"LAX rates world's third worst in delaying passengers"

Tuesday, December 7, 2004

Los Angeles airport rates world's third worst in delaying passengers
The Los Angeles (CA) Daily News


Passengers at Los Angeles International Airport wait longer to check in and
get through security than those at nearly any other airport in the world, a
study released Monday says.

Getting through security at LAX takes an average of 20 minutes, according to
a study by J.D. Power and Associates, a Westlake Village-based consumer
research firm. Of 76 world airports surveyed, only Washington-Dulles and
Denver have longer security lines.

And checking in at an airline's main counter at LAX takes an average of 28
minutes, the longest wait of any airport surveyed.

"We have more wait times than we did four years ago," said Linda Hirneise,
executive director of travel industry research at J.D. Power and the author
of the study. "It all adds up to a very long travel day."

Average wait times at airport security checkpoints increased by 15 percent
over the last year, from 13 to 15 minutes, the study said. 

"It doesn't really surprise me," said Victor Gill, spokesman for Bob Hope
Airport in Burbank. "Everyone was worried about lines backing up onto the
sidewalks."

The study was released in the midst of the holiday travel season, as many
Americans are making plans to head home for Christmas. During the
Thanksgiving travel rush, domestic travel volumes exceeded pre-9-11 levels
for the first time, experts said.

An estimated 61 million passengers will travel through LAX this year,
compared with 56 million last year, LAX spokesman Tom Winfrey said.

Volume has increased at Bob Hope Airport as well, from 4.7 million
passengers last year to a projected 4.8 million this year.

Security at the Burbank airport has run fairly smoothly, even in the face of
occasional evacuations like one that occurred Monday morning at John Wayne
Airport in Santa Ana. During that incident, 10 planes and several waiting
areas were emptied after a passenger with a suspicious bag disappeared from
a security area.

Such evacuations occur across the country about twice a week, Transportation
Security Administration officials said.

"Even in the worst of situations, it's been pretty good," Gill said. "We've
gotten a lot of affirmative feedback."

The study also ranked travelers' satisfaction with airports, based on the
airports' size.

LAX ranked 19th among world airports that handle 30 million or more
passengers each year. Airport improvements such as the modernization of the
aging Tom Bradley International Terminal may soften travelers' outlook on
the airport, officials said.

"We believe that the improvements we're making are going to advance that
ranking," Winfrey said.

Hong Kong International Airport ranked first, followed by U.S. airports --
Orlando, Denver and Dallas/Fort Worth.

Burbank ranked 10th among small airports serving fewer than 10 million
passengers per year. Long Beach Airport ranked ninth.

Overall, travelers rated smaller airports much higher than large ones
because of shorter wait times and greater ease of mobility, Hirneise said.

Counter check-in took an average of 17 minutes at Bob Hope Airport and 15
minutes at Long Beach Airport. Travelers waited an average of 11 minutes to
get through security checkpoints in Burbank and 13 minutes in Long Beach.

Despite long lines at airline counters, only 5 percent of travelers print
out boarding passes before leaving for the airport, and 18 percent use
self-check-in kiosks, the study found.

The increase in security wait times likely reflects higher travel volumes,
not more scrutiny at checkpoints, said Todd Curtis, founder of the
Airsafe.com Foundation and an expert on air travel safety.

"Overall passenger numbers are climbing back, more people are flying -- the
airlines are coming back," Curtis said. "Naturally, the wait times are going
to get longer. It doesn't make people safer." 

TIPS FOR AIR TRAVELERS 

   --Arrive at least two hours before your scheduled flight. 

   --Do not pack or bring prohibited items, especially those that resemble a
weapon. Place metal items in carry-on bags.

   --Leave gifts or large boxes unwrapped for inspection. Bring materials to
wrap boxes that will be checked in.

   --Save time at check-in by obtaining electronic boarding passes from
airline Web sites, especially if traveling with only carry-on bags.

   --Take advantage of the two hours free parking available in Economy Lots
B and C and take the free LAX shuttle buses to the terminals to meet
arriving passengers.

   --Meet arriving passengers in the baggage-claim area on the
Lower/Arrivals Level. No parking or waiting curbside will be allowed.

   --Do not agree to watch strangers' luggage or personal belongings.

Source: Los Angeles World Airports


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