PreCheck or SkyPriority
 

ATL flyers, do you use the PreCheck or Sky Priority security line on Monday mornings? The PreCheck line has gotten maddeningly long lately and it makes me wonder if Sky Priority could be faster. Thoughts?

I usually go Sky Priority on Mondays. But I wonder why ATL PreCheck is so much worse than any other major airport? I notice it not just on Mondays, but all the time

Sky Priority has been a shorter line the last three times I started a trip in ATL. I check both lines before committing.

It's not just ATL. I check both line length/wait time at IAD as well.

MSP has a line that is only for those who have both PreCheck and SkyPriority. Is that unique to MSP?

There are definitely other airpots with worse PreCheck situations. Last time I flew out of ORD I almost missed my flight, and I show up to airports much earlier than most.

It's the only place I've ever seen it -- and it's wonderful.

There is no absolute formula, but Pre-Check seems to move 5-6 times faster than a standard line. That may be due to the shoes, 3-1-1 bag, scanning device and general traveler sophistication.

Thus, I don't care about the length of the line, I care about the time it takes to get through the checkpoint.

My unscientific estimation is that Pre-Check is almost uniformly significantly faster than any non Pre-Check line unless there is a real screwup and those happen in all lines randomly.

Have the random pre-check passes come to an end yet? What's guaranteed to F' it up is a whole bunch of passengers who have no clue who need to be taught how to proceed thru. We had an entire family in front of us who last month who had no clue about pre-check and it literally took them 10 minutes get past the TSA agent checking IDs & boarding passes.

That would be a definite negative on the random selection ending. I have not signed up for Pre-Check and def got selected three weeks ago when I flew (I make the same RT 2x a month and airports at both ends have super fast security no matter what line).

I wish they had a line for knows pre-check rules and one for doesn't have a f-ing clue about pre-check or just a knows how to get through security line and a no f-ing clue line. I had my 22 month-old with me (and I'm 7 months pregnant) and we sped through the pre-check faster than many who appeared to be single travelers or two adults on vacation (and I had a stroller, diaper bags with bottles of milk and a small backpack).

I agree with your thoughts on the lines. However, they wouldn't police it and people would still get in whatever line they wanted. At MCO they tried 3 lines and had one labeled experience, one families (I think) and I forget the other. People just routinely got in the shortest line and they eventually got rid of the joke.

I suspect the SkyPriority PreCheck line was initiated at MSP because many elites were insisting on using SkyPriority rather than the PreCheck line there, which always seemed to be a big mess ever since that security checkpoint ceased to be SkyPriority only.

I dread what will happen when MSP goes to their planned centralized security setup.

Some airports have the self select lines for expert travelers, families, etc. but everyone seems to consider themselves experts, even if they've obviously never traveled or have a bunch of kids, granny, etc.

I feel kind of stupid for asking this, but at ATL is there a pre-check over on the dark side (North terminal, WN-land)?

If so, might be reasonable to check it out on Mon mornings.

Of course if that looks bad, then circling back to the DL side takes a few minutes, but at least it is walking, not waiting.

It is a bit of a haul from one side to the other if you're already late. At times, TSA North is supposed to be for AA/UA only, and sometimes they will make announcements and enforce that. I've used it for DL, however, and I've seen passengers there from various airlines including WN. Pre North does close two hours earlier than Pre Central. Last time I went through there (on a Sat morning in January), Pre was inexplicably closed all day. No explanation or signage; the agent just said that was all she knew, so I hoofed over to Central.

That said, it's a YMMV situation. Sometimes I've been one of only a few non-wheelchair people in the line. Wheelchairs are supposed to use Central, but sometimes I guess they get backed up and send the whole crew over to North.

Always Pre-Check, as having to opt out would negate any benefit of a shorter SkyPriority line.

Especially since opting out may no longer be permitted. So I'll always do Pre.

Even that's no guarantee. Twice in December (I think both times were at SFO) I had the WTMD beep at me and they wanted to send me through a nude-o-scope. I had nothing on me that I haven't gone through with before. They claimed it was random selection.

Good point. I had that happen a couple of times last year, and then I had to wait to opt out. One of the main reasons I originally got Pre as soon as it was available was so I wouldn't have to hear "Male Assist" screamed for 10-15 mins while they try to track down the one male worker that's not a manager.

They had something like that a few years ago, a separate line for "experienced travelers" or something like that. But they didn't have cattle prods for people who got in that line, didn't know what to do, and took too long so the experiment failed.

I forget where it was, but I saw the ropes dividing lanes with the old experienced/ families etc. designations somewhere recently. My guess is that it might have been in the terminal that DL uses at MIA.

This rings a bell, didn't it use signs with green circle, blue square, and black diamond like ski trail levels?

One of them was a picture of a family.

Funny, I traveled so infrequently those days that when I encountered the setup I would steer clear of the expert lane so I didn't annoy anyone in a hurry. Now the equivalent (Pre) is often filled with clueless people in no hurry. I don't blame them at all, though. They're just trying to carefully follow instructions and do what's right. It can just be irksome to those of us who paid to be there.

That's what I remember: a black and white rectangular sign with silhouettes of the people who are presumably meant to depict a family.

(after Googling "tsa security lanes ski slope") I was thinking of this:

http://blog.tsa.gov/2008/02/what-is-...-own-pace.html

In MEM the pre check and SP lines end up at the same agent checking IDs. He or She waves the non pre check people to the regular lines to the right, and the pre check folks to the left. So you get the best of both worlds. Pretty sweet. ^

I led a parade this Monday over to the Dark Side Pre. Everyone was glad to have done it. The South line stretched over to the regular line, but it was walk-up service on the North Side. The TSA agents were happy to have us. It broke up the boredom. It was early afternoon. The woman in front of me was doubtful, but she followed me over there and was giggling like a teenager when we so quickly went through the line, although they did pull her carry-on for additional screening.

While it may seem like a long walk over there, remember, the Pre screening point is farther down the hallway, resulting in a shorter walk after you go through the screening. I flew out of T on Monday, so I would have had to have walked down the hallway after security anyway.

Every time I fly out of EWR the Pre-Check lane in the Delta terminal is never open. I've flown out at all different hours and its still the same, never open. Glad its not my home airport.

......for this and many other reasons!

I think that is only because the Delta Sky Priority Desk is right there. They used to allow you to go through if you were not PreCheck. That is not the case. I was shot down two weeks ago. No big deal hit the other Sky Priority gate and flew through.

I used it this morning for DL. Didn't even try the Central one. Friend just dropped me off at AA, so it's a really short walk. Took 12 mins to clear. I still consider that far too long since I've done it other times in 30 secs.

I'll personally go to PreCheck line even if the "Premium/SkyPriority" lines appear to be shorter. The fewer times I have to subject myself to the naked scanner in the regular line, the better.

Just like IAH... but the important thing is that they now have your money, whether or not they provide the service. :rolleyes:

personally for me the benefit of precheck is less about the shorter lines and more about being able to leave my shoes/belt/jacket on and not having to unpack and repack my bags. I'd hit the precheck line every time if given the option v. sky priority.