Delta Air Lines has partnered with town of la and La World Airports to noticeably overhaul Terminal 5 at L. a. International Airport. The $229-million construction project has already begun and is scheduled to occur in numerous phases with full completion in 2015.
Highlights of the project include doubling the scale of the ticketing lobby and federal security screening checkpoints; an exclusive Sky Priority experience with a separate lobby and checkpoint; a personal VIP check-in lobby with the intention to provide the foremost elite experience available at LAX; a renovation of the Delta Sky Club to incorporate full-service bar, new carpet, tile, and extra recharge stations for private electronic devices; new baggage carousels; upgraded facilities to enhance international baggage recheck; and new finishes providing a cleaner, brighter customer experience. Similarly, 15 new restaurants and shops featuring celebrity chefs and retail brand names that reflect the cuisine, culture and lifestyle of l. a. will complete their phased openings this year.
“Los Angeles is a critical global gateway for Delta’s domestic and international customers and we’re thrilled this project – which may greatly improve the client experience from curbside to planeside – is underway,” said Ranjan Goswami, Delta’s managing director – West Coast Sales. “But none of this can be possible without the good partnership and collaborative effort made by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and LAWA Executive Director Gina Marie Lindsey. Their leadership has truly cleared the path for the improvements our L. a.-area customers are already beginning to see and feel.”
“As LAX undergoes a $4.1-billion modernization, we have got made it a concern to enhance domestic travel in addition updating our international terminal,” Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said. “By overhauling Terminal 5 at LAX, Delta Air Lines helps us be sure that LAX becomes the premier gateway to La and to the remainder of the us.”
LAWA Executive Director Gina Marie Lindsey said, “This is a crucial milestone within the continuing modernization of LAX. The partnership with Delta Air Lines is enabling significant improvement in customer support and convenience for both domestic and international travelers.”
The project is funded using approximately $12 million of Delta Air Line’s invested capital for proprietary improvements (airline lounge, check-in lobbies, finishes, other architectural elements, etc.); approximately $25 million in reimbursements from the Transportation Security Administration for security-screening measures; and the rest in LAWA commercial paper/long-term debt, LAWA cash available, and Passenger Facility Charges collections. No funds from town of Los Angeles’ General Fund are getting used . The project will support greater than 200 construction-related jobs in Southern California.
Last month, Delta announced plans to extend service at LAX with daily year-round and seasonal service to fourteen destinations, including eight new markets: Anchorage, Alaska; Boston; Bozeman, Montana; Nashville, Tennessee; Seattle; San Jose, California; San Jose, Costa Rica; and Spokane, Washington. The extra service adds 12 percent more daily seats available in the market. This summer, Delta will operate 118 peak-day departures to 40 nonstop destinations, including Sydney and Tokyo, from L. a.. Delta operates transcontinental flights between La and Ny-JFK seven times daily. All La domestic service offers customers the choice of firstclass, Economy Comfort or economy seating, in addition to in-flight Wi-Fi.
Customers flying from L. a. also take advantage of Delta’s agreements with domestic partner Alaska Airlines and key international carriers, including WestJet and Virgin Australia, in addition to Sky Team partners Air France-KLM, Alitalia, Korean Air, AeroMexico, China Airlines, China Eastern, China Southern and Aeroflot. Delta expects to start codesharing on flights between La and London-Heathrow airport with partner Virgin Atlantic Airways later this year.