Originally Posted by bdschobel
This morning, I had a United flight from Albuquerque to Denver at 8:00 a.m. The car-rental bus got me to the terminal at 6:09. I walked up to the private (non-TSA) boarding-pass checker standing at the bottom of the escalator, who told me to go wait in a humongous line. It went through a Disney-style switchback about six layers deep, then extended around the back of the terminal, past the front doors and down the hall back toward the escalators. It must have had 500 people in it.
I pointed out that I am a 1K and was traveling in first class. The guy (and the woman backing him up) said that Albuquerque no longer has elite lines for anybody. Everyone has to wait in the same huge line that I saw. I wasn't sure that they were telling the truth but couldn't see any alternative entrance to the gate area. So I waited.
Many people begged to be let in ahead of the big line because their flights were leaving. Only airline and airport employees and the disabled got any special treatment.
Every so often, they would let 50 or so (regular) people go up the escalator to the actual checkpoint, which had its own switchback arrangement. I was allowed to go upstairs around 6:35. Not as bad as I had expected, considering how many people were waiting.
The checkpoint itself was pretty efficient and totally non-confrontational. A nice touch was the total absence of "security" announcements. No loudspeakers blaring about being alert! I heard only one announcement, for the owner of a car to return to it before it got towed. The TSA boarding-pass checker before the checkpoint switchback looked at my INSPASS for a while but didn't ask me anything about it. The humans at the checkpoint itself merely asked passengers if they had laptops. No big fuss over shoes, either, although I remove mine because they have steel shanks. I saw no unnecessary secondary screening.
I reached my gate (A3) at 6:43, almost early enough to take the 6:45 flight to Denver (which was already closed). But many people missed that flight because of the big line. They flew standby on the 8:00.
Bruce
Bruce -
I was in ABQ some time ago, and had about the same experience. I did, however, find that there is an elevator off to the right of the escalators, and I used it to avoid the long disney type line on the lower level. If the private borading pass checkers ask where you are going when you try and circumvent the line, simply inform them that you are headed to the restroom. Follow the signs to the restroom, and you will discoveran elevator. Just a thought, and I have had people tell me that the folks at the top of the escalator have challenged them as to whether they waited in line or not, but anything's worth a try.
According to friends at UAL in ABQ, the first class line used to exist, and they would usually let at least 1k's through it regardless of ticketed cabin, however SWA complained to the airport management, and it became handicapped and airline/airport employees only.