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Memorial Day Travel Expected To Surpass Pre-Pandemic Levels
The lights of a shuttle bus streak past the large LAX letters that welcome travelers in February 2002.
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As Memorial Day approaches, experts expect travel to surpass pre-pandemic levels.
Officials at Los Angeles International Airport are predicting 1.2 million travelers beginning today and lasting through the weekend. And the Automobile Club of Southern California is projecting that 3.3 million people in the region will hit the skies, roads and rails — a 7.7% increase from last year, and almost 0.5% higher than 2019.
Of those 3.3 million, 2.8 million are expected to be traveling by car.
“This summer travel season could be one for the record books, especially at airports,” said Heather Felix, the Auto Club’s vice president of travel products, in a statement. “Despite higher ticket prices than last year, demand for flights is skyrocketing and this Memorial Day weekend could be the busiest at airports since 2005.”
LAX has several measures in place to expedite movement through the airport: a Fast Lane pilot program that lets travelers using terminals 7 and 8 reserve a time to go through TSA screening for free, and a new cell phone waiting lot at 96th Street and Alverstone Avenue.
“We encourage family and friends to wait there until passengers are ready to be picked up from the terminal curb," said Victoria Spilabotte, a spokesperson with LAX.
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Airport officials hope that the new lot will help drivers avoid having to circle around the central terminal, which creates traffic congestion. The lot opens today.
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