Travelling to and from LAS shortly on Delta. Will have Carryon's only. Looking at maps, it appears we could use either Terminal 1 (Security Check D) or Terminal 3 (Security E). We'll be arriving around 11am and getting back to the airport for departure around 8:30am. A couple of basic questions to which I've not been able to find answers by searching this forum...

1. Is it any quicker/less crowded to use Terminal 3 over Terminal 1 and going to/from Car Rental Center via the shuttle?
2. Coming home, we will likely have preCheck. MyTSA app always shows that Security Check E at Terminal 3 as open, but at different times Security Check D at Terminal 1 is not (though C always seems to be and from what I have read, I'm pretty sure we could use C if we had to and still get to the D gates). My wife wears a medical device that does not play nice with Xrays, so the metal detectors at preCheck are the key to her not having to have a patdown. Is the MyTSA app accurate in this regard (never used it before)? Can we go through security in Terminal 3 with a Delta boarding pass? Assuming there are open preCheck lines in both terminals, would you choose Terminal 1 or Terminal 3 when leaving LAS? One thought I had is that as the "international terminal", a sizable percentage of passengers would qualify for pre-check and the Pre-Check line in Terminal 3 might be shorter?

Thanks for any suggestions.

C/D effectively share the same security checkpoint. On one side, using the walkway closer to the D tram, is non-PreCheck. The other side closer to the C tram has Precheck, CLEAR, airline elite priority/first class, known crewmember line, etc. Regardless of which side you go through, the door that separates the C and D trams is always open.

I don't have enough experience with T3 to be able to compare it with T1, but you shouldn't have trouble with the C/D checkpoint. (I'm sure you already know, but even with PreCheck, it's possible to be randomly selected at which point they will ask you go through the nude-o-scope and you can opt-out to receive a patdown instead)

That, or even not get preCheck at all. But so far, we've been lucky!. Thanks for the clarification of C/D security. -John

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Thanks...
Obscure2k
Delta Moderator

I don't know if it's quicker or less crowded to go to T3 - I just know you don't have to deal with any 1980s stained blue carpet at T3. It's much newer and nicer.

Please also see: Getting to Delta D-Gates, No Checked Bags

From D Gates, T3 is also more convenient to/from the rental car shuttles.

My family is coming in an hour before I do -- on a Southwest flight into B gates. I come in at D gates on a United flight. I'm checking my suitcase, they are not. Best way for them to meet me or vice versa?

Thank you!

You'll have to claim your bag in T3 anyway, so if meeting at the airport is important, probably they should meet you there. From B gates, follow signs for the walkway to C, then instead of taking the C tram, cross through the door to the D tram and take it to the D gates.

Then, depending how much time is left until your flight arrives, they can go to your expected D gate, or take the other team to United baggage claim and wait for you there, etc. (If anyone has appropriate memberships there is a tiny PP lounge near the top of the escalator from the tram to the D gates, a nearby Centurion Lounge, and a United Club by the Delta gates but apparently where UA/CO used to operate from)

Or just punt and meet up at your hotel etc.

Just to add the "official" tram line names to this - after exiting the walkway from B Gates, the family will take the Blue Line tram from T1 to D Gates, and then the Red Line tram from D Gates to T3 (where UA does ground handling including baggage claim). Both these "lines" arrive/depart from the same area in D Gates.

However, I would also suggest simply meeting up at your final destination, especially if they do not have lounge access. If the flights are on time, that's a lot of walking / tram riding just so they can spend an hour waiting for your flight and then for checked luggage to arrive.

^ thanks -- I've never bothered to learn which color is which line

​​​​​​Absent any other overriding considerations, that would be my advice as well.

We're considering that, too, definitely. I just thought since our arrival times are exactly an hour apart, by the time they get to my gate, they'll only have to wait about 30-40 minutes for me, maybe more, depending on how long it takes them to get there from their arrival gate. If they're late and I'm on time, it'll be even better. The other way around, not so much...
The only issue with them continuing to the destination is our arrivals are at 8:00am and 9:00am respectively, and the hotel rooms are both in my name. Too early to check in, and they couldn't do it anyway.
We'll work it out -- thank you for your advice! ^