TSA nightmares

taiwan_girl

@jon-nyc said:

Thank you Delta.

In addition, one member of congress wants to make the change permanent.

The End Special Treatment for Congress at Airports Act would:

Require Members of Congress to undergo the same TSA screening procedures as all other airline passengers and prohibit the use of federal funds to provide them with expedited or preferential access at airport security checkpoints;
Bar Members from bypassing standard screening or receiving priority treatment based on their official status, while allowing them to continue participating in publicly available programs such as TSA PreCheck or other trusted traveler programs;
And maintain TSA’s ability to implement risk-based security programs available to the public.

https://hinson.house.gov/media/press-releases/hinson-introduces-end-special-treatment-congress-airports-act#:~:text=Legislation Would End Preferential TSA,access at airport security checkpoints.

Tom-K

Yesterday I flew out of Westchester Airport. Got there 3 hours ahead of time and had a 3 min TSA wait. Then sat there with 200 other people that got to the airport way early because of the hyped up news. On Friday my daughters fiancé few out of Newark with a 20 min wait. There are always unexpected TSA delays and maybe the shutdown is making things a bit worse but the news coverage on this is abysmal.

Doctor Phibes

@Tom-K said:

Yesterday I flew out of Westchester Airport. Then sat there with 200 other people that got to the airport way early because of the hyped up news.

Yeah, I spent 7 hours at Ft. Lauderdale last week for much the same reason. I could have been sat by the the pool in Miami Beach

jon-nyc

I have a 10am flight from JFK to Hong Kong on Friday (connecting on to Bangkok). I can only get there so early because Cathay Pacific doesn’t open their baggage check until 6. So we’ll get there a little before 6, check our bags, get in line for security at 6:15 or so and hope for the best.

Mayla never qualified for Clear or PreCheck until she got her green card a couple months ago and we didn’t get it yet in the little time we’ve had. So it’s the long line for us.

jon-nyc

One thing I have going for me is that our local district spring break (what we planned this trip around) is a week earlier than NYCs. That should help a lot with the crowds.

89th

So many jet setters here in TNCR!

89th

Ya'll have any routines on flights? Nap before wheels up? Movie? Work? I fly April 6 for my quarterly trip to DC for work, I normally have aspirations of watching a show or movie (MSP to DCA is a nice "movie flight", just over 2 hours) but I almost always put on some ASMR and fall asleep before wheels up. Maybe it's also because I'm a tired dad, lol.

Mik

Sleep as much as possible.

jon-nyc

Doctor Phibes

@89th said:

Ya'll have any routines on flights? Nap before wheels up? Movie? Work?

I always try (and fail) to sleep, maybe I'll cat-nap if I'm really lucky. Generally I'll read and/or watch a movie. I never work.

jon-nyc

I sleep and/or listen to podcasts. If it’s an overnight flight I’ll use some pharmacological assistance. Every once in a while I’ll watch a movie. Definitely so if it’s coast to coast or returning from Europe.

taiwan_girl

I leave tomorrow from the US. And yes, I will arrive way too early (just in case). But that is okay. I have a good book. LOL

Axtremus

@taiwan_girl said:
I have a good book. LOL

If not, you have TNCR. 55555

taiwan_girl

@Axtremus said:

@taiwan_girl said:
I have a good book. LOL

If not, you have TNCR. 55555

LOL +

89th

@Doctor-Phibes said:

@89th said:

Ya'll have any routines on flights? Nap before wheels up? Movie? Work?

I always try (and fail) to sleep, maybe I'll cat-nap if I'm really lucky. Generally I'll read and/or watch a movie. I never work.

Me either. Not sure if I'm jealous or judge-y of people who work. I think judge-y. I could actually work and get paid per hour, but there's something about the lure of falling asleep that is much more valuable!

Tom-K

@jon-nyc said:

Mayla never qualified for Clear or PreCheck until she got her green card a couple months ago and we didn’t get it yet in the little time we’ve had. So it’s the long line for us.

It's nice having gray hair. My wife starts walking with a limp and I look at the ceiling, bark and drool and they let us through the handicap gate no questions asked.

jon-nyc

I thought about that but I’m sore that’s a multi hour wait too from all the people who figured out they can feign a broken foot and ‘skip’ the line.

I’ve gone through the wheelchair method before when I was really sick. It was pretty slow overall in normal circumstances even through you skip the security line. You go to a waiting area, wait in line for a clerk who enters your info into a system, then sit and wait for your guide. Can’t imagine how busy that system is during these times.

jon-nyc

We got to JFK at a few minutes before 6am. The line was already outside. I put Mayla in the line and checked both our bags. I actually got to the Cathay Pacific desk before it opened and there was a line. About 45m later I joined Mayla in line, where she had already moved inside.

Inside the airport the line snaked back and forth through the width of the main hallway/atrium (the large open space about 60ft deep and as wide as the terminal, that every terminal has). It wound 5 complete times before entering into the back of the terminal where security is.

We got through in 2hr 45m. That gave us 45m to grab breakfast.

We’ve now boarded, 16hrs and 10m to Hong Kong.

89th

Wow, that's a long wait. Was it stressful, that didn't give you "lots" of time before your actual flight. I wonder what the dynamics are:

people trying to cut
people saying "I'm going to miss my flight"
are there line holders you can pay?

I fly to DC on April 6 and then back on April 10. I've heard the waits at Minneapolis aren't terrible (yet), but we'll see as the dates get closer.

The New Coffee Room

TSA nightmares