LAX Fast Lane. This free program allows passengers to enter a reserved TSA screening lane instead of waiting in a regular line. Reservation windows can be booked at flylax.com/fastlane.
To expedite the travel experience, officials offer these tips to LAX travelers:
-Check in to your flight online before arriving at the airport to skip the ticket counters upon arrival
-Ensure no prohibited items or liquids over 3.4 ounces (100 ml) are inside carry-on bags. Empty all loose items from your pockets into your carry-on bag instead of the bin to quicken check times.
-Order food and beverages ahead of time for pickup or delivery to select gates through LAXOrderNow.com. The program allows users to browse all food and drink options throughout LAX.
-Enroll in TSA PreCheck or Global Entry to reduce wait times during security procedures.
-Use Simplified Arrival – A program for international arrivals that “uses facial biometrics to automate the manual document checks that are already required for admission into the United States. 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.”
For those pickup up or dropping off passengers:
-Curbside pickups and drop-offs are permitted on the Upper/Departures and Lower/Arrivals levels. All parking structures are free for the first 15 minutes.
-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. Drivers can park and wait for up to two hours here, then drive to the pickup areas when their guests have arrived.
“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.”
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