MSP Changes to TSA Checkpoints
Aug 18, 2019 | 9:30 pm
#31
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: MSP
Programs: Delta PM, 1MM
Posts: 3,872
Currently there's no SkyPriority PreCheck line at South: you can pick either PreCheck or SkyPriority but not both, and this has been the case since the North and South checkpoints were created with the SkyPriority check in area moving from the center of the terminal to the far South end, near the South checkpoint. Before that, IIRC checkpoint #4 just to the left of the SkyPriority counters was the wonderful one that at one time was exclusively for people with *both* SkyPriority and PreCheck, and then it was reconfigured to include PreCheck without SkyPriority too and was a mess forever after.
Aug 18, 2019 | 9:32 pm
#32
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Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Minneapolis: DL DM charter 2.3MM
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We can always hope that after all the temporary changes end, there will be a SkyPriority PreCheck line at South.
Aug 18, 2019 | 9:37 pm
#33
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: MSP
Programs: Delta Diamond (MM), Hilton Diamond, Avis President's Club
Posts: 873
Does any other hub have one anymore? I don't recall seeing one lately, but with Clear, it really isn't necessary.
Aug 19, 2019 | 5:50 am
#34
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Minneapolis, MN (MSP)
Programs: DL DM, UA 1K MM, Subway Club Member
Posts: 1,993
***WARNING -- IT'S BAD***
This morning was a complete MESS at MSP for everyone involved. The South Checkpoint (PreCheck & Clear) was at least an hour wait (if not longer) so those used to the <10 MSP security experience should plan accordingly. They were talking small groups of folks from the line, downstairs, up though the International Arrivals exit, and though the International Checkpoint. I ended up doing this after waiting for about 45 minutes. In that 45 min I didn't make it to the Clear machines or the actual organized line so my guess is that the whole thing would have taken upwards of an hour or more. It may be worth trying the SkyPriority line at the North (regular) Checkpoint since a lot of eligible people may be in-line for PreCheck. MSP usually uses a dog at the North Checkpoint so it ends up being essentially PreCheck anyways.
Hopefully they get things worked out over the next few days. There were a lot of MAC folks milling around looking worried; I am not sure if that is good or bad.
This morning was a complete MESS at MSP for everyone involved. The South Checkpoint (PreCheck & Clear) was at least an hour wait (if not longer) so those used to the <10 MSP security experience should plan accordingly. They were talking small groups of folks from the line, downstairs, up though the International Arrivals exit, and though the International Checkpoint. I ended up doing this after waiting for about 45 minutes. In that 45 min I didn't make it to the Clear machines or the actual organized line so my guess is that the whole thing would have taken upwards of an hour or more. It may be worth trying the SkyPriority line at the North (regular) Checkpoint since a lot of eligible people may be in-line for PreCheck. MSP usually uses a dog at the North Checkpoint so it ends up being essentially PreCheck anyways.
Hopefully they get things worked out over the next few days. There were a lot of MAC folks milling around looking worried; I am not sure if that is good or bad.
Aug 19, 2019 | 6:52 am
#35
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: MSP
Programs: Delta PM, Hyatt Discoverist, Bonvoy Platinum, Emerald Club Executive Elite
Posts: 2,414
***WARNING -- IT'S BAD***
This morning was a complete MESS at MSP for everyone involved. The South Checkpoint (PreCheck & Clear) was at least an hour wait (if not longer) so those used to the <10 MSP security experience should plan accordingly. They were talking small groups of folks from the line, downstairs, up though the International Arrivals exit, and though the International Checkpoint. I ended up doing this after waiting for about 45 minutes. In that 45 min I didn't make it to the Clear machines or the actual organized line so my guess is that the whole thing would have taken upwards of an hour or more. It may be worth trying the SkyPriority line at the North (regular) Checkpoint since a lot of eligible people may be in-line for PreCheck. MSP usually uses a dog at the North Checkpoint so it ends up being essentially PreCheck anyways.
Hopefully they get things worked out over the next few days. There were a lot of MAC folks milling around looking worried; I am not sure if that is good or bad.
This morning was a complete MESS at MSP for everyone involved. The South Checkpoint (PreCheck & Clear) was at least an hour wait (if not longer) so those used to the <10 MSP security experience should plan accordingly. They were talking small groups of folks from the line, downstairs, up though the International Arrivals exit, and though the International Checkpoint. I ended up doing this after waiting for about 45 minutes. In that 45 min I didn't make it to the Clear machines or the actual organized line so my guess is that the whole thing would have taken upwards of an hour or more. It may be worth trying the SkyPriority line at the North (regular) Checkpoint since a lot of eligible people may be in-line for PreCheck. MSP usually uses a dog at the North Checkpoint so it ends up being essentially PreCheck anyways.
Hopefully they get things worked out over the next few days. There were a lot of MAC folks milling around looking worried; I am not sure if that is good or bad.
Aug 19, 2019 | 7:08 am
#36
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Two hour waits are being reported, with some advice to arrive at the airport four hours early. The airport spokesperson came on TV to say that waits are down to "about" thirty minutes with people not needing to arrive at MSP T1 earlier than usual, two hours in advance of a domestic flight (but if you travel regularly, who can afford the time to do that?). Andrew Zimmern described it as a "Lord of the Flies" experience.
BTW I've never been able to make any sense of the standard advice for USA airports to arrive two hours early for a domestic flight and three hours for international. The domestic and international check in and security lines are exactly the same, and at most the check in (if not OLCI) and bag drop deadlines are thirty minutes earlier for international. It doesn't take more than a few minutes to check the passport unless there's some major problem (and if you've forgotten the passport or it's expired, an hour certainly isn't enough time to fix that). The requirement (which varies slightly across carriers) to be at the gate thirty minutes in advance for international and fifteen for domestic is taken care of by the difference in check in and bag drop deadlines. So any reasonable calculation would suggest arriving thirty-five to forty minutes earlier for international.
BTW I've never been able to make any sense of the standard advice for USA airports to arrive two hours early for a domestic flight and three hours for international. The domestic and international check in and security lines are exactly the same, and at most the check in (if not OLCI) and bag drop deadlines are thirty minutes earlier for international. It doesn't take more than a few minutes to check the passport unless there's some major problem (and if you've forgotten the passport or it's expired, an hour certainly isn't enough time to fix that). The requirement (which varies slightly across carriers) to be at the gate thirty minutes in advance for international and fifteen for domestic is taken care of by the difference in check in and bag drop deadlines. So any reasonable calculation would suggest arriving thirty-five to forty minutes earlier for international.
Aug 19, 2019 | 7:49 am
#37
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: MSP
Programs: DL GM, MR Gold, Hilton Gold, National Exec
Posts: 593
Found this on the MSP website: Due to construction, we are currently not able to track and display security wait times at Terminal 1.
Found on Twitter: https://tinyurl.com/y4chffj7
Found on Twitter: https://tinyurl.com/y4chffj7
Aug 19, 2019 | 7:53 am
#38
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Minnesota
Posts: 388
Found this on the MSP website: Due to construction, we are currently not able to track and display security wait times at Terminal 1.
Found on Twitter: https://tinyurl.com/y4chffj7
Found on Twitter: https://tinyurl.com/y4chffj7
Aug 19, 2019 | 8:13 am
#39
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: MSP
Programs: DL GM, MR Gold, Hilton Gold, National Exec
Posts: 593
Aug 19, 2019 | 8:17 am
#40
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Someone on TV news is saying that even with both CLEAR and PreCheck, an additional two hours should be allowed for TSA security at MSP. I don't understand how/why CLEAR doesn't seem to be working unless hundreds of people have decided to sign up for CLEAR this morning as a way to pay them $179 or whatever to avoid missing a flight, but I wouldn't think that so many people would even be aware of CLEAR.
Aug 19, 2019 | 9:16 am
#41
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Minneapolis, MN (MSP)
Programs: DL DM, UA 1K MM, Subway Club Member
Posts: 1,993
Someone on TV news is saying that even with both CLEAR and PreCheck, an additional two hours should be allowed for TSA security at MSP. I don't understand how/why CLEAR doesn't seem to be working unless hundreds of people have decided to sign up for CLEAR this morning as a way to pay them $179 or whatever to avoid missing a flight, but I wouldn't think that so many people would even be aware of CLEAR.
Aug 19, 2019 | 9:55 am
#42
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Join Date: Sep 2009
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However, if CLEAR takes you to the front of the PreCheck line it should always be faster unless CLEAR itself is backed up because they don't have enough employees or machines.
UPDATE: It's the middle of day one and lines are still stretching the entire length of the terminal. Wouldn't it have made more sense to start this on a day that isn't so busy, such as Tuesday/Wednesday?
Local news is saying that if you don't have PreCheck there's just one big line at North, which (I certainly hope) cannot be right as it would imply no elite line and no CLEAR if you don't have PreCheck.
UPDATE: It's the middle of day one and lines are still stretching the entire length of the terminal. Wouldn't it have made more sense to start this on a day that isn't so busy, such as Tuesday/Wednesday?
Local news is saying that if you don't have PreCheck there's just one big line at North, which (I certainly hope) cannot be right as it would imply no elite line and no CLEAR if you don't have PreCheck.
Last edited by MSPeconomist; Aug 19, 2019 at 10:35 am
Aug 19, 2019 | 11:16 am
#43
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: USA
Programs: DL PM
Posts: 243
However, if CLEAR takes you to the front of the PreCheck line it should always be faster unless CLEAR itself is backed up because they don't have enough employees or machines.
UPDATE: It's the middle of day one and lines are still stretching the entire length of the terminal. Wouldn't it have made more sense to start this on a day that isn't so busy, such as Tuesday/Wednesday?
Local news is saying that if you don't have PreCheck there's just one big line at North, which (I certainly hope) cannot be right as it would imply no elite line and no CLEAR if you don't have PreCheck.
UPDATE: It's the middle of day one and lines are still stretching the entire length of the terminal. Wouldn't it have made more sense to start this on a day that isn't so busy, such as Tuesday/Wednesday?
Local news is saying that if you don't have PreCheck there's just one big line at North, which (I certainly hope) cannot be right as it would imply no elite line and no CLEAR if you don't have PreCheck.
Aug 19, 2019 | 11:51 am
#44
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 853
The only piece of good news about today's cluster****: at least there haven't been reports of any fake emotional support dogs taking advantage of the chaos by biting passengers stuck in line.
Seriously, though, every year the security situation at MSP gets worse and worse. First, the airport reduced the hours of the checkpoint on the C-G connector, which was great for those of us who take light rail to the airport...and then the airport closed this checkpoint down.
Now, the airport has made the main terminal security experience miserable.
I hope some of the people who almost missed their flights this morning were major DFL (Democrat-Farmer-Labor) donors, who will forcefully convey to the elected officials whose campaigns they make donations to, that the security situation isn't acceptable, and "strongly encourage" the elected officials to fix the situation quickly. I shudder at how bad the lines will be before school holidays unless additional lanes for both Pre Check and regular security are opened up.
Seriously, though, every year the security situation at MSP gets worse and worse. First, the airport reduced the hours of the checkpoint on the C-G connector, which was great for those of us who take light rail to the airport...and then the airport closed this checkpoint down.
Now, the airport has made the main terminal security experience miserable.
I hope some of the people who almost missed their flights this morning were major DFL (Democrat-Farmer-Labor) donors, who will forcefully convey to the elected officials whose campaigns they make donations to, that the security situation isn't acceptable, and "strongly encourage" the elected officials to fix the situation quickly. I shudder at how bad the lines will be before school holidays unless additional lanes for both Pre Check and regular security are opened up.
Aug 19, 2019 | 11:52 am
#45
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: MSP
Programs: Delta PM, Hyatt Discoverist, Bonvoy Platinum, Emerald Club Executive Elite
Posts: 2,414
There are separate SkyPriority and Clear (non-precheck) lines at the north entrance. I can't comment on how long those lines were, though, as the entire terminal was such a mass of humanity that it was impossible to distinguish the end of each line. I can say that both Pre-Check and Clear lines at South entrance were a mess this morning. I don't really find CLEAR to be much of an advantage anymore - having my face/print scanned is not any faster than handing my ID and boarding pass to the TSA agent, and now that so many travelers have Clear, it's often faster to just use TSA Pre Check at MSP.