I've seen this too.

This topic keeps popping up on a regular basis.
Yes, its incredibly frustrating when they don't check and let everybody use Elite Access.
Its been said that CO can not do anything about it as it is a TSA issue.

Not true at all.

The TSA only handle passengers once they arrive at the TDC checkpoint. Prior to that it is up to the airport or airlines to manage and route the passengers. Essentially that puts the onus on the maroon coat folks and they do a pretty poor job in general. They are contractors for CO and CO should do something to fix the problem.

It won't help when the TSA decides to shut down a checkpoint or otherwise shift resources around but there are things that CO can do to ameliorate the situation.

If the TSA would have more than half the metal detectors or xrays open once in a while, that would help. I've never seen the checkpoints fully staffed, and that's what causes the line. The maroon coats just screw it up further.

This is well said and it bugs me to no end, BUT I'm sure they do this because they don't want to deal with pax who don't understand how this would even out for them in the end.

Last Saturday EWR - used Elite credential line and then cut to scanner on left instead of standing behind much longer line of Elites piled up behind one machine - an obvious case where Elite refers to # of miles/segments flown rather than elite in terms of brain power. I guess they wanted to use the "Elite Scanner".

+1 ^

Wow it seems for the most part we all agree that EWR is a problem now lets come together to work on a solution!! I am sure with some trials and a little bit of effort at EWR we can banish these types of threads forever. It seems we may need some reconfiguration coupled with some training for the contractors but, there is no reason EWR cannot become one of the best stations for the bread and butter of CO the EliteAccess folk.

That would seem easy and logical, right? So would empowering the We Don't Care staff, training the phone line staff on GG BUYUP and eliminating shenanigans. Not to be pessimistic, but don't hold your breath.

You forgot the part where you also need cooperation from the TSA. Getting any one of those handled might be possible. Getting all of them is rather unlikely.

If there is a will their is a way. No one thought the original DO was possible including the CEO but, it has been extremly successful why not apply the same approach to EWR. If we need TSA involvment I am sure we could contact our elected officials who could put pressure from one side while Continental applies pressure from the other direction.

Getting those maroon coats at EWR to do anything but waste other people's oxygen is a Herculean task. They come from a company called Gateway Security, and their line-level people are just as bad at their other big account in town, the Prudential Center. They either do not the understand the concept of managing the line, or are too lazy to devote brain cells to executing the task of managing the line...they could very well also be unmotivated to do anything other than that which is explicitly spelled out in their job description, and I'm willing to bet that asking whether or not someone in line has status is not on that description, and it's likely not there because it's a reasonably safe bet that many of Gateway's airport people have limited command of English. Not like I'm bitter or anything.

What about when our dedicated crew lane is empty and Elites or people who didn't get to the airport on-time are waved over? Do you as a Elite say "oh no that's a crew lane and I can't do that"? Or you jump over and head on through? This happens every single day and to top it off there are usually one ore more crew members or other airport employees shortly behind. The other day 17 Pilots/F/A's showed up after they just released our lane to the Elite access people. They ended up waiting and huffing and puffing while we all struggled to get through.


If your going to ask people not to use "your lane", it's safe to say we should expect that in return on the crew lane and regular passenger lanes. Can't have it both ways. A good solution would be for everyone to stick to the designated lane they are entitled to enter. Security is not that bad, unless it's a holiday are large arrival and bank time and even then it moves pretty fast.

Unfortunately, MSP hasn't had the dedicated elite security section for a while, probably several years. However, what they do do right is to have a very good NW/DL employee in an airline uniform who speaks English and understands the system. She controls access to the elite line very effectively. When the elite and regular lines for the section merge at the TSA document checker, he usually alternates, taking one party from each line in turn. Most people stick with either the elite side belt or the non-elite side belt(s). I typically try to avoid the belt with the most families or kettles.They have capacity for three belts here, but usually only two are operating. For me, the annoying part is that they usually operate one fewer metal detector walk-through device than they have X-ray machines, so that it can be hard to maintain control of one's belongings.

It rarely takes me more than a few minutes to clear security at MSP, either through the elite line or through the carry-on only security station at the back of the parking garage which provides a great shortcut to many gates and the C concourse Skyclub (the elite security line dumps you into the terminnal near the F/G Skyclub) when I drive or arrive at the airport by light rail. The worst times for security lines seem to be the early morning flight bank on heavy business travel days. Nobody who hasn't experienced it would expect to need additional airport time for a 6 am flight.

I had a similar problem this morning - at about 9AM. C1 area was jammed and the elite line was closed. All I could get out of the maroon coats were "one line, one line" - they couldn't or wouldn't say why. They didn't know if the other checkpoints had elite lines open. On walking to C2 I encountered a CO person and he said TSA had reduced staffing after 8:30 AM and that is why there was only one line. I guess TSA doesn't staff for Sat departures.

In any event C2 was empty - both elite and regular. Have no idea why a sign couldn't be posted (or the maroon coats tell people) that elite access was available in C2. I guess it would also be too much to give them some walkie talkies so they can direct people to other areas, too.

CO has to realize that when one of the major benefits of thier elite program isn't available, they are the ones that look bad. They have to support the program.