Dulles Diamond Checkpoint
 

Hi everyone-

Thanks for answering all my questions about the Dulles airport for my upcoming trip. I'm a bit nervous, thus all the questions:)

I understand if I want to clear security before 5 am I will have to clear the Diamond or the "Employee" checkpoint. Is it true there is no way to opt out of the AIT / body scanners at this checkpoint?

If it is true no opt out is available, is there an opt out available at the employee checkpoint? Please let me know. Thanks in advance for your help!

Whenever, wherever (within the US) you're selected for the nude-o-meters, you can opt out ... period (that is a travel safety/security type question and see that forum if you want the miniutaie but really just tell the guy you opt out, and you'll be put to the side until someone can do the pat down)

As far as the security line, at that hour - figure on using the entrance for the employees -- its on the baggage claim level, probably around claim #6/7 and well marked. There might be a bit of a wait, if the TSA isn't well staffed and the employees are probably given priority.

The two main security mezzanines are open 5am-10pm. The Dulles Diamond security checkpoint (between baggage carousels 8-10) is open 4am-6pm.

The Employee/Crew security checkpoint (between baggage carousels 7-8) is always open. Passengers are processed at this checkpoint between 10pm-4am.

Thanks for the answers everyone!

This thread might be of interest:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/washi...g-changes.html

The Dulles Diamond Checkpoint is becoming an exclusively disabled checkpoint.

Wrong. As the referenced thread describes, the now re-named "Dulles Checkpoint" is intended for groups and special-needs passengers (typically handicapped) - but is open to any passenger during regular hours of operation.

The Diamond lane is really no longer worth the walk. Generally the west side security check-point is your best bet.

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (BlackBerry; U; BlackBerry 9800; en-US) AppleWebKit/534.8+ (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/6.0.0.600 Mobile Safari/534.8+)

I think it's too soon to tell, but it was very busy this morning--I was tempted to walk to the regular line.

I showed up at the normal line last week, however, saw it was long and painful, then trekked all the way back to the diamond line, where the wait was manageable. I think I was still better off even with all the back-tracking.

This morning they were loudly and repeatedly call for people to remove liquids (I haven't done so at a major US airport in year) that I dared not risk it. So yes, it's becoming less pleasant.

Flying out in a couple of days (trying to beat the holiday rush). Is it still the case that the old diamond lane is no longer worth the bother? Or have things quietened down a little since the changes?

Also, one of the posters mentioned that the west side security is the best bet. Is that the BA/Delta side or the United side (I assume the former, looking at the google map).

I've found the old diamond lane to be hit or miss -- sometimes it's great, but sometimes the line extends outside the entrance to the lane. It's at least worth a look. And yes, the west side security is the Delta/SWA/BA side. I've almost always found that side to be less bad than the UA side.

Much obliged.

Dulles Diamond Lane now closed
 

Dulles Diamond Lane or checkpoint closed on Sept 5 due to the TSA security checkpoint that will be coming, but that won't start until Sep 25.