Los Angeles World Airports is pushing a plan to sharply hike the fees it charges companies that drop off and pick up passengers at LAX, a move that could tack on double-digit dollars to many ride-hail trips. If approved, the proposal would make curbside pickups and drop-offs significantly more expensive for passengers and drivers, and it is headed to the Board of Airport Commissioners for a vote next week.
Under the proposal, filed as Item 21 on the board’s March 10 agenda, LAWA staff say a $6 base fee would take effect in April and that charges could rise to $12 each way at the curb outside terminals 1 through 8 once the airport’s automated people-mover, known as Skylink, opens, according to the Los Angeles World Airports agenda. The Los Angeles Daily News noted that someone paying about $10 round trip now would pay roughly $24 under the new structure.
Ride-hail companies did not wait to blast the idea. Uber warned customers and drivers in an email that the fees “would be the most expensive in the world,” and company spokesperson Danielle Lam called the proposed hike “indefensible” that “would punish travelers and working families,” as reported by the Los Angeles Daily News.
Why LAWA says it’s necessary
In its staff report, LAWA argues the new fee structure is meant to push more traffic to consolidated pickup points and help pay for ongoing operations once the Skylink people-mover changes how travelers reach the terminals. The agency estimates the higher charges could generate as much as $100 million in the first full year after Skylink opens and notes that taxis and ride-hail services together account for nearly 30,000 daily trips into the Central Terminal Area, according to the staff report on the Board of Airport Commissioners agenda.
What drivers and travelers would pay
Right now, airport access fees run from a few dollars to around $5 each way, depending on where passengers are picked up. Under LAWA’s proposal, that same ride that costs about $10 round trip today could jump to roughly $24, roughly a 140% increase for some trips. The staff plan also would cap how many pickups and drop-offs transportation network companies can make in the Central Terminal Area, limiting pickups to 30% and drop-offs to 70%, a shift that could change where drivers stage and how apps ultimately price those rides…