The LAX list: 10 airport improvements I’d like to see [updated]
So the commissioners who run Los Angeles International Airport look as if they’re about to spend a billion dollars to make the airport a better place, especially for international travelers. They’ll get no complaints from me about that. In fact, I’m here to help.
Here are 10 improvements I’d like to see throughout LAX:
1. Fainting couches: For infrequent travelers to fall upon as they realize how much they’ll be paying for their luggage; their headphones; a meal; a phone conversation with a live sales agent; or (this one’s for you, JetBlue and US Airways) a pillow and a blanket.
2. An intelligible sound system: Because right now, the publnc adrsses sn sd weoibchcn sod0ewnxfon, you know?
3. An escalator that leads down to a subway stop: San Francisco’s subway connects with its airport. So do a bunch of others. [Corrected at 4:50 p.m. Oct. 20: An earlier version of this post said Boston's Logan airport had a subway station. The Boston transit system's Blue Line does have an Airport Station, but from there, travelers still have to catch a shuttle bus to reach the air terminal.] So why does our subway/light rail stop a mile away?
4. A moving sidewalk that connects all the terminals to each other: Or maybe a chairlift salvaged from a defunct ski resort somewhere. Either way, we know that connecting travelers would appreciate a terminal-to-terminal transit system that doesn’t require wading into auto traffic to flag down a bus.
5. A health club: You arrive two or three hours early for that long flight to Asia or Europe, leave your stuff in a locker and swim a lap or two, or sneak in a little yoga, or work a stationary bike to loosen up before they wedge you into that coach-class seat and start pumping that secondhand air into your lungs. The club will need a big, networked Wii room, so you can play tennis and golf or whatever against other schlubby travelers stuck in other airports around the world.
6. Adequate seating just before and after every security checkpoint: Either that or give the passengers a chance every day to watch and giggle as TSA workers take their shoes off and put them on again — all while standing, all while surrounded by impatient strangers.
7. Adequate seating everywhere: For many flesh-eaters, it’s good news that perpetually popular Pink’s Hot Dogs is scheduled to open its first airport outlet at the Bradley Terminal later this year. But does the airport really need more people standing around in long lines?
8. Mini-movie theaters: For a buck or two, travelers could kill time watching short indie films and documentaries. (Oh, but where would we ever find the writers, actors, directors and producers to supply such fodder?)
9. A nightclub: What better place could there be for an alcohol-fueled, short-term relationship? Mind you, there are already at least two nightclubs bearing the LAX name, but one is in Hollywood and another is in the Luxor Hotel, on the Strip in Las Vegas. That just seems wrong. (It does seem appropriate, however, that TripAdvisor’s citizen critics have rated the Vegas LAX 447th of 572 attractions in town.)
10. More great big pictures of Richard Branson: Because otherwise, how will people know it’s an airport?
Further suggestions welcome — our software is standing by.
— Christopher Reynolds, Los Angeles Times staff writer
Photo: Passengers line up for TSA screening at LAX. Anybody got a chair? Credit: Robert Durell / Los Angeles Times
46 Comments on “The LAX list: 10 airport improvements I’d like to see [updated]”
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October 19th, 2009 at 1:49 pm
LAX desperately needs a bathroom upgrade. (seriously.)
October 19th, 2009 at 5:50 pm
A billion dollars? With a ‘B’? No, really. A billion dollars? With air travel decreasing and a recession? Really? And they admit that it won’t increase capacity at all? REALLY? Roll up the damn airstairs and park ‘em in a field. A BILLION DOLLARS !? AM I THE ONLY ONE THAT THINKS THIS IS INSANE !
October 20th, 2009 at 8:05 am
If you want to have public transit into the airport, then you should show up to support it the next time, when the taxi commissions, etc fight against it (thinking that it’d take away from their businesses). that’s what happened with the Green Line. Do your part, instead of just complaining on the side for certain things. Also then do your part to allocate taxes towards these transportation projects. Yes, the gas tax, and other vice taxes.
October 20th, 2009 at 9:32 am
…and while we’re complaining, I have to add that many of the domestic terminals at LAX are in far worse shape than the international terminal. I suppose the institutional thinking is that international upgrades will bring in more money. But most of us spend more of our time in the tired halls of the domestic terminals, where we can apparently expect to see that ’60s tilework for many years to come.
October 20th, 2009 at 9:35 am
I understand your point re public transit connectivity… but Boston’s subway does not connect with it’s airport. You can grab a blue line bus that will take you a mile away to the blue line T station..or take a silver line bus to South Station.
October 20th, 2009 at 11:40 am
Fainting couches are close. What’s needed at all airports is some seating w/o the arm rests so when there’s a long layover you can laydown and catch a nap.
Connection to the subway would be great!
How about a mail service at security for mailing a prohibited item back to yourself rather than having to throw it away.
More gates. When I return to LAX, if the flight is early, it has to wait on the tarmac, for another plane to clear the gate. And if the flight is late it has to wait on the tarmac for another plane to clear the gate. The gates are overbooked.
Power outlets at all seats - 2 outlets per seat minimum.
October 20th, 2009 at 1:38 pm
And while we’re complaining… why not have better TSA’s? Seriously, the TSA’s look more like thugs than security. And, have lines for the “professional” travelers, the newbies, and the screaming kids travelers!!
October 20th, 2009 at 3:00 pm
I think we need an updated set of beggars. Replace the fake priests and nuns with people in Twitter mascot costumes. Maybe Twitter could become profitable that way?
October 20th, 2009 at 4:14 pm
Heather, I see what you mean about Boston. The MBTA subway’s blue line has an Airport Station, but from there free shuttles go to and from the Logan airport ferry terminal and airline terminals. (I was at the airport a couple of weeks ago, saw the signs for the Blue Line, but wound up in a taxi instead.)
October 20th, 2009 at 4:14 pm
I can agree wholeheartedly with complaint #3.
How about Tokyo with not just one, but TWO competing express rail services, plus one of the best airport bus systems I have ever encountered.
October 20th, 2009 at 5:31 pm
Better fast-food restaurants!! I just went on a weekend trip to San Francisco. The LAX choices — 3 — at United were paltry — I had a grilled cheese for an outrageous price. Coming back from the San Francisco airport, I had a choice of 6 fast-food restaurants, and couldn’t make up my mind from 5 things I wanted. I finally chose teriyaki salmon on brown rice with crispy fresh steamed veggies. What a difference!!
October 20th, 2009 at 6:00 pm
More seating in the arrivals area. We used to be able to wait in some comfort at the gate for arriving passengers. Post-9/11, we have to stand around in baggage claim for arriving passengers, sitting on the edge of the carousel or in baggage carts.
October 20th, 2009 at 6:16 pm
The airport in Helsinki has saunas and free wi-fi throughout the entire airport.
October 20th, 2009 at 6:25 pm
How about decent wheelchairs and trained attendants for disabled passengers?
My last experience was horrific! The airport’s wheelchair was broken-down, and the attendant had no clue that he should be gentle with me. He piled all my luggage on my lap (completely blocking my view of where he was pushing me at very high-speed.) Since the pedals in the wheelchair were broken, my recently-operated-on leg was dragging on the floor. I kept asking him to slow down, but he wouldn’t. Finally I just started screaming to get him to stop for a moment…
It was a terrible experience, and far worse than I’ve been treated in any other airport.
Please get it together, LAX!
October 20th, 2009 at 6:30 pm
I’m all for the health club thing, but I think they need a section for the screaming kids, seriously. Oh and can we also have the airlines specifically group all the parents with 100 screaming kids on one flight together? They should all check their kids like luggage, I mean it is extra baggage right?
And why not have TSA’s designated for those nervous travelers? You know the ones with a million questions who hold up the lines and have the deer in headlights look? I think those TSA’s should have some Valium and a cocktail handy for them since it’s their first flight, or just to calm them down…or they should be prepared to direct them to the nearest bar in the airport. “please have a cocktail and a valium prior to your departure…”
They should also board the plane this way…Experienced travelers first, then business class, then infrequent flyers, then mom’s with 100 screaming kids, then of course the nervous people last, since they will be drunk and sleeping with their alcohol and Valium.
Have I left anyone out?
October 20th, 2009 at 6:36 pm
I participate in an online travel forum about LA. I think there are two big issues at LAX beyond the ones you mentioned: a) no showers on site. Have a 14 hour flight, then a layover at LAX, then another long flight, and want to freshen up instead of testing how long your deodorant really lasts? Sorry, too bad. b) Have one unified security area. Its ridiculous to make passengers who are switching flights at LAX have to re-enter security simply because their arriving and departing flights are in different terminals. Terminals 5-7 are connected behind security, but at minumum Terminals 1-3 should be connected, and Terminals 4-7 all should be as well.
One other point - every other airport I’ve ever been to is utilized to attract visitors to the local area - even if they’re just there to get a connecting flight. LAX is the only airport I’ve ever been in that seems designed to ensure no one ever returns. Why isn’t there interesting art work, information about the local area, etc, on the walls and so forth?
October 20th, 2009 at 6:39 pm
“San Francisco’s subway connects with its airport. So does San Francisco’s.” I think you meant to include Chicago in lieu of that second San Francisco (or even NYC, which despite not having a subway stop does have AirTrain at JFK.)
October 20th, 2009 at 7:57 pm
Boston’s subway does not to go the airport. Logan has the half-assed Silver Line busway. The subway connects to Logan in the same stupid way that the Green Line does to LAX: by shuttle bus.
October 20th, 2009 at 8:05 pm
How about REOPENING the closed terminal connections, the ones that are still there and quite usable?
Next would be upgrading the concessions so that the food places PASS their health inspections.
Removing gates, extending the building further west so that more than one plane can move to/from a gate at a time would be nice.
Accessible bus service that is also reliable would be a nice plus. I’ve helped many a disabled passenger up three monumental steps to get into the connections bus.
Flyaway service that is reliable but also connects to the public transportation lines, but that is too much to wish for, too many NIMBYs out there.
October 20th, 2009 at 8:33 pm
This was literally the worst article I have ever read.
October 20th, 2009 at 10:05 pm
Mr. Reynolds above is spot on. Call me selfish, but c’mon: The international terminal? How about some love for we who spendless countless hours in the domestic terminals? It sucks for all of us huddled masses, and perhaps even worse, it’s an embarrassment that countless visitors to our fair city get their first (and second) impressions from the drab, dated and shabby domestic terminals.
October 20th, 2009 at 10:35 pm
WoW! This is journalism?
October 21st, 2009 at 12:41 am
Best idea of all, plan your international trips by shuttling to San Francisco on Southwest and departing from Bagdad by the Bay. LAX has developed into a totally dreadful experience.
October 21st, 2009 at 12:53 am
Where do I start? To begin with, they could spend a few grand on training the TSA/customs/immigration staff to act nicely. These people are the first impression you get when arriving in the USA, and you would think America is the most miserable, rude, inconsiderate place on earth based on meeting those staff.
Then maybe a basic decor update. For example, no one really enjoys the 60’s lino and tiles. We all love Happy Days , but we would prefer to not have to go through the set on the way to Gate 743B!
October 21st, 2009 at 1:53 am
GET RID OF AIRPORT SECURITY CHECKS. It seems stupid that we put so much into this. First, trains don’t have any checks, and there aren’t many problems. You just walk on its over. You don’t have to arrive 3 hours before a train leaves. Take some of the saved money, and put an air marshall on every flight instead. Take the leftover money and use it to push down prices for air tickets as well as require a little more reasonable leg room on planes. European air travel is a fraction of the price, and much more comfortable.
Lets increase convenience, price, and comfort, and quit getting scared of almost nonexistent risks (the odds are stupidly low people)
October 21st, 2009 at 5:14 am
How about a satellite building so we can have more gates without having to divert to Ontario and bus back?
Showers in the International Terminal!
Things to do in the International Terminal. There’s nothing to do but sit and wait in the international terminal. Having flown out of Hong Kong, where there is TONS to do after you clear security (shops and such) LAX is the most BORING place ever to have to wait for a flight.
There’s a shuttle bus connection to the green line but I wouldn’t mind something like the AirTrain JFK, La Guardia, and Newark have since it connects to all stations while SFO’s subway only connects to the International terminal which for their 2-terminal-for-planes airport is no problem but for LAX is a substantial walk.
October 21st, 2009 at 6:01 am
I would paint a red line on the ground around the baggage carousel. The rule is that you cannot cross that line until you see your bag on the belt. Then, and only then, can you move forward and get your bag. These losers that stand at the carousel block you from picking up your damaged bag. LAX is a third-world airport at so many levels.
October 21st, 2009 at 6:16 am
To facilitate passenger pick-up, the terminal numbers should add a letter to them such as 7A, 7B, 7C, etc. It would be a lot easier than “terminal 7, near a sidewalk and hopefully you’ll see the big guy in a red hawaiian shirt near me”
October 21st, 2009 at 7:14 am
The TSA in LAX is the worst in the country. Do you ever listen to them? You’ll hear, “Who’s on break?”, “Who’s going next?”, and “Why isn’t it my turn?” TSA at LAX is the slowest in the country, maybe a tie with Philadelphia. I agree with the earlier comments that the TSA doesn’t really prevent any highjackings. It’s a federal, state, and local “make work” program. They get their employees from Unemployment offices. Not exactly “crack security people.” There are stories about tests to TSA where fake bombs get through 70% of the time unchecked. The TSA is a joke. It just adds to the delay and aggravation of commercial airline travel.
The LAX parking people are just as bad as TSA. A typical LAX parking lot has 5 guys waving their arms at us directing us to 2 or 3 kiosks that are open of the 6 or so at that location. The kiosk usually has one person “working” and at least one other sitting there in the kiosk. Is the other person a “supervisor”? A person on “break”? Then, when you give them a $20 bill, they always give you 17 $1 dollar bills as change. Finally, good luck speaking to any of them. How do we find people that speak some obscure language to all be working at the same kiosks at the same time?
October 21st, 2009 at 7:22 am
Nice error on the Boston train station.
So you want the green line to be in the airport instead of a shuttle bus away (better than most US airports, and comparable to Boston, Oakland, and a few others….except it’s free). From there you can go to….um….Norwalk in 45 minutes. Long Beach in an hour and a half (with lugging your suitcase on/off two trains, one of which will be packed). Hollywood in an hour and a half (same as above, except you add one more crowded train transfer).
Sure it would be a “nice to have,” but with so many more pressing transportation infrastructure needs, why invest hundreds of millions there right now?
We already have a flyaway service that connects from your gate and provides nonstop service to 3, and soon to be 4, destinations in the region.
One of these destinations is the largest transportation hub in Southern California. Would you actually take three trains and 2-3x the amount of time to get there?
October 21st, 2009 at 7:40 am
I worked at the airport for many years and I know why there is no subway stop. The Board of Airport Commissioners would lose parking revenue if passengers could easily take public transportation. Revenue is king at Los Angeles World Airports -far more than passenger convenience. That is the dirty truth.
October 21st, 2009 at 8:08 am
#7 “flesh eaters?!?” That’s great if you’re a vegetarian. How about you keep you judgmental attitude to yourself and spare the rest of us?
October 21st, 2009 at 8:14 am
The DC Metro connects at Reagan. It’s the only way to get around.
October 21st, 2009 at 8:20 am
Christopher: Thanks for correcting that statement… (I lived in Boston for about five years before moving here most recently about a year and a half ago.)
October 21st, 2009 at 8:35 am
Wow, I never realized people are still using LAX! You couldn’t pay me enough to go near the place.
October 21st, 2009 at 8:50 am
Are you serious with some of these suggestions? It sounds like you want to hang out at the airport all day and night for fun. Nightclub, gym, movie theater? How about simply having free wifi, a few more TVs with a variety of intelligent programming (nature, history, etc), and ban the TSA from racial profiling, which I assure you, they still do.
October 21st, 2009 at 8:58 am
Wow, you lost me on the very first one. Sorry.
October 21st, 2009 at 9:24 am
Yes, showers for all international arrivals!!
October 21st, 2009 at 9:34 am
I deplore the politics that went in to preventing the green line from reaching the terminals (not just lost parking revenue for LAWA - think of all the taxi and shared van companies that would have lost big time if it did). Never mind that the Green Line doesn’t go anywhere….
A much more useful improvement: Let public buses into the terminal loop, and kick some of the private tour companies and other transit options out of the terminal loop to the transit plaza at Lot C. We ought to be encouraging public transportation at LAX, not discouraging it, so lets have passengers of private transportation services take the shuttle to Lot C, not passengers of public transit.
Along the same theme - sell Metro TAP cards, day passes, etc. in the terminals in LAX, instead of keeping them a secret only discoverable by those willing to walk into a liquor store in a bad neighborhood and completely hidden from tourists.
ditch the whole “LAX Transit Plaza” at Lot C for public transportation. Why do we make people take the shuttle bus to Lot C before they can even begin a journey by public bus from LAX
October 21st, 2009 at 9:38 am
Hm… Overall, it be a good idea to upgrade entertainment, food, chair, and TSA security check. That seems a cheap solution to all the terminal’s problem. Why just fix the international with a billion dollars? That seem a little excessive to me.
October 21st, 2009 at 9:41 am
Americans who don’t travel internationally have no idea what the standard is for a world-class airport ALL OVER THE WORLD (and not just Europe). Hence the loser who said “Wow it seems like you want to hang out at the airport all day.” lol.
LAX is probably the worst airport I’ve seen outside of a 3rd world country, and even those often run better than it (I’m not exaggerating).
October 21st, 2009 at 9:46 am
At 215pm on a Friday I was in Cambridge, MA. My bags were in a friends car in Quincy, MA.
Using the Boston subway & bus system, I left Cambridge, rode to Quincy, picked up my bags, headed back toward Boston, and was walking into Logan airport at 345pm.
In LA, the equivalent trip would be from Santa Monica to Studio City and back to LAX.
Think you could do that in 90 minutes with public transit on a Friday afternoon to LAX?
October 21st, 2009 at 10:18 am
Jessica-You have a great idea there. What if every terminal had a modest kid zone, with some seats near and others far away? They could even charge a buck or something to pay for the plastic mats and such.
-Lexa- Yes, yes, yes on showers!
-Robert- Actually, I’m a flesh-eater myself, so no, not casting judgment, just being a realist. (In fact, I wish there were some better flesh to eat in those terminal restaurants.)
-Dave-I love the baggage-area red line idea. And not much budget impact there, either.
-Jonathan and others- public-transit points taken. The flyaway buses do deserve a shout-out. It’s $7 one-way to LAX from Union Station or Van Nuys(or $5 from Westwood), and free for kids 5 and under. Here’s more:
http://www.lawa.org/welcome_LAX.aspx?id=292
-CJ and Raffi- Some of my suggestions were serious, some were half-serious and some were entirely unserious. But it’s possible that too many airport hours have warped my sense of humor. Maybe some train station time would help…
October 21st, 2009 at 11:15 am
There is also a big problem when you connect through LAX. If you are not in the same terminal, you must go through security at LAX even though you have already been cleared for the incoming flight. This is especially bothersome when connecting to/from an international flight.
October 21st, 2009 at 1:57 pm
So I know that there are many upgrades that need to made at LAX, but my biggest gripe is the food options offered. Come on, we’re in LA, where there are tons of good restaurants. The food choices at LAX are abominable and ridiculously overpriced. Would it kill them to bring in a couple places that are vegetarian-friendly? I recently flew out of LAX and could not find even one “restaurant” serving a veggie burger near the JetBlue gates. What’s up with that? Even Burger King serves veggie burgers now.
October 24th, 2009 at 12:41 pm
Back to reality.
- Clear signage
- Eliminate the “helpers” who are looking for donations
- Refresh any carpet/wall/furnishings that are more than 5 years old. The amount of walking traffic means 5 years is the max to keep these items
- Remove ALL offices away from the departures level - ensure all background space the airlines use is focused on retail, lounges and restaurants. This will ensure wider selection and not “hodge podged” walkways covnerted to retail - Main goal here is to utilize the space better. WIDER WALKWAYS
- Cleaner restrooms - with in the mens restrooms better urinals. The stupid American Standard ones they use are splash central - get some ones like these: EVERY airport I see using these worldwide isn’t as messy. http://www.toto.com.hk/product/images/urinal.jpg
- VISIBLE LAX airport employees (e.g. LAWA employees). So many times escalators are out, door alarms are going - airline employees do NOTHING. These are clearly Airport facilities issues yet LAX has no way to report them.
- Standards within the terminals on TSA lines (cut backs,line control) and standard for lines from the airlines. Other airports around the world MEASURE the leasing airlines performance and require standard to be met - LAWA does none of this - or doesn’t enforce it
- Terminal to terminal shuttle busses - AIRSIDE; T6/7/8 don’t need it as they have walkways - so does T6 to T5. Need shuttles from T7 to T4, TBIT, T3, T2 and T1. Cheap way to do these would be with little shuttles and ONLY to passengers with onward connecting boarding passes - heck - charge a buck to run the service - people will pay to avoid going out of security and back in…
Longer term
- For heavens sakes if you cannot build new terminals due to footprint of the building then go upwards… Add a new level to each building. Put departures and retail on the new upper level. Lower level (current departures level) can be gate boarding areas and walkway for arriving passengers. Most LAX terminals are too congested - not designed for many arriving and departing passengers
- Proper inter-terminal train system. Heck if DFW could add it to ALL the old terminals LAX can
- Proper public transit connection. How about a green line connector below one of the parking lots ; akin to a transit hub - accessed from escalators in the baggage area of each terminal. SIngle centralized transit hub would be easier than doing separate stops for each terminal AND cheaper. As long as moving walkways go from this to each terminal no one will care.
All in all what LAX really needs is a complete demolition of the existing facilities and a proper start over on the west end of the airport. DTW did this; IND did this… LAX for some reason keeps these band aid approaches that work for 2-3 years only. The above items would help GREATLY but really a new facility is needed.