AIRLINES REPORTING FEW FLIERS; FARES CUT IN EFFORT TO FILL EMPTY SEATS.

Byline: Dominic Berbeo Staff Writer

Just days before the holiday travel frenzy begins, airlines and travel agencies said Wednesday seats are still available -- reflecting a hesitancy by travelers to take to the skies.

Several airlines operating out of Los Angeles International Airport, including United and Delta, still had coach class tickets Wednesday for Christmas Eve flights to popular destinations like New York and Miami and for half the usual last-minute prices.

Also, many airlines at LAX have cut their number of flights Dec. 31 and Jan. 1 due to light bookings, said airport spokesman Scott Read.

Mike Guzman of America's Travel in West Hills attributed the empty seats and low prices to Y2K fears and airlines overestimating the number of travelers wanting to fly.

``Travel is definitely down this holiday season,'' he said. ``It's very unusual. The airlines were charging such ridiculously high prices that it kept people away. You can call it plain old greed.''

He said tickets were still available to destinations on the East Coast for about half the $1,000 they would usually cost in high season without advance purchase.

``The airlines realized people weren't buying tickets, so they lowered the prices to stimulate travel, but it may be too late now,'' Guzman said.

The news comes just days after the Federal Aviation Administration announced stepped-up security efforts at airports around the nation to prevent terrorist acts after the arrest in Washington state last week of an Algerian man driving a car filled with ingredients used for making bombs.

But despite the light bookings, airport officials still expect more than 2 million people to travel through LAX between Dec. 23 and Jan. 2, an average of 174,000 per day.

``This strong holiday rush at the end of the month could bring the total number of passengers in the month of December to more than 5.4 million,'' said Michael Digirolamo, the LAX director of airport operations.

He suggested air travelers give themselves an extra hour of commute time, and be extra aware of what is in their luggage. Wrapped gifts should be stored in check-in luggage, as airport security will require full inspection of all carry-ons, he said.

Officials also recommended travelers leave their cars at home and take public transportation to LAX.

Van Nuys Airport operates the Valley Flyaway, with parking spots available for $1 per day and shuttle service to LAX for $6 round-trip for adults, $3.50 for children ages 2 to 12, and free for children under 2.

On the ground, officials also expect heavy traffic in the Los Angeles area due to numerous celebrations of the new millennium.

``As always, we recommend people be very careful with drinking, and always have a designated driver,'' said Los Angeles County sheriff's Deputy Steve Flamm.

``We expect there will be heavy traffic, especially to Las Vegas, where there are lots of New Year's celebrations taking place,'' he said. ``So be careful.''