Topline:
Tickets for LAX FlyAway bus go from $9.75 to $12.75 starting today.
Why it matters: LAX can be difficult to drive into and out of. The bus service provides an alternative, often at a lower cost than long-term parking or rideshares and cabs.
Why now: The agency that runs the bus service says the fare increase will go toward closing a $1.65 million deficit this year to operate the service. Costs to run it have increased.
The backstory: At one point the FlyAway had routes from Long Beach, Hollywood, Westwood, Van Nuys and Union Station. Low ridership, the agency said, led to the closing of all but the Van Nuys and Union Station routes.
What's next: Tickets bought before April 2 will still be honored. But this may not be the last fare hike. The agency has the green light to increase prices to $15 per ticket within the next five years.
Go deeper:
A ticket for a one-way trip on the LAX FlyAway went up on Wednesday from $9.75 to $12.75.
The service operates between LAX and the Van Nuys or downtown L.A. Union Station stops. It provides a more affordable alternative to getting to LAX versus long-term airport parking or rideshares and taxis.
“The adjustment in fares covers fuel, labor, vehicle maintenance and acquisition costs, as well as technology improvements,” said Justin Upshaw, a spokesperson for Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA), which operates the service.
LAWA approved the increase in January to help close a $1.65 million funding deficit for the service. The agency is part of the city of L.A. and governs LAX.
Tickets bought before April 2 will still be honored. Schedules will not change either, Upshaw said. FlyAway operates past midnight.
LAWA last increased the fare in 2017. A LAWA staff report said the cost of providing the service has gone up 55%.
This may not be the last fare hike
In January, LAWA gave its CEO the authority to raise FlyAway ticket prices up to $15 within the next five years, as well to create discounted rates and promotions to boost ridership.
LAX first created a bus service to the airport 50 years ago.
LAWA shut down the Westwood FlyAway in 2019, citing low ridership. LAWA shut down FlyAway bus service from Long Beach and Hollywood in 2020 due to low ridership that, it said, was the result of limited travel during the COVID-19 pandemic.
