Smoothing LAX Flow

As part of efforts to expedite passenger flow as air travel increases, United Airlines has centralized its security operations at Los Angeles International Airport, a move that has saved many passengers the inconvenience of having to pass through X-ray and metal-detection checkpoints twice.

United operates gates at three LAX terminals, and before last month’s reorganization, travelers catching connections in different terminals had to contend with a second checkpoint bottleneck even though they had already been screened at their airport of origin. Now only passengers originating travel at LAX will have to pass through a newly expanded checkpoint behind the ticketing counters in Terminal 7, United’s main LAX terminal.

“Overall it’s a better deal for the passengers,” airline spokesman Matt Triaca said.

The new arrangement is also a logistical boon for the carrier, Triaca said, given that United’s passenger loads at LAX have grown about 2% since last year. On any given day, the nation’s largest airline now moves close to 20,000 travelers through LAX, he said.