Does anyone have experience going through security @ SYR early in the morning? According to United.com:

Security line information



According to this, my 6:08am flight leaves right during this "peak" period, where security is reported to take up to 2 hours??? -- Even if the "off-peak" time is true, it seems quite excessive.

I have to check a bag for this trip, and the ticket counter does not open until 5:15am, which means, even if I am first in line, and the agent checks my bag in under five minutes, according to these estimates, I will miss my flight.



Does anyone have any experience with Syracuse's security wait times? Or at least any idea of any other resources for better information?


Thanks!

Visit the TSA website for better info. Some airports even have current wait time info on their own website so you might check out SYR's site.

Should have mentioned...the TSA does not list the wait times on their website, and the SYR airport website is very 1995.

I left the SYR airport late one Sunday in May a few years ago and I think the wait time was 5 mins. They didn't even seem capable of a line that could handle a two hour wait.

Was at SYR last Friday..... had 6am flight out FRiday morning.... when I flew-in on Thursday afternoon, spoke with TSA three-striper supervisor at the Delta/United concourse who said at least 90 mins ahead (4:30am for 6am flight).....120 mins if you are checking a bag at the airline counter......that sounded silly, but spoke with Delta ticket counter at SYR who said the same.

Looking at the departure screens for Frisday morning...it did make some sense....every airline has a flight out between 5:45am and 6:30am to each their hubs.....for example, DL has 5:45am to JFK, 6am to DTW, 6:30 to ATL.

FYI--Holiday Inn Express and one of their Suite properties are closest to airport....no stoplights, no getting on/off highway, so easiest for me at 4:30am!!!!

Thanks for the information Steve.


while what the various officers/agents confirms what United.com says about wait tumes, what was your actual experience?


As I said in my first post, the United counter shows as opening at 5:15am, and my flight departs at 6:08......

...when I arrived about 4:45am to the UA/DL concourse TSA there were about 20 people in line, and just one lane (of the two) open, so less than a 10min wait.

Hard to judge what tgo do if UA ticket counter doesn't open until 5:15am.....not sure where the responsibility lies to get you through TSA in time.....sorry!

Thanks. I am on the return leg of a trip too, and will not have access to a printer, so counter checkin/kiosk is my only option.

I called United and two phone agents told me the counter opens at 4:30am, which could help..




I will note that while the Holiday Inn Express is indeed close, it is not the closest. It is equally as close as the Candlewood Suites, but both are still further than the Best Western, on the airport property, and almost walkable to the terminal.


Ill report on Sunday on my experiences.

Had a US flight out of SYR late one evening, security was a 5 min wait, if that. That airport was dead.

My flight to LGA was heavily delayed, so they put me on another delayed flight, leaving me about 15 mins to gate and had no problem.

Sorry for the delay in reporting back!


I woke up at 3:50am, and was at the airport by 4:20, and had to wait until 4:45am for the United counter to open. I got to security, and there were 5 people ahead of me. I asked the TSA agent how bad the line can get, and he indicated it could be up to 20/25 minutes during the peak times, of which 5:00am was not...


So overall a grrr to United.com, but a ^ to the United Agents at SYR!

As a Syracuse local, the only time I was in line for more than 20 minutes was at a peak time when a group of seniors with defibrillators passed through and needed individual screenings.