Long TSA Lines [merged threads]
Mar 8, 2016, 11:00 am
#61
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 3,657
Neffenger said the TSA will use more overtime to boost staffing, speed up training of new screeners, deploy more dog teams that augment human workers and try new techniques and wait-line configurations to speed the process.
Mar 8, 2016, 11:14 am
#62
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: ONT/FRA
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 878
Mar 10, 2016, 1:41 pm
#63
Moderator: Travel Safety/Security, Travel Tools, California, Los Angeles; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: LAX
Programs: oneword Emerald
Posts: 20,602
From NPR:
Ready For Fun? First Take Off Your Shoes And Wait In Long Airport Lines
Excerpts
Excerpts
______
Both the TSA and Airlines For America (A4A), an industry trade group, say travelers should brace for long waits in epic lines. "It's a very serious concern," A4A Senior Vice President Sharon Pinkerton said on a conference call with journalists Wednesday.
______
Pinkerton says TSA needs more screeners. "The staffing is not adequate and it needs to be," she said. In addition, TSA equipment should be better maintained to avoid breakdowns, she said.
Earlier this week, the TSA released a statement saying it "expects passenger volumes to drastically increase throughout the month of March as spring breakers take to the skies and throughout the summer."
______
At a Senate hearing last week, TSA Administrator Peter Neffenger said his agency needs more funding to "right-size and appropriately resource TSA and halt further reductions in officer staffing."
The Obama administration is asking Congress to support 42,848 officers by boosting TSA's fiscal 2017 budget to $3 billion, which would be $26.9 million more than fiscal 2016. Currently, TSA has roughly 41,000 officers on duty.
______
Both the TSA and Airlines For America (A4A), an industry trade group, say travelers should brace for long waits in epic lines. "It's a very serious concern," A4A Senior Vice President Sharon Pinkerton said on a conference call with journalists Wednesday.
______
Pinkerton says TSA needs more screeners. "The staffing is not adequate and it needs to be," she said. In addition, TSA equipment should be better maintained to avoid breakdowns, she said.
Earlier this week, the TSA released a statement saying it "expects passenger volumes to drastically increase throughout the month of March as spring breakers take to the skies and throughout the summer."
______
At a Senate hearing last week, TSA Administrator Peter Neffenger said his agency needs more funding to "right-size and appropriately resource TSA and halt further reductions in officer staffing."
The Obama administration is asking Congress to support 42,848 officers by boosting TSA's fiscal 2017 budget to $3 billion, which would be $26.9 million more than fiscal 2016. Currently, TSA has roughly 41,000 officers on duty.
______
Mar 10, 2016, 2:05 pm
#64
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: An NPR mind living in a Fox News world
Posts: 14,162
Long Lines - Is the TSA's Excuse of Increased Passenger Volume Real?
I think I know the answer already, but I'm hoping there are some airline industry "insiders" here on TS&S who can comment.
Neffy and his propaganda machine (PV and the Twitter sites) are blaming "increased passenger volume" for the long lines. Like many of you, I think this claim is complete BS, especially since I have never seen this assertion sourced.
All I know is that I'm flying in smaller aircraft with less choices to get from Point A to Point B. This isn't news. My observation is that downsizing happened after many people got fed up with the TSA and either stopped flying or flew considerably less. It got worse when the economy went in the tank in about 2008. I really can't believe that the amount of people entering a TSA checkpoint and getting on an airplane has increased at all. Fares don't appear to be going down, either.
Is there real data out there to support or refute the TSA's claim???
Neffy and his propaganda machine (PV and the Twitter sites) are blaming "increased passenger volume" for the long lines. Like many of you, I think this claim is complete BS, especially since I have never seen this assertion sourced.
All I know is that I'm flying in smaller aircraft with less choices to get from Point A to Point B. This isn't news. My observation is that downsizing happened after many people got fed up with the TSA and either stopped flying or flew considerably less. It got worse when the economy went in the tank in about 2008. I really can't believe that the amount of people entering a TSA checkpoint and getting on an airplane has increased at all. Fares don't appear to be going down, either.
Is there real data out there to support or refute the TSA's claim???
Mar 10, 2016, 2:11 pm
#65
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: where the chile is hot
Programs: AA,RR,NW,Delta ,UA,CO
Posts: 41,642
Mar 10, 2016, 3:03 pm
#66
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: ONT/FRA
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 878
Here's a link to a release from Airlines For America, which is the official US airlines industry association. It's dated yesterday. It clearly states that the industry expects this Spring to have the most commercial air travelers ever.
"Airlines for America (A4A), the industry trade organization for the leading U.S. airlines, today reviewed 2015 results for U.S. passenger airlines and released its travel forecast, which projects spring 2016 air travel to rise to the highest level ever, with passenger volumes exceeding 2015’s peak by 3 percent. Approximately 140 million passengers (2.3 million per day) are expected to fly on U.S. airlines during March and April compared to 136.2 million passengers in 2015 – a 63,000 passengers-per-day increase. This includes more than 17 million travelers (285,000 per day) on international flights."
http://airlines.org/news/airlines-fo...record-levels/
"Airlines for America (A4A), the industry trade organization for the leading U.S. airlines, today reviewed 2015 results for U.S. passenger airlines and released its travel forecast, which projects spring 2016 air travel to rise to the highest level ever, with passenger volumes exceeding 2015’s peak by 3 percent. Approximately 140 million passengers (2.3 million per day) are expected to fly on U.S. airlines during March and April compared to 136.2 million passengers in 2015 – a 63,000 passengers-per-day increase. This includes more than 17 million travelers (285,000 per day) on international flights."
http://airlines.org/news/airlines-fo...record-levels/
Mar 10, 2016, 3:12 pm
#67
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Seattle, Wash. USA
Posts: 1,531
It's only one airport, but SeaTac saw a 12.9% increase in traffic in 2015 (and a 7.7% increase the year before):
http://mynorthwest.com/174/2903390/S...-again-in-2015
http://mynorthwest.com/174/2903390/S...-again-in-2015
Mar 10, 2016, 7:30 pm
#69
Join Date: Jul 2007
Programs: QFF
Posts: 5,304
Airlines issue their flight schedules in most cases months ahead of time. There is no reason for TSA not to know how many flights are using each airport at a given time and to set staffing levels according.
Outside of major, sudden schedule changes, there is no reason for TSA not to be able to handle a known amount of passenger flow.
Outside of major, sudden schedule changes, there is no reason for TSA not to be able to handle a known amount of passenger flow.
Mar 10, 2016, 10:45 pm
#70
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Programs: AA Gold AAdvantage Elite, Rapids Reward
Posts: 38,311
From NPR:
Mar 11, 2016, 1:59 am
#71
Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 425
Isn't it the case that every passenger is required to pay a fee for TSA as part of their ticket price?
Meaning that when the number of passengers increases, so does the TSA income to pay for the "service".
My annoyance stems from having to stand in line waiting for a service I have already paid for.
Meaning that when the number of passengers increases, so does the TSA income to pay for the "service".
My annoyance stems from having to stand in line waiting for a service I have already paid for.
Mar 11, 2016, 5:14 am
#72
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: DFW
Posts: 28,082
It's not a matter of needing more employees but using those on hand effectively.
Mar 11, 2016, 6:24 am
#73
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 474
+3
Mar 11, 2016, 7:49 am
#74
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Colorado
Programs: TSA
Posts: 2,745
Airlines issue their flight schedules in most cases months ahead of time. There is no reason for TSA not to know how many flights are using each airport at a given time and to set staffing levels according.
Outside of major, sudden schedule changes, there is no reason for TSA not to be able to handle a known amount of passenger flow.
Outside of major, sudden schedule changes, there is no reason for TSA not to be able to handle a known amount of passenger flow.
Mar 11, 2016, 8:34 am
#75
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Somewhere in Florida
Posts: 2,616
I've definitely seen TSA's scheduling/staffing incompetence many times when flying out of a NE airport after the airfield's been shut down for a day or so due to snow. Sunday morning, 1 crew/employee lane open, 1 pax lane open. 500+ pax trying to get through. Plenty of people Standing Around, but they refused to open more lanes.
Good thing TSA isn't in charge of our electrical grid. Can you imaging coming home every evening to find no power because the power co misjudged how much capacity they'd need...every day?