Nov 20, 2008 10:40 am US/Pacific
LAX Officials Forecast Drop In Thanksgiving Travel
LOS ANGELES (CBS) ―
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An Airbus A380 comes in for a landing at the Los Angeles Airport March 19, 2007. The giant Airbus A380 superjumbo landed on U.S. soil for the first time in New York, with a second flight in L.A. bringing out crowds to witness the arrival of the world's big
Gabriel Bouys/AFP/Getty Images
Fewer flights and available seats mean fewer passengers will travel through Los Angeles International and LA/Ontario International airports during the Thanksgiving holiday, airport officials announced Thursday.
LAX is expected to have 1.6 million passengers between Friday and Nov. 30, a 14.3 percent decline from the 1.85 million people who traveled last year.
At Ontario, 147,000 people will pass through the airport, down from 210,000 passengers in 2007. That decline is due in part to ExpressJet and JetBlue's decisions to end service at the airport.
The busiest travel days are expected to be Friday, Nov. 26 and Nov. 30, with peak travel periods between 6 and 9 a.m., 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., and 7 and 10 p.m.
At LAX, passengers on domestic flights were advised to arrive two hours before their scheduled departures and three hours ahead of an international flight. Travelers at Ontario should be at the airport 90 minutes before domestic flights and two hours before flights to Mexico, according to officials with Los Angeles World Airports.
Airport officials hope to reduce gridlock around LAX by promoting the LAX Cell Phone Waiting Lot and FlyAway service from Union Station, Westwood and Van Nuys. On Nov. 26, airport staff will hand out travelers' kits and promotional items to drivers and passengers who utilize either service.
(© 2008 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)
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