With the liquid ban still holding strong, the lines for checking bags can sometimes eclipse the security lines in length. The city of LA is amazingly determined to do something about it with the launch of remote check-in for LAX.
Here’s how it works. If you’re flying on American, Alaska, Continental, Delta, Northwest, or United, you can now go to the FlyAway bus terminal in Van Nuys (in the San Fernando Valley) and check in between 430a and 7p every day of the week.
For $5, you will be able to check yourself in and check up to 2 bags up to 2 1/2 hours before your flight. If you need to check additional bags, they will charge you the excess baggage fee charged by each airline.
Then, you’ll hop on the FlyAway bus which costs $3 each way for adults and $2 each way for children and they’ll drop you off at your terminal. The busses run every fifteen minutes.
Meanwhile, your bags will be taken by a company called, um, BAGS, and will be put on your flight. You won’t see them until you land.
Remember, this only works for American, Alaska, Delta, Northwest, and United. That leaves US Airways and Southwest as two high profile holdouts. Hopefully that will change as time passes.
If you’re not anywhere near the Valley, fear not . . . . This service is coming to other places around LA. Tomorrow (9/13), you’ll be able to start checking in at the LA Convention Center downtown. On the 18th, you can go to the FlyAway station at Union Station, also downtown. And starting on the 24th, you’ll be able to check in at the Port of LA cruise ship terminal.
2 comments on “Check Your Bags Before You Get to LAX”
Sweet.
Though, I definitely would be concerned about my bags making it to LAX from the valley in under 2.5 hrs!
Who runs it? Who are the employees? How is security handled for the bags?
I’d say the 2.5 hours should be fine, but then again, it does involve the 405. Ugh.
As for the details of the company, they don’t make their website easy to find. (Someone needs to help them get indexed on Google.) Try going here and you can read all about them.
The company is called BAGS, Inc (Baggage Airline Guest Services) and they do this in many different places. I have yet to hear about any problems, but I will keep listening. If anyone has experienced the service anywhere in the US, please let me know.