Airport Officials Give Holiday Tips

Drop off, don’t park, at Van Nuys Airport’s FlyAway bus terminal, and stay away from the baggage claim bottleneck at Burbank Airport.

Those are two suggestions being offered by Valley airport officials in anticipation of the traditional Memorial Day weekend travel crunch.

At Van Nuys, airport manager Ronald Kochevar said FlyAway bus riders to Los Angeles International Airport should give their vehicles a rest and arrange to be dropped off at the terminal. “Since the parking lot fills up quickly on holiday weekends, we hope travelers will plan ahead to leave their cars at home,” he said.

The FlyAway lot has spaces for more than 2,300 vehicles. Airport officials hope to relieve congestion in the future by opening a 350-space lot for airline and airport employees next month. In the past, congestion has been so bad that riders have been forced to park on neighboring streets, prompting complaints from residents.

Burbank Airport spokesman Victor Gill said a major holiday headache at that facility is the bottleneck outside the main baggage claim area where motorists park at the curb to pick up and drop off passengers. “Over and over, I see this phenomenon,” he said, adding that some drivers even double- or triple-park.

Gill said one solution is to use the nearby short-term parking lot, which will only cost motorists a few extra minutes and a $1 fee. Alternatively, if drivers insist on using the curb, they should skirt past the baggage claim area and park further on near the American Airlines terminal.

Another tip from Gill: “Try to make your airport arrival plans well in advance and try to allow extra time for coming and going.”