[Anonymous]

[Tom Otley]

Doesn’t sound good for travel through US airports in coming months

Catching a Flight? Budget Hours, Not Minutes, for Security

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/03/business/airport-security-lines.html

Security lines at airports are getting longer — much longer — and wait times could reach epidemic levels when air travel peaks this summer, according to airlines, airports and federal officials.

A combination of fewer Transportation Security Administration screeners, tighter budgets, new checkpoint procedures and growing numbers of passengers is already creating a mess at airports around the country.

While federal security officials say they are hiring and training hundreds of additional screening officers, matters are not expected to improve anytime soon….

[LuganoPirate]

I hope in their rush to recruit new agents they don’t cut corners and take on unsuitable people.

[MartynSinclair]

This is an encouragement for passengers using the airlines who subscribe to pre check, to fly in the business / first class cabins. Although non US citizens can not apply (as far as I know) for pre check, sometimes, especially on AA, when travelling First, you will get a TSA pre check stamp on your boarding card. These are the relevant airlines.

•Air Canada
•Hawaiian Airlines
•United Airlines
•Alaska Airlines
•JetBlue Airways
•Virgin America
•Allegiant Airlines
•OneJet
•WestJet
•American Airlines
•Southwest Airlines
•Delta Air Lines
•Sun Country

With regards to personal airport protocol, i.e. how long before a flight should you arrive at the airport, is there a general rule that will “guarantee” boarding? It seems ridiculous that you can turn up at an airport 3 hours before hand and not be guaranteed to catch your flight.

Perhaps consideration for routings should now be given to flights leaving from the smaller airports, where security lines are not so long and perhaps now a routing involving a change of flight will be safer (in terms of reaching your destination on time), as long as you do not need to change terminals or enter a new security line…

An example would be out of New York using Westchester rather than the main airports for internal flights, but this will probably undoubtedly involve a change somewhere… but at least you know you will not be held at security for 3 hours… but its of no use for International flights…

[ontherunhome]

With the paid in the arrivals area in US airports, my next flights to MIA and IAD will be from Dublin. Do the clearance before boarding.

[MartynSinclair]

@ontherunhome

This is not so much about the immigration and customs clearance to get into the USA, rather about the TSA security check to get airside in US airports!

[seasonedtraveller]

Last week, flying from EWR to PHX at 10.25am.

No TSA
No ‘Priority’ line
Time taken to get through the scanner – 87 minutes…….Ridiculous

[Edski777]

My suggestion would be to select a, smaller, airport that handles just a few international flights a day when travelling to the USA or get a clearance outside of the USA, such as DUB.

When travelling from the USA use a small airport or/and travel via Canada. I.e. use Vancouver in stead of Seattle.

My most recent USA experience was Orlando Sanford. Much more convenient than Orlando International, out in less than 30 minutes from plane to rental car. In within 40 minutes from delivering the rental car, check in and passport and security check. Flawless.

In the meantime not much can really be done about the situation, we’ll be suffering if we have to use the major hubs.

[LuganoPirate]

Again it’s the paying public that suffers. I understand the need for good security but surely they can make it more efficient. Samsung Tab/ipad, in our out? If I ask they say remove it. If I say nothing it just goes through!

I now need four trays for the scanner. Carry on, briefcase, Tablets + bits and bobs from pockets, phone and watch, and a final one for my jacket. It’s quite ridiculous.

[MartynSinclair]

The delays in passing through security in the USA are caused in part due to:

1. Some airports man power being spread too thinly with some airport terminals having up to 5 different security entry points:

**Crew/Staff

**Wheelchair/Invalid

**TSA pre check

**’Clear blue’ – I think that’s what it is called, the 5 year ‘Fast track pass’

**Normal passengers

2. The amount of hand baggage being taken through and passengers slowing the process down, by simply not being prepared once they reach the screening area.

3. Inconsistency – with some check points not requiring shoes / belts off, lap tops out, nil water…. it is no wonder security is confusing and long winded in the USA. Some passengers may think there is never too much security, but…

…passengers should not be missing flights due to 2 hour lines at security….

[FDOS_UK]

An interesting point is how a missed flight is resolved, when a passenger suffers extreme delays beyond their control.

In a normal contract, this would be treated as ‘force majeure’ and the part affected would be rendered null and void.

Anyone got any experience of this in the airline world?

The only one I know of went to Court and easyJet blamed the passenger, with the judgment being (a) no consequential loss due, but (b) EC261 denied boarding compensation being due.

[seasonedtraveller]

MartynSinclair – 04/05/2016 07:29 BST

…………… The amount of hand baggage being taken through and passengers slowing the process down, by simply not being prepared once they reach the screening area…………….

How true this is. Pehaps the most frustrating part of the whole process is people who (after 30 mins of queuing up for the scanner) finally arrive at the front and then, only then, do they remove their laptop, their belt, their jacket, their liquids, their phone etc etc
So bloody annoying.

LuganoPirate – 04/05/2016 05:21 BST

………..I now need four trays for the scanner………….

The use of trays, even the very large one’s, has risen over the past 3-4 years from everyone using just 1 tray to most people needing to use 4 trays……….
Laptop – on it’s own in a huge tray
Ipad – on its own
Liquids – must be clearly visible
Roller bag – on a tray on its own
Jackets, coats, belt, shoes, headgear etc, in another tray

Quite ridiculous in my opinion….

[CathayLoyalist2]

A few weeks back I asked a security guy, albeit at LHR, why there was such inconsistencies surrounding ‘off’ ‘stay on or off’ ‘in the bag out of the bag’ etc. He gave what I thought was a reasonable answer that being “if it was the same procedure at every airport any would be ‘terrorists’ could have advance knowledge and plan accordingly. Some airports vary the procedure as well I guess to keep people guessing. The other more salient point is the ‘management and security at airports ” is the hands of people for whom customer service is an unknown phenomenon!

[MrMichael]

I must confess I find two things when travelling frustrating, annoying and ruining travel as a pleasant experience. They are of course security at almost any airport in the world, and border control. I too find the inconsistency’s frustrating, but can also see why they would change it from time to time. It is to frustrate the people that want to harm us they are frustrating, and frustrating them more than they are frustrating me/us. So I guess along with knowing who is coming in to a country, we have to put up with it. However good manners and a little humour cost nothing, and both forces should show some. However I do have some sympathy with the so called “goons” at LHR and other major airports. The abuse they get from arrogant passengers blaming them for the fact they have to be searched is just appalling. As said on another thread, if we are all polite and friendly to each other it makes for a better day for all of us. Those security personnel are the difference between us arriving safely at our destination and arriving in unrecognisable bits! I would prefer they were rude to me than skimped on what they are supposed to be doing.

I am also sure the frustration we all feel when the pax in front chooses to wait until asked to remove shoes, belt, phone etc, is only exceeded by the frustration of the security people who have to constantly ask.

And here’s a thing, one might think fast track would not have that problem as it is predominately regular travellers, well actually I think it hogwash and have witnessed myself the arrogant attitude of regular travellers failing to prepare and berating the staff for their own inefficiency. I would put £5 on fast track on being the short straw for security staff….next one through, ask…or I will next week.

[MartynSinclair]

“He gave what I thought was a reasonable answer that being “if it was the same procedure at every airport any would be ‘terrorists’ could have advance knowledge and plan accordingly”

I have heard this comment said many times and to me its plain rubbish. If a terrorist is planning to go airside, whether he needs to take his lap top out or shoes off or is left wondering as he enters the security area ‘now what is going to happen in this line’ – it is not going to make a blind bit of difference.

What would make a difference is if people are randomly searched, people are forced to bring less bags through.

I am all for safety and security, but I think it is unreasonable to be required to Q for up to an hour to pass landside to airside and for passengers to miss flights because of the time it is currently taking..

[Author]

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