Hmm, thought the lines had gotten better. Gonna have to check on this…
Yeah. The elderly lady ahead of me was surprised that she had to put her HANDBAG in the X ray scanner. 8-|
Here’s a timely article in today’s NYT: about how there is so much demand now for signing up for PreCheck, that it’s taking months just to get an interview appt.
I don’t know whether to post this in this thread or the “Do you remember?”. Packing to leave tomorrow, one of mine, closer to 30 than 20, asked if it was true that “you used to just be able to run onto the plane at the last minute?” I referred this question to DH who was the absolute champ at cutting it to the wire and still getting to his destination. Definitely remember those days fondly.
DH once made his flight only because the pilot saw him in the window after the gate was closed. Pilot had them open the door for DH. Long time ago.
Prior to 9-11, I was on a flight to Phoenix meeting relatives I had never met (looooong and compelling sob story). I had taken my license out of my wallet for some reason and realized that I didn’t have my license, or really any photo ID, at check-in. I started crying and told my sob story at check-in and they let me on. Wouldn’t happen today, that’s for sure!
Not today, but a year ago I left my DL in a pocket of my running shorts. I realized that only at the security checkpoint at SEA. The agent let me in with a wallet full of credit cards all in my name and my student ID card with a blurry photo. I was afraid that I might have problems on the way back, but the same combo worked. I would not test my luck if I were flying today!
Mr. wants me to come to SF for a weekend with him. These recent discussion long TSA lines and creeps on planes put a damper on my desire to fly!!!
My D once a year ago forgot her purse in a flight HNL to LAX. She gave TSA a sob story and her Costco AmEx card and they let her thru with her impish smile and college tshirt + jeans. We told her not to count on that working again. Sheesh! She’s 26+ but could pass as much younger teen.
In Phoenix…how is the TSA line for the Delta terminal? Son has a 5 a.m. or so flight here on Monday August 8. I’d hate to see him have to be there at 3 a.m. But if need be…he will be!
I got my TSA pre check two years ago when D went to school 1000 miles away and it’s been great. I was recently flying to Houston at Easter from Orlando and parked my car, checked my bag at the counter, walked thru security and was on the tram to my terminal in under 30 minutes. Of course my flight was delayed! But it’s been fabulous now that most my flights originate in Orlando which tends to be crowded.
Apologies if anyone has already mentioned this:
There is a phone app which will tell you how long the security wait time is at a given airport:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/miflight-airport-security/id775201158?mt=8
During a college trip to Case Western my son left his license at the bwi security. He had no other id. They no only let him fly back home with us, his license was still at the security place.
When my D flew home from college at the end of her junior year, she was checking multiple bags. As she was checking them, she decided that she would take off her sweatshirt and stuff it in a bag. She did so while holding her wallet in her hand and must have just let go and left the wallet in the checked bag without realizing it when she pushed the sweatshirt down in the bag. She got to security, couldn’t find her wallet, and freaked - went back to the counter, it wasn’t there, called me hysterically. It so happened she had a passport in her backpack, so I said - use the passport to get through security and get on the flight, you can get a new license here when you get home. I then took care of cancelling all her credit cards etc for her - including my own, as she had one of mine. Pick her up, drive home, open the suitcase - and there’s the wallet! It was not a fun ending to the year!
I never applied for it, but usually get TSA-pre anyway. Just flew home from Reagan Nation in DC today, and did not get it this time. There was no line–I just walked right up to security–the precheck line was longer. However, I did have to take off my shoes, remove gels, etc and go through the body scanner (instead if the metal detector) which for unknown reasons showed suspicious areas, so also experienced an annoying pat-down.
A friend recently missed a connection due to weather delays, and the next available flight was the next day. After leaving the airport, he discovered that he had left his DL at the security checkpoint for the first flight. No one would rent him a hotel room without the DL. (It was a long night) TSA did let him on the plane after some talking on the basis of the other stuff in his wallet. A few days later the DL arrived in the mail.
So why have the “normal” security lines gotten so long? As far as I can tell, the same procedures are in place as have always been…bags through the X-ray machines, take your shoes off, go through the scanner, etc. Yet, the whole process has become so much slower, or perhaps fewer lanes are open these days, creating bottlenecks. But why not just open some more lanes?
My theory: TSA is incentivizing people to get pre-checked. Ultimately, having as many fingerprints on file and as many people pre-checked as possible is more secure. So, by offering pre-checking at the low low price of $85 (and it really is a bargain for five years…we sail through airport security now), TSA is filtering out the pre-screened “safe” population so ultimately TSA will be able to better focus its time and effort on everybody else.
Yes, but the more people in Precheck, the longer the Precheck lines and the less the premium is worth to me.
Or it’s “incentivizing” Congress to give it more money/power.
@thumper1 Someone mentioned uneven security lines. Apparently all gates can be accessed by any security checkpoint, but the walk is much longer. If your son encounters a long line, tell him to turn around and walk to the opposite side of the terminal, where he’ll find another security checkpoint. (The shorter line may be directly in back of you.) Phoenix is an unusual airport in that checkpoints on are both sides of each terminal. It gets really confusing because drop-off and pick-up doors are on both sides of the terminal as well.
@teriwtt @Ynotgo I can cheerfully report that we have finally been released from “pending review” purgatory and an interview has been scheduled. Thanks for your help. 
DFW has a lot of security checkpoints. One time we got in a really long line and realized we were going to miss our flight. We got out of line and went to the next security checkpoint, only a couple of minutes away to walk. There was NO line there!