I believe people are missing the point.
There are two areas: the airline ticket-checking area, and the security checkpoint. Think of them as two hoops you have to jump through.
First, you jump through the airline ticket-checking hoop. Here, they have 2 lines: wealth and proletariat. This is controlled by the airlines.
Next, you have the security checkpoint. Here, there is 1 line, that gets split up equally among the X number of screeners running simultaneously. This is controlled by the TSA, which is the US Government. Anyone who presents him/herself at the checkpoint is treated equally.
Once someone clears the first hoop, and are at the front, they have equal access to ALL of the checkpoint screeners.
Originally Posted by Decomposing Screener
Since you can go down that line and avoid the bulk of the wait yes it is an elite line. If I can use a TSA term it's an integrated elite line not a dedicated one.
Your status already allows you to bypass most of the line and like i've already said I only wave other PAX over if there is nobody waiting at the lane at that time. This isn't just me, it's pretty standard among everyone I work with.
Of course from both sides you really can't win. First class PAX complain because others are using "their" line. Other pasengers complain because they have to wait and 1st class doesn't. To be blunt I don't care, i'm doing my job to the best of my abilities and that including screening everyone and not standing idly by when there is work to do.
Decomposing Screener knows his job, and is doing it. He works for all of us. Hats of to you, sir. (ma'am?)
Originally Posted by JBLUA320
JFK has seperate lines, and even screening machines for Economy, Business AND First in JFK T4. The Business line wasn't that much shorter than the Economy line.
It sounds like the people at JFK are not doing theirs.
Originally Posted by PTravel
Please, please, please, keep the elite line for the purpose designated by the airline which has paid for it: for elite and 1st class passengers.
The last time I checked, the "airport security fee" tacked on to each ticket is the same for all tickets. The "elite line" ends where the TSA screening area begins.
Waiting in line is a social contract. The consensus is that a big shoving match/scrum is not a good idea. And so you follow the rules for the line you are in. The rules for the TSA line is "first come, first served".
If you find that it takes too long to get through security, get there earlier. Yes, the casual traveller takes longer to go through the line. But, by definition, they are in the minority!