According to the Los Angeles Times and the Daily News, there is a new service at the Van Nuys Flyaway: the ability to check-in your luggage and obtain a boarding pass. The service will soon be expanded to the L.A. Convention Center, Union Station and Port of Los Angeles.
This service, known as remote airline and baggage check-in, allows U.S. domestic travelers to obtain boarding passes and check luggage for a nominal fee before arriving at LAX. It is facilitated by Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) in collaboration with airlines at LAX, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), and Baggage Airline Guest Services (BAGS), Inc. Under this service, travelers can obtain airline boarding passes and check up to two bags for a nominal fee of $5 before boarding a FlyAway bus for the 21-mile, nonstop trip to LAX. BAGS, Inc. will operate the remote airline and baggage check-in service from a counter located inside the terminal from 4:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily, including weekends and holidays. Representing the airlines, BAGS will charge passengers checking more than two bags and/or bags weighing more than their airlines’ weight limits will be charged the airlines’ normal overweight fees. Baggage check-in at the FlyAway terminal will be accepted up to two and half hours before flight departure. Passengers using the new service will be able to proceed directly to passenger security upon arrival at LAX. The new service is the first in the United States to combine remote airline check-in with a dedicated airport bus service. Initially, the service is available on domestic flights operated by American, American Eagle, Alaska, Continental, Delta, Horizon, Northwest, Ted, United, and United Express/Skywest Airlines. Additional airlines are expected to join the program soon.
Expansion of the new remote airline and baggage check-in service is set for the Los Angeles Convention Center on Sept. 13, the Union Station FlyAway on Sept. 18, and the Port of Los Angeles Cruise Ship Terminal on Sept. 24.
This is quite interesting, although I’m a road warrior and rarely check in bags (and print my boarding pass for free at home). Still, it might be useful when we go to a family reunion next summer in Nashville, or for ACSAC, where I might need to check luggage.
