Monday Expected to be Biggest Travel Day at LAX

The leftover turkey has been mostly eaten, Black Friday is a fading bad memory, but the Thanksgiving holiday is not quite over, as the busiest travel day of the holiday season approaches at LAX.

Airport officials said they examined airline ticket sales, and found that the Monday after Thanksgiving will be the busiest day at LAX this year, as about 167,000 people will pass through the airport. Peak crowd times in the nine LAX terminals will be between 6-9 a.m., 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and 7-10 p.m., airport officials warned.

LAX police have new maps to hand to drivers who linger in the white zones, which are reserved for immediate loading and unloading only. "The handouts contain helpful information on alternative parking and waiting options to drivers who attempt to remain curbside," the airport said in a news handout.

About 565 daily flights depart LAX to 81 cities in the U.S., and every week about 1,000 flights operated by 75 international airlines depart as well.

Total LAX travel numbers are up 16 percent over the recession-depressed figures of last year, but are still below historic levels before the al Qaeda attacks of 10 years ago, LAX said. About 1.78 million passengers will pass through LAX this year, up from 1.53 million in 2010.