FARAWAY, FLYAWAY CHECK IN SERVICE TO STREAMLINE LAX TRIPS.

Byline: SUE DOYLE Staff Writer

VAN NUYS -- Travelers taking domestic flights out of LAX will be able to check their luggage at the Van Nuys FlyAway Terminal under a service unveiled Friday by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

The $5 service allows passengers to check two bags and receive their airline boarding passes at the terminal so they can head straight to security screening when they arrive at Los Angeles International Airport.

In addition to making travel more convenient, the program also eliminates traffic, long lines and crowds at the airport, which officials have identified as a potential terrorist target.

``Airports become targets of opportunity when there are more people congregating in line,'' Villaraigosa said at a news conference at the FlyAway station. ``Every area can be a target of opportunity, but particularly when there are large congregations of people.''

The remote airline and baggage check-in service debuted in March at Union Station and will expand this month to serve the Los Angeles Convention Center and Port of Los Angeles Cruise Ship Terminal.

Long Beach and the San Gabriel Valley are expected to get FlyAway service in the next 18 months, said Nancy Suey Castles, a spokeswoman for Los Angeles World Airports.

Castles also said officials have canceled plans approved two years ago to create a FlyAway route between LAX and Sylmar, saying there isn't enough demand in the area to support the investment.

Waiting for a friend, 62-year-old James Thomas of West Hills speculated that the new service may help enhance security.

``Probably this gives them the chance to slow down movement of baggage and take a better look,'' he said.

Thomas watched as Villaraigosa strolled through the Van Nuys terminal with an army of TV cameras and reporters capturing his every move.

After simulating the ease of the service with a suitcase in tow, the mayor shook hands with travelers and jumped inside a ticket booth to make an announcement in Spanish over the intercom.

He also petted a patrol dog used to sniff out suspicious packages.

As she waited for her bus to the airport, Michelle Mellon of Woodland Hills noted how air travel has changed in the last five years and said the new service was a sign of the times.

``It's amazing how our lives have changed since 9-11,'' she said. ``It's hard to think sometimes of what it was like before.''

sue.doyle(at)dailynews.com

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Photo:

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa pulls a suitcase behind him as he demonstrates the new airline and baggage check-in service Friday at the Van Nuys FlyAway. For a $5 fee, travelers can check their baggage before heading off to LAX.

Andy Holzman/Staff Photographer