Results tagged “lax”

As Thanksgiving approaches, the airports fill up. Officials at LAX today are warning passengers of the expected increased traffic at the airport for a ten day period, beginning tomorrow. Of those ten, the three busiest are expected to be tomorrow, Wednesday, Nov. 25; and Sunday, Nov. 29 because "airlines are forecasting passenger load factors approaching 80 percent on most flights and some flights fully booked."

A problem, although now fixed, with the system that collects airlines' flight plans is causing numerous flight cancellations and delays across the country today.

Few details right now, but KABC-TV has reported that heavyweight boxer Mike Tyson has gotten into some scuffle with the paparazzi at LAX (wrong guy to harass?). It happened around 4:45 p.m. Unsubstantiated, but one person tweeted: "Mike Tyson just got arrested outside United terminal 7 LAX for punching one of the paparazzi!"

For an airport that looks horrible, operates terribly and still has no train connection, who would be surprised at the latest poll results? Based on an online survey taken by 14,000 members and world travelers of Priority Pass, LAX came in number three behind London's Heathrow Airport and Charles de Gaulle International Airport in Paris.

LAX officials yesterday finalized plans for the fourth FlyAway route that will take passengers to and from Irvine. Beginning November 16th, the one-way 50-mile trip will cost $25 for adults (they won't accept cash, credit or debit only). Each fare allows for two students 8th grade and under to ride for free. Children under five also ride free.

Times might be tough, but at LAX, making good use of the aging Tom Bradley International Terminal is proving to be tougher. Today, the Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioners are "expected to approve $1.13 billion in construction contracts to revitalize facilities for international travelers at Los Angeles International Airport and build new gates to accommodate the next generation of large commercial planes," according to LA Now.

A midnight fire on the west side of Los Angeles International Airport is causing some delays this morning. Terminal 6 is experiencing minor delays and officials are asking travelers to give themselves enough time as light signals around the airport have been affected. Other than that, the outage is mostly affecting administrative (non-essential personnel) and tenant buildings. There is no estimate of when the power will be restored.

One of L.A.'s best traffic-beating ideas will soon hit Orange County. A non-stop FlyAway bus between the Irvine Station and Los Angeles International Airport was approved today by the city's Airport Commission. The three-year license agreement between Irvine and LAX means the fourth FlyAway route could start soon.

October is going to be a busy month for public meetings about transportation. The city of Los Angeles is hosting a set of them on the draft master bicycle plan while Metro will gather input at a series of meetings about the Wilshire bus lanes.

A man who stood up and refused to return to his seat as an United Airlines plane was taxiing for departure prompted the jet to return to the gate this morning. The man, "who appeared to be of Middle Eastern descent," was acting suspiciously and ran into the bathroom, according to the LA Times.

Well, hello, Autumn! As of 9 a.m., it was already 72 in Van Nuys, 66 in downtown L.A. and 64 at LAX and in Long Beach. But temperatures are going to soar today, prompting a Red Flag for fire danger and officials to tell the public to take heed (drink that water, stay cool). At the height of the day, the National Weather Service predicts temperatures over 100 in the Valley (100 in Burbank, 101 in Van Nuys, 104 in Woodland Hills), 96 in downtown L.A. and Long Beach, 89 at LAX, 84 in Santa Monica and 101 in Pasadena.

William Bratton may be Chief of the LAPD (not for long), but city hall actually has three other totally separate police departments, which may be confusing to some. There's the Port Police, Office of Public Safety--they police city properties like parks and libraries and not city streets like the LAPD--and the Los Angeles World Airports Police who are in charge protecting airport properties like LAX, Van Nuys, Ontario and Palmdale. Although not confirmed, LAWA's Assistant Chief, Erroll Southers, is headed to run to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), according to sources to the Associated Press. Despite funny names like Thousands Standing Around, the agency is one of the few that blogs and really takes their comment section to heart by implementing policy changes based on the public's complaints and suggestions.

They say Los Angeles is best compared to Paris. Well, both cities share rankings in a report released yesterday showing the busiest airports in the world: Paris at 5th, Los Angeles, formerly at 3rd and 5th in recent years, now at 6th. At its peak in 2000, Los Angeles served 68 million passengers. In 2008, 59.5 million travelers.

Another day, another suspicious package. Unattended luggage caused officials to evacuate a portion of LAX this morning. Shortly after 11 a.m., the bag sitting next to a Tom Bradley Int'l Terminal ticketing counter and bearing no name tags began emitting an alarm-type sound. Airport police cleared the area, moving about 500 travelers and employees into the streets. The LAPD bomb squad arrived and via an X-Ray machine, determined the sound was coming from a megaphone. 50 minutes later, operations were back to normal. LAX officials say there's a good lesson here: make sure all your bags, including carry-ons, are tagged with your name and info. Whoever's bag this was will likely never see it again.

A minor 3.2 quake struck near Los Angeles International Airport at 9:14 p.m., but caused no reported damage as of a half hour later, according to the LA Times. The earthquake was also located in the same general area of a few quakes that struck in May. A 4.7 rattler struck on May 17 followed by a 4.1 on May 19. These little quakes are always a good reminder to get prepared: store water, take CERT and take other measures (.pdf) to help make one of the potentially worst days of your life--when the big one strikes--a little better.

On July 1st, our taxes in LA County increased a half penny on the dollar to fund a mix of transportation projects, whether they be rail, highway or something else, thanks to Measure R, which was voted in by the public last November. This Thursday morning, Metro will hold a Measure R committee meeting (.pdf) to discuss aspects of that and part of that discussion will be the possibility of moving up the timelines of three projects.

The Theme Restaurant Building has been virtually synonymous with LAX since it opened in 1961. In 2001, the rooftop observation deck was closed in reaction to the September 11th terrorist attacks in the US, and in early 2007, when a hefty piece of plaster fell down as patrons ate nearby, the landmark building was closed for renovations.

As talks to extend the Green Line closer to LAX continue, the city will still have to figure out how to get people to each terminal from the new station. Councilman Bill Rosendahl last week proposed that a study be conducted about the feasibility of extending the train line directly into the Central Terminus area so a people mover can deliver travelers to their terminals, according to his motion:

In an era when traveling by air has become less and less comfortable physically, and sometimes financially, passengers might take it upon themselves to do whatever they can to make themselves feel at home while on board. Maybe that was what was going through the mind of a US Airways passenger who opted to strip down to his birthday suit during a flight from North Carolina to Los Angeles last night. His actions "caused a diversion in more than one way," explains abc7.com, who were sent photos of the naked air traveler by a fellow passenger. Rather than fly all the way to L.A., however, "the flight had to be diverted to Albuquerque," when the 50-year-old stripped-down passenger "was restrained by two off-duty law enforcement officers, who happened to be onboard," then "was taken into custody by airport police, who called the FBI." For the passenger, whose name has not been released, his trip ended in New Mexico, while the flight he'd been on resumed its course and landed in Los Angeles.

Popular low-cost carrier JetBlue debuts their new service to LAX this morning, as they are scheduled to land their inaugural flight from New York's JFK at 10:45. It's been a bit of a wait, however, for the airline to begin service from our major airport; today's launch comes after "a yearlong delay," caused by a period of soaring fuel prices that made cross-country air travel costly, reports the Daily Breeze.

This morning officials will announce a new runway safety system designed to prevent airport accidents. LAX has been subject to many close calls over the years. The new safety lights, known as Runway Status Lights, are a series of red lights embedded in the pavement that warn pilots when it’s unsafe to enter or cross a runway, according to Mayor Villaraigosa's office. The system cost $7 million and has been placed on the eight highest risk taxiways at the airport.

One of LA's best ideas is about to get a little more pricier. Beginning August 1st, LAX FlyAway one-way tickets between Union Station/Van Nuys and LAX will raise one dollar to $7 to further close the gap between revenues and expenses. Westwood to LAX and back will remain at $5 each way.

Here's an interesting rumor that's been floating around neighborhood groups about 5th District Councilman Jack Weiss, or should we say, soon to be former councilman who did not win the public's vote for City Attorney: Hidden in the new budget is for the Mayor to add the position of Deputy Mayor of Homeland Security, pays $200,000 year, is housed at LAX and paid for by Airport funds. The Mayor is appointing Jack Weiss to the position...it even gets better, the Airport is laying off 24 employees and filling the positions with the entire Jack Weiss City Hall staff.

All Brenda Lee (not that Brenda Lee) wanted to do was give President Obama a letter this morning at LAX. That ended up being a big fat nope.com from the Secret Service. Anyway, Obama was in town for a Democratic National Committee fundraiser, which prompted protests outside it at the Beverly Hilton. Among those who paid over $30,000 for a pair of dinner tickets included "Seth Rogen, Ron Howard, Kiefer Sutherland

Although it won't be for official presidential business. This afternoon, Barack Obama will arrive in Los Angeles for a Democratic National Committee fundraiser in Beverly Hills. There will be no public appearences and he will stay overnight. His presence is affecting private pilots, who are not being allowed to fly in or out of LAX, Hawthorne Municipal Airport, Santa Monica Airport, Burbank Airport and Van Nuys Airport from 1:05 p.m. today to 8 a.m. tomorrow. This will be his second trip to Los Angeles since he took office. The last time was while on official duty.

Late yesterday afternoon, a San Diego bound American Eagle backing out of the gate bumped into another Embraer that was empty sitting at its respective gate. The 40 passengers and 3 crew were not injured, but both planes sustained minor damage. American Airlines booked passengers on other flights to San Diego as the National Transportation Safety Board began to investigate.

Whoa! A luggage container was "drawn" into an engine of a Japan Airlines jet as it pushed from its gate at LAX at approximately 1:30 p.m. The plane was immediately grounded and the 245 passengers safely departed back into the terminal as authorities investigated what-at-the-time was an unknown object. The type of luggage container involved was not immediately identified, but an example of one type is shown here.

Last month, Customs and Border Protection were waiting when Song Dong of Garden Grove returned to Los Angeles from Vietnam. During inspection, they initially noticed bird feathers and droppings on his socks and upon a further look, "14 live birds attached to two flat pieces of clothe that were wrapped around his calves," according to the United States Attorneys Office.

As of yesterday morning, only 20 cases of Swine Flu have been reported in the US, with 7 of those cases in California. However, there have been no cases logged in either Los Angeles or Orange counties, and local officials want to get the word out that they are working to prevent the infection from spreading.

Forget worrying about what you've packed in that suitcase you have to shell out a few extra bucks for; if you've packed on too many pounds and want to fly on United, you could be headed for shelling out a second seat's worth. The airline is now enforcing a policy that stipulates that "passengers who are unable to fit into a single seat; are unable to properly fasten their safety belt [using a single seatbelt extender; and/or] are unable to put the seat's armrests down, will be denied boarding unless they purchase an extra seat," according to cbs2.