Beginning June 14, UCLA community members needing to get to or from the airport will have a new transportation option.
Los Angeles World Airports, which manages the Los Angeles International Airport, has partnered with the university to offer students a new bus service between Westwood and LAX. The FlyAway airport bus service, which already has stops at Union Station in downtown Los Angeles, as well as in Van Nuys, is opening a third location on Kinross Avenue at Lot 32.
The FlyAway service costs $4 each way and will operate on a 21-hour cycle between 5 a.m. and 1 a.m. with buses traveling to and from the airport every half hour, Treva Miller, a spokeswoman for Los Angeles World Airports, said.
Miller said her organization hopes extending the FlyAway bus service will help cut down on traffic and vehicle emissions.
“It will reduce vehicle air emissions by taking passengers from their single-passenger vehicles and putting them onto these high-occupancy vehicles, and whenever possible, they drive in carpool lanes,” Miller said.
She said Los Angeles World Airports believes the Westwood location will be especially convenient, given the number of people who commute to the area on a daily basis.
“We’re hoping UCLA students and staff and faculty find this is a great, smart way to get to the airport,” Miller said.
Karen Gamon, a third-year psychology student, said she always uses shuttle services such as SuperShuttle to get to and from the airport, but would likely use FlyAway instead, given the price difference.
“It’s less than a third of the cost of the shuttles. That’s really cool,” she said.
Shuttle services such as SuperShuttle and Prime Time Shuttle typically offer fares beginning around $14 and two public bus lines also take passengers to LAX for around $1. The Culver City Green Line and the Big Blue Bus both run between UCLA and LAX.
Miller said subsidies from the city help LAWA keep FlyAway fares low.
According to a press release from LAWA, buses will begin ferrying passengers between UCLA and LAX on June 14. They will offer unlimited free rides to everyone until June 30, at which point the regular fare will apply.
Miller said that for an extra $5, passengers can check their bags and print their boarding passes at the FlyAway pick-up location.
Passengers who wish to check bags can drop them off at the FlyAway pick-up location anytime after 4:30 a.m. as long as it is at least three hours before the flight is scheduled to depart, Miller said.
Charles Carter, communications analyst for UCLA Transportation Services, said he believes FlyAway’s price and convenience will make it a good option for Westwood residents.
“This is going to be a great service for students, staff and faculty, saving time, stress and expense connected with getting back and forth to the airport,” Carter said.
Overnight parking in Lot 32 will be available only on weekends, from 3 p.m. Friday until 7 a.m. Monday.
With reports from Julia Erlandson, Bruin senior staff.