LAX Expands Bus Service To/From Van Nuys For Holiday Travel

VAN NUYS, CA — Officials are expanding the shuttle and bus services at Los Angeles International Airport Sunday through Dec. 2 for the Thanksgiving travel period — including more buses to and from Van Nuys.

Roughly 246,000 passengers are expected to travel both Sunday and Monday after Thanksgiving, which is expected to be the busiest time. Wednesday and Friday are expected to see about 238,000 passengers pass through the airport.

Travelers should expect possible additional delays Tuesday, as airline catering workers are planning a labor action at LAX and other airports across the country, airport officials noted.

"This Thanksgiving holiday is projected to be the busiest on record, which means like last year, traffic will be bad during peak times, so our guests should know that they have many choices to access and leave LAX," said Deborah Flint, the CEO of Los Angeles World Airports.

Due to construction, parking availability in the Central Terminal Area has been reduced and Economy Lot E is expected to fill up over the holidays as well, LAWA officials said.

The holiday schedule includes bus and shuttle service increases at the following destinations from 4 a.m. Sunday through Dec. 2:

LAX HOLIDAY SHUTTLE: Santa Monica and Century City

The LAX Holiday Shuttle will take guests to and from Century City and Santa Monica, operating at all times except between 1 a.m. and 3 a.m., and will pick up and drop off guests once per hour, per location. The shuttle will pick up passengers from the dedicated bus lane on the inner curb of the lower/arrivals level at the "Pink" LAX Shuttle stops.

At the Santa Monica and Century City locations, guests will find the shuttle stops at a parking lot, with a staff member to help. The fare for a ride is $10 each way, and a schedule for the service from each location will be shared on social media and at www.flylax.com. Stations are at 1925 Arizona Ave. in Santa Monica, and 2030 Century Park West in Century City.

FLYAWAY BUS SERVICE: Van Nuys, Union Station, Hollywood and Long Beach

Van Nuys: Four buses per hour will travel to LAX from 4:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. daily, while four buses per hour will travel from LAX to Van Nuys from 11 a.m. to midnight daily. The Van Nuys route operates 24/7, with hourly service in the early morning hours of midnight to 3 a.m.

Union Station: Three buses will run from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily per hour in each direction. The Union Station route operates 24/7, with regular service every half hour except from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m.

Hollywood: Two buses will run per hour in each direction between noon and 9 p.m. daily. Buses operate from 1627 N. Vine St. in Hollywood to LAX from 5:15 a.m. to 9:15 p.m., and travel from LAX to Hollywood runs from 6:15 a.m. to 10:15 p.m., and will continue to operate hourly during non-peak times.

Long Beach: Two buses will run per hour in each direction between 12:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. daily. Buses operate from Shelter A at the Long Beach Travel Gallery on First Street to LAX starting at 5:30 a.m. until 9:30 p.m., and travel from LAX to Long Beach starts at 5:30 a.m. and runs until 10:30 p.m., and will continue to operate hourly during non-peak times.

FlyAway fares range from $8 to $9.75 one-way. Service from Union Station and Van Nuys is available 24 hours a day, with parking available at both locations. At LAX, the FlyAway buses pick up from the new dedicated inner lanes on the Lower/Arrivals Level. For more information on FlyAway, including a real-time bus tracker, visit www.LAXFlyAway.org.

GREEN LINE

To meet potential demand for buses to public transit hubs, LAWA is adding two additional buses between LAX and the LAX/Aviation Green Line Station. To receive a free trip, people must show a boarding pass and have travel dates between Nov. 24 and Dec. 2.

LAX offers a free shuttle to and from the Aviation/LAX Metro Station, which is at Imperial Highway and Aviation Boulevard. The Green Line rail connects to the Silver Line (Bus Rapid Transit) and A Line (light rail, formerly the Blue Line) for service to downtown Los Angeles.

LAX shuttle drivers may ask for proof of payment via a TAP card for guests heading to the airport when boarding the "G Shuttle," which can be found at the "Pink" LAX Shuttle stops on the Lower/Arrival Level. To receive a free trip passengers must have their boarding pass available to board the Green Line after taking the G Shuttle to Aviation station.

OTHER PUBLIC TRANSIT

LAWA is adding two additional buses between LAX and the LAX City Bus Center and sponsoring free rides from LAX connecting at the City Bus Center onto the following lines all Metro buses, the Big Blue Bus, Torrance Transit and the Culver City bus.

These free rides are only available to those who access the City Bus Center via the LAX shuttle and have a boarding pass from a flight that day.

At the LAX City Bus Center, located at 6111 W. 96th St., guests can connect with buses by the free shuttle on the Lower/Arrivals Level at the "Pink" LAX Shuttle stops. Look for "Employee Lot South/LAX City Bus Center" as the buses' destination.

City News Service contributed to this post