Price of Flyaway Parking Is Poised for Takeoff

The cost of parking at the Flyaway service, which links Van Nuys Airport to Los Angeles International Airport, is about to go up some--by 1,500%.

But it will still be cheaper than the alternative.

The cost, now a bargain $1 for up to 15 days, will rise to $1 a day when new computerized ticket facilities go into operation, probably late this month, airport officials said Thursday.

The purpose of the Flyaway service is to encourage airline passengers to leave their cars in the San Fernando Valley, diminishing the parking crush at LAX.

Buses leave the Flyaway terminal at Woodley Avenue and Saticoy Street, where some airlines maintain ticket offices, every half hour for the 45-minute trip to LAX. The fare is $8 round trip for an adult or $4.50 one way. Children under 12 pay half.

With the central parking lot at LAX charging $10 a day, and outlying lots with shuttle bus service charging from $3 to $5 a day, the Flyaway rate has been attractive enough to draw 632,000 to 721,000 passengers annually since 1979. Last year the passenger total was 680,619.

The service, begun in 1975, makes a profit of about $200,000 a year for the Los Angeles Department of Airports, said Joe Clair, the department’s manager of land-side operations.

The problem, he said, is that “We’re giving parking away” at three of the city-owned airports--Van Nuys, LAX and Ontario International.

The new computerized systems being installed at all three airports will issue tickets to motorists on arrival and read the tickets to determine the proper fare, payable to a cashier, when they leave. The rate increase was approved by the mayor’s office more than a year ago, Clair said.

Although the fee is rising at Van Nuys, Clair said he does not expect that Flyaway users will suddenly find it more attractive to drive themselves to LAX.

“We’re aware that there’s a point of diminishing returns,” he said, “which is why we’ve kept the fee to $1. But we anticipate a rate increase at all the airports.”

The exact amount has not been determined yet, he said, “but we’ll maintain the relationship” that keeps the Van Nuys rate far below the LAX rate.

“And people should look at more than just the numbers. They should factor in the aggravation of driving over the Sepulveda Pass.”