The Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) was ranked as the sixth largest airport in the world in 2008 by the Airports Council International. That year, LAX served a total of 59,497,539 passengers. Like most major airports, parking at LAX can be particularly difficult. The good news is that there are plenty of parking options, and if you know where to go, the process can be relatively painless.
Economy Parking At LAX
The Central Terminal Parking Structure is the closest parking facility to the main airport terminals. However, it can get pretty expensive, not to mention crowded, especially if you are parking there for more than two hours. A good alternative is the Economy Parking Lots B and C. They’re not as close to the terminals, but you can take a quick shuttle ride to get to them and back to your car. The first two hours of parking at the Economy Lots are free, and then it’s $1 for each additional two hours.
Off-site Parking
Off-site parking is another good option for parking at LAX. There are many off-site lots located within two miles of the airport, and many of them offer additional services like luggage assistance and even oil changes. Most off-site lots offer free shuttles to and from the terminals and the prices tend to be a few dollars lower than on-site parking. Some of the most popular off-site lots include the Hilton Los Angeles Airport parking facility ($10 per day), LAX Park ($9.95 per day), and Fox LAX Auto Park ($7.95 per day) if you're looking to find airport parking for cheap.
Cell Phone Waiting Lot
The Cell Phone Waiting Lot is a great and also free parking alternative. You avoid the trouble of parking at the paid terminals and instead wait at the Cell Phone Lot (spaces available first-come-first-serve) for your passenger or passengers to call you when they arrive. You can then swing around to the terminal curbside zone to pick them up or have them meet you at the Cell Phone Lot itself.
Passenger drop off
If you’re just going to the airport to drop-off a passenger, you can do so at the terminal curbside loading zones. Just don’t leave your car unattended or idle. Using the drop-off zones is a great way to get in and out of the airport quickly, albeit there might sometimes be some heavy terminal traffic to deal with.
Ryan Frank is a 23 year writer and blogger living in San Diego, CA.
