No pm Priority Security line at LAX?
 

Flew through LAX yesterday as an Alaska MVP Gold around 6:30pm and was shocked to hear from TSA that there was no priority line for security at this time of day in T4. My ticket said PRIORITY all over it.

I don't have precheck for a bunch of bad reasons, but what the heck is the deal with this? No priority line? I've never seen this anywhere else on any airline. Barely made my flight, got the last bus to a remote terminal before departure. Phew.

Super lame! I've run into the same issue at LAX and PHL.

Apparently, if you take the escalator to the left of the ticketing counters at LAX, there is a Priority Line there along with the PreCheck line.

It's totally insane to me that AA has no Priority lines in airports like LAX and PHL where it really matters, but they do have them at smaller stations like RNO.

I tweeted to them about it and got a canned response.

At major stations with heavy business traffic, the demand for priority lanes is way, way down. There is a sliver out there of people who would qualify for priority but who don't have Pre-Check through one of the TTP's.

The far left of the terminal on the terminal 5 side is where priority check in and priority screening is located. It is next to the Flagship check in and is well marked curbside as you pull up. I have used it from early morning to late night and have never found it closed.

If you went through the main TSA checkpoint, then true, there are no Priority Access lines in that main checkpoint. Not at 6:30pm, not ever.

To get to the Priority Access line, you have to go to the far end of the terminal (nearest T5), up the escalator and to your right. The Pre-check line and Priority Access line both go through the same door, splitting at the podium.

I went up the left escalator next to the flagship checkin and asked the officer manning the empty pre-check line where the priority line was. He said, "we don't have one right now, only in the mornings."

This is a pretty regular occurrence for me at LAX. You go up the left escalator and through the Pre-Check line. However, Pre-Check is not technically operating. They send you through the regular line (it may be priority) and tell you that you don't have to take your shoes off.

I've tweeted AA about this a few times and their response is that it's TSA or LAX, but not AA's choice. When I tweet those folks, I get silence.

It's actually fairly busy in the evening at LAX and with red-eyes, etc., I'm frustrated that they don't have Pre-check open.

Happening regularly at DFW - run into it most in new Terminal A sections.
Hand-written sign that says "priority access closed."

General lanes have taken 30-45 minutes in those instances.
AA agents say it's TSA-driven.

Complained that an Elite Benefit is not being delivered and was essentially told "tough luck."

Yeah, even mid-morning when I usually fly, the priority lane is usually closed (talking about the one that is the same door as Pre-Check).

It's likely a TSA issue - they really have had their head up their behind lately in terms of operational staffing (check out some of the threads in TS&S about this).

Similar complaints about DCA. But, this has nothing to do with TSA as all of the lines feed to the same TSA people starting with the ID check. It suggests more to do with efficient use of the available lines.

That feeds back to likely increased access to Pre-Check by people who would have, in the past, used a priority lane of one kind or another. Especially true at DCA where active duty military FF's are a significant chunk of flyers.

Last time I was at LAX both lines at the far left door (where Pre-Check is) were apparently Pre-Check. The left hand line at the middle door which is usually priority was closed, with only the right hand line open. Lots of TSA staff standing around looking important but doing nothing productive.

I do believe that's the TSA Mission Statement...

Of course!

TSA = Thousands Standing Around

Pre-check on the horizon?