LAX master plan and US

[Dont call me Shirley]

There has been some speculation that the reason US has remained at Terminal One at LAX and not joined Star Alliance patrners UA and CO in Terminals Six and Seven is to keep Southwest from growing at LAX.

Well, if the LAX master plan goes ahead, all of the northside terminals will be torn down and rebulit so runway 24L/6R can be relocated farther south. Forgetting for the moment of how LAX will deal with the temporary relocation of all the carriers on the north side, would this mean that US would finally move to 6/7?


http://www.ourlax.org/




Description
The LAX Master Plan modernizes the runway and taxiway system, redevelops the terminal area, improves access to the airport, and enhances passenger safety, security, and convenience

Improves Airport Safety

Center Taxiways to Improve Airfield Safety. The airport's north runway system will be reconfigured to accommodate a center taxiway and improve the separation between the runways. The southernmost north runway (Runway 24L) will be relocated approximately 340 feet south, which will require the demolition of existing Terminals 1, 2, and 3, and the northern portion of the Tom Bradley International Terminal (TBIT). On the south runway system, the southernmost runway (Runway 25L) will be relocated approximately 50 feet south to accommodate a new center taxiway between the south runways. The new center taxiways will improve airfield safety and reduce the possibility of runway incursions.


As far as the overall impact on LAX will be, can you imagine the mess it will be? Anyone old to remember the double decking project in the early 80s should be afraid, very afraid. And good ole LAX is much busier than back then.

Would US be smart enough to do something like add BUR-PHL. (B6 flies BUR-JFK and does quite well it seems). Or maybe LGB or SNA transcons? BUR airport, with its MetroLinlk train station a three minute walk from the terminal is a gem.
(The jetway free terminal is like a trip back in time even if its proximity to the runway does scare a few people.)

 

[SS255]

As an LAX-based flier, I am dreading the construction at LAX much more so than I am dreading Carmageddon this weekend. But LAX is such a 3rd world airport that my philosophy is that it's better to just get it started and over with as quickly as possible!

T-1 is the worst terminal at LAX. As far as I'm concerned, WN can have the whole place to itself, as long as US finds a better home. Terminal 6 is somewhat of a mish-mash of mostly smaller airlines, like Allegiant, B6, and I believe Spirit (can't remember for sure). I feel like there is another airline which was moving all of its operations to T-6, but for the life of me the airline and circumstances escape me. (I'm sure somebody on this board can jog my memory for me.) CO is in T6, and UA and DL have a few gates in T-6, as well. It is rumored that UA will not be giving up any gate space in T-6 once the merger is completed, although of course at this stage every rumor is subject to change.

T-6 is currently undergoing a makeover. It doesn't appear to be an extreme makeover, but even some Botox helps!!! It's a real inconvenience, but that's another matter. What would make the most sense would be for US to move to T-6, because codesharing between US and UA at LAX is completely inefficient. In addition to the codeshare opportunities, US could take over the PC at T-6 and turn it into a US Club, or perhaps capitalize on some *A synergies and operate a combined UA/US lounge. (What a concept!) It's too bad the US-DL slot swap doesn't include DL giving up their gate space in T-6 to US.

On a side note, I'm really, really hoping that once the LAX overhaul iis completed, airside connections between TBIT and the UA/CO/US terminals will be possible.

 

[phllax]

Deb,

AS is moving to T6, and B6, Allegiant, NK, and F9 are all moving back to T3 once it's done. The renovations are part of this, as AS will be able to use the FIS facilities and make their code-share with DL easier. I don't think DL or UA is giving up any gates, but once all the dust settles I believe T6 will be mostly CUTE. While I think US should move over to the other side, I just don't see them leaving T1 without a big fight. I do agree that T1 is a dump, but man is it convenient!

 

[Dont call me Shirley]

T-1 was sorta cool when it opened for PSA and AirCal. But that was well over 25 years ago. About the only it has going for it is now is that it's the first terminal on the horseshoe roadway, which is can get backed up. (Especially on the lower level). The food concessions are rather uninspired and the gate seating is inadequate. The place was meant for 737s and DC-9-80s, not A321s.


As far as the terminals go, I must admit that I still like T-3; it still is the most "authentic" terminal there, retaining its original footprint. Sure, it looks dated, but I thing for nostalgia. The red TWA era carpet is gone, though. And a great many movies and TV shows have been shot there. Sometime the terminal played itself, sometimes is a supposed to be another airport. There is a great glitch in "Sunday in New York" (great movie!). In a scene set at Idlewild, there is a reflection of the Theme Building in a glass door!

And, of course, "Airplane" was shot there !. I'm sure SS255 can come up with a good list.

 

[FWAAA]

The demolition of Terminals 1-3 goes along with the demolition of all parking garages inside the horseshoe (where the new terminal would be built) plus the construction of the consolidated checkin facility east of the airport (with people movers to the terminals). Mayor Hahn's grand master plan has been shelved since the election of Mayor Villarigosa and I don't think the project has a chance in hell of ever being built, as airlines would foot the bill and none are happy about spending billions of dollars on the project. Others may disagree.

The master plan was a compromise that limited the number of gates at LAX to appease the nearby NIMBYs; billions of dollars to end up with a smaller airport doesn't make any sense.

 

[SS255]

And, of course, "Airplane" was shot there !. I'm sure SS255 can come up with a good list.

Not my area of expertise, but I do appreciate the vote of confidence!!! I'll have to start paying closer attention. I think that more films have actually been shot outside of my window than at LAX.

 

[Dont call me Shirley]

and in other Southland happenings:

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2011/07/carmageddon-20-minute-jetblue-flight-departs-from-burbank-.html


Too bad US was not as publicity and marketing savvy.

 

[SS255]

and in other Southland happenings:

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2011/07/carmageddon-20-minute-jetblue-flight-departs-from-burbank-.html


Too bad US was not as publicity and marketing savvy.

Y'know.....any airline that offered daily flights from BUR-LGB would probably make out like a bandit. That is one b**** of a drive in rush hour, Carmageddon or no Carmageddon! I smell an opportunity here. US flies PHL-ABE, so why not start a BUR-LGB shuttle???

Not to turn this into a Carmageddon thread, but the traffic on the West Side of Los Angeles this weekend has been practically non-existent! If only LA were always like this!

 

[Dont call me Shirley]

Not to turn this into a Carmageddon thread, but the traffic on the West Side of Los Angeles this weekend has been practically non-existent! If only LA were always like this!

at the risk of dating myself, I am reminded of the '84 Olympics.

I has been a long time, but there used to to be ONT-LAX and SNA-LAX flights. Remember Golden West Airlines? LA Traffic has gotten much worse since then. Not to mention security wait times. Maybe intra LA basin flights might work again?

 

[SS255]

I has been a long time, but there used to to be ONT-LAX and SNA-LAX flights. Remember Golden West Airlines? LA Traffic has gotten much worse since then. Not to mention security wait times. Maybe intra LA basin flights might work again?

They absolutely would. Wasn't that the meaning behind "commuter flights" back in the day? It applies even more now. The airspace in Southern CA isn't choked up the way it is in the Northeast. "Commuter" or shuttle flights would be a really good solution for a great many travelers who live near the smaller airports, but want good connections between major cities instead of having to drive 60 miles to LAX. Unfortunately, I do not see US ever exploring this opportunity.

In fact, the legacy carriers are so tied to their hub-and-spoke structure that the mere suggestion of filling a need within the LA basin would not be considered because it's too "outside the box." B6's experiment this weekend might actually be a great business opportunity for them, or any innovative airline with the moxie to try something which should have been happening all along.

I think that the lessons we are learning here in Southern CA from carmageddon is that the car culture has such a severe impact on our quality of life. This has been the best traffic weekend (outside of Christmas/New Year's, when half the population leaves town) since I moved here in 1991. I hope that our elected officials see that an extensive, networked public transportation system -- which includes commercial air service between Southern CA's airports -- is the only real solution to our traffic problems. I hope that if we ever see real intra-Southern CA air service, US can participate.

 

[HPearlyretiree]

at the risk of dating myself, I am reminded of the '84 Olympics.

I has been a long time, but there used to to be ONT-LAX and SNA-LAX flights. Remember Golden West Airlines? LA Traffic has gotten much worse since then. Not to mention security wait times. Maybe intra LA basin flights might work again?

I needed to fly ONT-LAX once for a connection, they cancelled American Eagle I think. Thankfully I was very early..supershuttle and an hour of traffic. Once took 3 hours of traffic to get LAX-ONT after flying in from BKK-TPE-LAX...long day...