From virtual assistance to touch-free kiosks, LAX innovations improve guest experience, keep guests and employees safe and healthy

Guests traveling out of the Tom Bradley International Terminal now have the option of using their personal mobile device to control one of a dozen airline check-in kiosks within the Departures Level.

Passengers simply approach one of the designated kiosks, located in Aisle A of the terminal, and connect to a designated Wi-Fi service. Once connected, guests use the camera app on their phone to scan a unique QR code on the kiosk in front of them, and their phone will become a trackpad to control the kiosk. This innovative service, a first in the United States developed by the aviation technology company SITA, prevents travelers from having to touch the screen on the kiosk, instead putting control over the check-in process into their own device. 

The service is available for any of the nearly two-dozen airlines that participate in the common-use check-in kiosk program. 

LAX plumbers have retrofitted traditional, manually operated drinking fountains in Terminal 4 to create a touchless system. To activate the drinking fountain, guests simply approach the device and lean over to begin the flow of water. Plumbers are installing an additional system in Terminal 5 as part of a pilot program to test the systems' reliability and functionality within the airport environment.

Plumbers are also converting more restroom faucets to touchless systems. Nearly half of the approximately 240 touch-type faucets have been replaced to date. LAWA requires touchless restroom faucets in all new construction.

Additionally, crews recently installed more than 250 hand sanitizer stations throughout the airport. An additional 100 stations will be installed this week, along with 18 sanitizing wipe dispensers located at the Smarte Carte rental stations.

For those entering the country using Global Entry, a CBP Trusted Traveler Program for low-risk, preapproved travelers, a biometric kiosk prevents the need for passengers to swipe a passport or provide fingerprints at the time of entry. The new Global Entry kiosks have effectively reduced processing time of pre-approved members by nearly 90 percent, from 45 seconds to less than 6 seconds per traveler. Global Entry members bypass traditional CBP inspection lines and use an automated kiosk to complete their admission to the United States.

Eligible international passengers are also encouraged to take advantage of Mobile Passport as a way to avoid touching an entry kiosk and speeding through the U.S. Customs arrival process. The free and secure Mobile Passport Control (MPC) app allows arriving U.S. and Canadian citizens to skip the traditional paper forms and save significant time when entering the country at LAX. 

In many cases, the passengers who are using Mobile Passport at LAX wait only about one minute to see a customs officer. Click here to download the Mobile Passport app.

Virtual Assistance Available

The Virtual Assistance pilot program, which is now available in Terminal 2, allows airport guests to have real-time conversations with a customer service professional over a touch-free tablet system installed at the information booth. 

As guests approach the information booth located on Lower/Arrivals Level, they will find a tablet connected to a Guest Experience Member (GEM) or other trained volunteer waiting to help them from a remote location. GEMs are available to answer questions between 7 a.m. and 10:30 p.m. daily. The live video feed means guests can simply walk up to a tablet and begin a conversation as needed.

Some of the services offered at these screens include help with directions, ground transportation, shopping and dining recommendations and more. If guests require immediate attention from medical or law enforcement personnel, the representative can request their presence on the guest’s behalf. Should a guest require translation assistance in a foreign language, the representative will contact LAX's translation service. 

Click here to watch a video of the new Virtual Assistance in action.

All LAX restrooms now include the ability for guests to provide immediate feedback about the facility's cleanliness, need for restocking or other maintenance from any smartphone. 

By pointing their smartphone camera at one of the QR codes on new signs installed at all restrooms, airport guests can provide fast feedback about the restroom via a drop-down menu or open comment option. Guests can also include a photo of the issue. All of this information is delivered to a maintenance dispatch center in real time. 

While dedicated LAX crews are deep-cleaning all restrooms throughout the day, using hospital-grade products, this new feedback service is designed to quickly address any immediate issues.

The new service is available in all 213 restrooms at LAX, including all-gender and nursing rooms.

A total of 30 new scanners are available in each LAX terminal, although not in every lane yet. If a CAT unit is available, travelers are encouraged to insert their own driver's license or ID into the machine. In doing so, the TSA officer does not need to see the traveler’s boarding pass and will not come in contact with the ID. Guests who prefer to scan their boarding pass and show an ID may continue to do so. 

The CAT automatically verifies identification documents passengers present to TSA during the security checkpoint screening process. The CAT system also confirms a passenger’s flight information by cross-referencing it against the Secure Flight Database. The CAT unit scans a passenger’s photo ID to verify the authenticity of the document. This process works by analyzing security features embedded in the photo IDs and comparing the features against a data library loaded on the unit. 

Even with TSA’s use of CAT, travelers still need to check in with their airline and show their boarding pass to the airline gate agent before boarding their flight. Each unit costs approximately $27,000 and is programmed to scan more than 2,500 different types of IDs.

As part of its national "Stay Healthy, Stay Secure" campaign, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has installed new acrylic barriers and associated equipment at TSA’s security checkpoints at LAX. These installations provide additional physical barriers between TSA officers and the traveling public at document checking podiums and along conveyor belts. 

Guests at LAX now have access to personal protective equipment (PPE) such as hand sanitizer, face coverings and gloves via convenient vending machines located in the ticketing areas of most terminals. Each machine offers touch-free payment including Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay.

The new vending machines are available in pre-security areas of the Upper/Departures Level inside Terminals 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7 and the Tom Bradley International Terminal. Each vending machine also has an anti-microbial shield installed on hard surfaces, which provides long-lasting anti-bacterial protection. 

All of the items available in the machines, including hand sanitizer, disposable face coverings and nitrile gloves, are TSA compliant and can be brought through any of the TSA security screening checkpoints. Other products available include hygiene kits, thermometers, Ultraviolet-C sanitizers and over-the-counter medications. Products may vary by location. Click here for a video of the new PPE vending machines.

UV-C Lights
The airport is also piloting the use of UV-C lights in public areas. One pilot includes installing UV-C lights in a men’s restroom located in the Terminal 1 baggage claim area. The lights are designed to destroy pathogens that may be in the air and not yet treated by the UV-C lights within the air-handling units. The second pilot includes installing UV-C lights within escalator handrails at Terminal 1 and at the Tom Bradley International Terminal. 

Need a face covering?
Face coverings are required at LAX, and we now have Travel Safely Ambassadors working in Terminal 1 and the Tom Bradley International Terminal to remind guests and provide a free face covering if needed. Click here to watch a video of the LAX Travel Safely Ambassadors in action.