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TSA employees have not been paid since the partial government shutdown began on February 14, and the staffing shortage has begun to grow.
The TSA crisis and spring break travel are now choking up some airport security lines across the US. At least one airport – Hobby Houston – has seen… The high security line is waiting Last weekend – they are now telling publications that they need access Three hours early for domestic flights Or four hours early for international flights.
Don’t be surprised when you arrive at the airport and see the security line extending into the parking lot. It’s easy to check the security lines before you leave for the airport, so you know how long it will take to get from check-in to your gate.
If you have spring break or another flight planned soon, learn how to check security line wait times so you can better plan your trip to the airport.
Check the official TSA app
The TSA maintains a mobile app called MyTSA (iOS and Android) which lists security line wait times for airports throughout the United States. The app is fairly basic and now includes a warning that “this site is not actively managed” due to the discontinuation of federal funding, but it includes a lot of official TSA information about air travel.
To check wait times for specific US airports, tap the “My Airports” tab at the bottom of the app, then tap “Search Airports.” You can scroll through the alphabetical list of airports or type the airport name or code into the search bar at the top.
The TSA app will give you a 15-minute time range for security lines.
Go to the airport of your choice, and you’ll see the current estimated security wait time at the top of the screen.
And when I checked some of the major airports Friday morning — Los Angeles (LAX), Chicago O’Hare (ORD), Hartsfield-Jackson in Atlanta (ATL), JFK in New York (JFK), and Ronald Reagan in DC (DCA) — they all estimated relatively low wait times of 0 to 15 or 15 to 30 minutes. This is a far cry from the two to four hours that airports advise travelers to allow, but admittedly, wait times are constantly changing.
The app also includes a historical average security line wait time for each airport by time of day.
Check your airport’s website
When I tested the TSA app, it didn’t list specific stations at any of the airports. It only listed a time range for “all terminals”.
If you want this kind of detailed information, your best bet is to use the airports’ official websites – most major sites now provide estimated security wait times. Some airports put these estimated times at the front of their websites; Others require more exploration.
The website for Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson Airport shows more detailed security line information than the TSA app.
Most airport websites will indicate times for specific terminals. At some major airports, there is often significant variation between terminals.
Below are the web pages for estimated security waiting lines for some Most traveled airports In the United States:
I couldn’t find security line wait times on the websites of two of the busiest airports — O’Hare Airport in Chicago and Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) in Las Vegas. For those, you’ll need to use the TSA app.
Save your place
Many airports now allow travelers to reserve a specific time in the security line. At Seattle SeaTac Airport, you can make a Spot Saver reservation and go to a specially designated entrance to the security checkpoint listed on your reservation. An employee scans the bar code emailed to you, and you are directed to the front. At SeaTac, you can wait up to 15 minutes before or after booking a Spot Saver, since airport timings are difficult to estimate.
Below is a list of some of these booking sites. You can search for the name of your airport and “backup line point” or something similar to see if your airport has a program as well.