The Alaska Airlines’ “Airport of the Future” at Los Angeles International (LAX) has been unveiled in a newly remodeled Terminal 6.
The airline has installed customer-friendly pods of check-in kiosks and bag-check stations, and its move from Terminal 3 to Terminal 6 will allow customers more convenient access to U.S. Customs and Border Protection checkpoints and to codeshare partner Delta Airlines in Terminal 5.
The 13-month project was an effort between the airline, Los Angeles World Airports and the Transportation Security Administration. The $238M project was completed on time and $33M under budget.
“Alaska’s Terminal 6 is an example of what can be achieved when government and private business partner,” says Los Angeles Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa “The renovation, delivered on time and under budget, is part of L.A.’s $4.1B investment in modernizing LAX. In addition to dramatically improving the travel experiences of both domestic and international passengers, the Alaska Terminal 6 project also supported over 1,000 jobs in our region.”
Bill Ayer, Alaska Airlines’ chairman and CEO, says, “We want Alaska to be the easiest airline to fly on, and our new terminal in Los Angeles epitomizes our mission to make travel hassle-free and seamless for our customers. Our new terminal provides more room for passengers to roam, swifter passage to the security checkpoint, more convenient connections to international flights and access to electrical outlets throughout our gates. These state-of-the art amenities remove some of the traditional barriers between air travelers and where they want to go.”
LAWA Executive Director Gina Marie Lindsey called the opening “an important milestone in the continuing modernization of LAX.”
“The partnership with Alaska Airlines has enabled significant improvements in customer service and convenience for the traveler,” she says.
With the improvements, customers who haven’t checked in online or with a mobile device can check in at a self-service kiosk where they can print their boarding passes and pay for checked bags; they would then take their bag to a bag-check station, where customer service agents scan the boarding passes and attach bag tags.
those with carry-on luggage are able to go directly to security screening. A new conveyor-belt system weighs the luggage and moves it through a baggage security screening system, and then send it to the aircraft. Passengers with carry-on luggage can go directly to the security checkpoint. The airline says the design is expected to reduce customer wait time to less than four minutes.
The new Terminal 6 also includes a Board Room airline lounge, electrical outlets at half of the seats in the boarding gate areas, a central service counter and new gate information displays. The project also incorporated sustainable building practices in accordance with Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification by the U.S. Green Building Council.
The project’s cost was funded with approximately $16M in Alaska Airlines-invested capital for proprietary improvements; approximately $20M in TSA reimbursements for security screening measures; and the remainder in LAWA commercial paper/long-term debt, LAWA cash and passenger facility charges.
