LAX officials urge travelers to plan ahead for Memorial Day, summer trips

With record numbers of people expected to travel for Memorial Day weekend, Los Angeles International Airport officials urged people Wednesday to plan ahead and give themselves plenty of time to reach the airport and board their flights.

Memorial Day traditionally marks the beginning of the summer travel season, and airport officials reminded travelers that passenger numbers and vehicular traffic will be rising over the next few days and remain high for the next few months.

“With school breaks, relaxed workdays, and a strong demand for travel to and from Los Angeles, we expect a busy summer,” Doug Webster, interim chief operations and maintenance officer for Los Angeles World Airports, said in a statement. “Our airport staff and airline partners are aware of the projected wave of travelers to the region, and are ready and well-equipped to provide our guests with the best possible experience at LAX.”

Airport officials urged travelers to arrive at least two hours ahead of domestic flights, and three hours for international flights. Parking is also expected to be at a premium, so travelers were urged to consider booking spaces in advance at parking.flylax.com.

According to the Automobile Club of Southern California, a record 3.5 million Southern California residents are expected to travel over the Memorial Day weekend, besting the level from last year and marking the second straight year the number has exceeded the pre-pandemic record set in 2019.

The 3.5 million travelers estimate is a 4.7% increase over last year’s record number, and 4.2% above the 2019 figure, according to the Auto Club, with the holiday traveling period set to begin Thursday.

Of the 3.5 million anticipated travelers, 2.9 million are likely to travel by car, while 371,000 will fly and 237,000 will rely on other modes, such as bus, train or cruise ship.

Nationally, 43.8 million people are expected to travel for the holiday, a 4.1% increase from last year and 2.4% above 2019.

The top destinations for Southern California travelers are expected to be Las Vegas, San Diego, the Grand Canyon, Hawaii and Seattle/Alaska cruises. The top destinations for nationwide travelers will be Orlando, New York, Las Vegas, Seattle and Anaheim/Los Angeles. Top international destinations for U.S. travelers will be Rome, Vancouver, London, Paris and Dublin.