ESpen36

I just went through TSA at T8 at JFK and noticed the new scanners have been deployed.....in the PREMIUM lane!!!!

So, after my ID was checked, I just wove my way over to the "regular" lanes and went through there.

Why on earth would these machines be installed in the premium lane? (At DFW D they got it right.....backscatter in the regular lane, regular WTMD in the premium lane.)

sica4

Now you feel the pain of the premium flyers out of ORD. Two lines, one WTMD other full-body scanner. I always try and go through the metal detector but sometimes get pulled too the other line. I wrote a long complaint to TSA about how much slower they are.

ESpen36

It's a waste of energy to complain to TSA....they don't give a darn who is premium/elite and who isn't. That's why the pre-TDC staffers who control access to the premium lanes are airline contractors, not government/TSA.

I might complain to the local AA station manager if I notice the premium lane getting severely backed up as a result of having the backscatter machines deployed. AA really needs to treat its best customers well, and that begins with the airport experience.

videomaker

How is this specific to AA?

I don't like these machines, either. But what control do you think AA has over where TSA puts the them?

lobo411

Umm...the 9/11 hijackers were ticketed in F, not Y.

That said, I strongly oppose full body scanners, both as an excessive intrusion on personal privacy and as utterly ineffective at anything beyond allowing a few minimum wage yokels to get a good glance at grandma's curves.

I haven't seen a scanner yet (thank God I fly out of a tiny airport that only has 2 gates). I understand that you have the choice of doing a pat down search, which I would probably elect to do. The idea behind the scanner is to make life easier for the airline/TSA, so I'd want to do anything possible to slow things down to discourage these extreme infractions on personal liberty.

gemac

Since last Friday - article here. Of course, it makes no sense at all to have them in the priority lane and not in the regular lane, or vice versa. If you wanted to sneak through with your underwear loaded with C-4, you could buy a ticket in First or Coach depending on where the magnetometers were and go through the appropriate lane without backscanners. To err is human, to really screw up on a massive scale requires government action.

Fornebufox

So, has anyone opted out yet?

demkr

I noticed this yesterday. It takes substantially longer to get through security this way. My scan took 15 seconds, and it was followed by a "delayed" patdown. The guy sat there and waited and told me to "Standby for further instructions", and then proceeded to pat down my leg. Isn't the point of the full body scan to not have a patdown????

JDiver

This is not really specific to American Airlines, though they are housed in JFK T-8, as these devices are being deployed to many US airports - so it will go to the appropriate Travel Safety/Security Forum with a referral link in the AA Forum. JDiver, /Moderator

Global_Hi_Flyer

Premium lines at LAX, too.

I believe its intentional on the part of TSA to put premium flyers "in their place",

doober

Do you opt out? You have to "vote" by your actions as well as your words.

ESpen36

AA doesn't have control, BUT....AA is the tenant, and could complain to the Port Authority, which owns the building and airport. Perhaps the Port Authority might have some leverage with TSA.

videomaker

While I agree with the principle that airlines should be complaining because TSA makes life miserable for travelers, I don't think many of the airlines are doing much to complain. And even if they did, TSA isn't listening.

N830MH

Nope. Not me. Sorry!!!

ScreenGuy

I did in June while connecting from an international flight at DFW. I had to wait more than 5 minutes to get someone to do the pat down and when I complained that I was going to miss my flight (inbound was late and long line at immigration) the person that finally arrived purposefully took as long as possible to do the pat down. Opting out ended up taking longer than 10 minutes (which is a ridiculous amount of time when you think about it) and I ended up getting to my gate just as the flight was closed. I sent a letter to complain to the TSA. It appeared that the TSA agents did everything in their power to 'punish' me for opting out of the new scanner, which should not happen.

That was the only time I was faced with the new scanners, but I will still opt out in the future even though I had the above terrible experience.