Travelers Take to the Air in Droves as Holiday Weekend Begins

On Friday, the predicted busiest day in aviation history, the early birds got the parking spaces.

That is, if by early they meant prior to 5 a.m. That’s when the “Lot Full” sign went up at the FlyAway bus parking lot at Van Nuys Airport, where travelers can catch a shuttle to Los Angeles International Airport.

With all 2,000 spaces filled before dawn, waiting drivers impatient to join the record flying public pounced on the few travelers returning to the bus terminal Friday to retrieve their cars, eager to move into their parking spaces.

Airport officials, fearing the jam will last all weekend, advised anyone planning to board FlyAway buses throughout the holiday period to arrange to be dropped off at the terminal or use a taxi.

“The FlyAway service is still the most convenient way to LAX,” said airport spokeswoman Stacy Geere, who nevertheless predicts the lot will remain full through Tuesday.

By mid-morning Friday, the bus trip to LAX was taking about an hour and was expected to drag on even longer by late afternoon as getaway crowds jammed the freeways and poured into the airport.

More than 2 million passengers were expected to board the nation’s airlines Friday, an all-time, one-day record according to the Air Transport Assn. Overall nationwide, almost 12.5 million airline passengers are anticipated over the Memorial Day holiday, the traditional start of the vacation season.

The boom in air travel is attributed to a strong economy and low air fares.

But while the boom was apparent for LAX travelers, it had little impact Friday at Burbank Airport, which caters primarily to short-haul fliers, many of them on business trips.

Curry Hyde, 25, stretched out all alone on an airport bench designed for three people. Soaking in the noontime sun, Hyde had heard the reports of airport crowding and was expecting a mob scene.

“I just came in from San Francisco, and I was kinda surprised,” she said, taking a break from her book. “It wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. It was crowded, but like any weekend is.”

Indeed, from skycaps to ticket agents to the waiters and bartenders at the airport’s restaurants, the day’s anticipated record travel crowds either bypassed Burbank or had not yet arrived.

“It’s a little busy, I guess,” said skycap Solomon York. “But it’s only a little busier than a normal Friday. It’s nothing like a holiday like Thanksgiving.”

There was only one person waiting in line for the skycap, with one suitcase in hand.

“It sure isn’t as busy as they made it sound on the news,” said Michael, a skycap who gave only his first name.

A pair of plainclothes officers looking for criminals amid the daytime airport hustle, struck weary poses when asked about the crowds.

“Yeah, it’s crowded, but not too bad,” said one, from behind dark sunglasses.

Steve Lopez and a friend, freshly arrived from Oakland for a softball tournament, sat amid a sea of empty tables and chairs in an airport restaurant-bar.

“It’s pretty crowded,” Lopez said. “I guess it is.”

He stretched out his massive arms and looked around the room, noticing only a handful of other diners and drinkers.

“I guess it’s not real crowded,” he corrected himself.

Bartender Ava Price, standing with folded arms, said she wasn’t supposed to work Friday, but her boss, anticipating a rush of customers, asked her to come in anyway. “Everyone thought it would be real busy,” she said. “But it’s not.”

Down the concourse at the Southwest Airlines counter, a ticket agent wondered aloud where the anticipated crowds were. There were fewer than 10 people in line at the counter, where three agents were briskly processing travelers.

“Boy, there’s nobody here,” said Neil Hamilton, 45, visiting from San Francisco for the weekend. Hamilton said his flight to Burbank had at least 10 empty seats.

“Too bad every day of travel couldn’t be this easy.”