jmastron

I've searched, and only seem to find old and/or incomplete answers -- I am flying out of TLV this week with a carry-on bag only, on the United flight to EWR if it matters.

If I can check in online and preprint my boarding pass, do I still go to the main checkin desk/security line, or can I bypass that and go directly to the security checkpoint -- i.e. is there an interview procedure there for a UA passsenger with no checked bags? I couldn't find a clear answer.

And if so, is it safe to arrive at the airport 2-2.5 hours before the flight, vs the normal 3? I have a coworker flying on the DL flight 1.5 hours later, so that would be ideal, but if I'm going to have to go through the regular checkin desk line, then of course we'll just get there 3 hours before my flight.

mbgg

I think that one can assume that ALL passengers have to go through the initial security check.

Silver Fox

My large multinational company office gave me a letter to give to some security person outside the detectors etc., that verified my documents and walked me to a separate security line in the zone and I was through. Nothing to do with the airline, everything to do with the company.

jmastron

Yes, we can get an official "exit letter" (also a large multinational company, perhaps the same one!), but in my experience it hasn't meant much -- always seem to get shunted to the regular line (including that annoying thing where I'm sent to the end of a 20+ person line, then the next people are sent to start filling the next line over from the start). Perhaps it's about hanging back and finding the right "shunter"...

jmastron

I would have thought so, and clearly that's the only place to check a bag or get a boarding pass if you don't have one already, but I was wondering what happens if you show up at the metal-detector security checkpoint with a BP but not the sticker from the interview -- and found some links, including the "Web Check-in" section here:

http://www.iaa.gov.il/Rashat/en-US/A...s/Check-in.htm

that imply that the process should be faster, but aren't clear whether the "security inspection point" is the metal detectors (where they'd presumably pull you aside for a profiling interview because of no sticker), or just a special line at the airline checkin counter, which may or may not be in operation that day (per my experience with the "exit letter" not always speeding things up).

The airport site mentions "Continental", and while that probably applies to United now indicates the other information may not be up to date either. I won't risk showing up less than 3 hours before if I'm not reasonably sure I can skip the first step (which can take close to an hour).

Silver Fox

Well in my case I jumped a seriously awful looking scrum in the security hall. You are putting me off my next trip there now !

FlyingELAL

As noted, if you have only a carry-on and you're flying one of the airlines participating in the quick check-in ( http://www.iaa.gov.il/Rashat/en-US/A...elfCheckin.htm )

you can do web check-in at home
( or check-in in an automated-machine at the airport if you're flying El Al, Delta, Air France and Air Canada airlines)
then you just skip the entire baggage security lines and the check-in counters after them! Just go directly to the carry-on security in front of passport control area!

mbgg

No, first you go through the security check which is operated by the airport, not the airline. Then you go to the airline check-in counter. Be serious - do you really think that there is such a simple way to avoid the security check ?

jmastron

I am being serious, and I'm not trying to avoid the security check -- what I'm trying to find out is whether there's an *alternate* airport security check at the metal detector/carryon security checkpoint, for those who don't need to go to the airline's check-in desk because they have no checked bags and already have a boarding pass. And it appears, from other responses here, and the airport website, that there is.

mbgg

OK - I've spoken to someone who works at airport security. There is now a security check available adjacent to the hand luggage check. You go through this security check before you do the hand-luggage. So you can go straight there if you have your boarding pass !

BATLV

mbgg is correct. You can proceed directly to the security counter located before the glass doors leading you into the regular ( i.e. as elsewhere) security.

jmastron

Excellent, thanks all for the info, especially to mbgg for the extra research. I'll see tonight if United lets me check in online (outbound it didn't, but I think now that they've seen my documents it might).

I won't cut it too close, perhaps still arrive 2.5 hours before the flight. But this works better for my coworker who's on a flight 90 minutes later and has to check a bag, so he won't have to wait quite as long to check in. I'll report back.

joshwex90

Right by hand security check, before you get your barcode scanned to enter the security check room, (which you don't have since you haven't done the security interview,) there's a place (I forget whether to the right or left, but it says so there) to do the security interview.

jmastron

Having flown home, I can confirm that this works -- there was a kiosk to the right of the security room (but it looked quite portable, so could presumably be set up elsewhere or removed without trace). It had 2 conflicting signs (in true Israeli fashion? :-) -- the bigger sign mentioned online checkin with no airline specified, and an apparently older one on the side said something about El Al electronic checkin.

The agent there was a bit confused at first, asking if this was a boarding pass (it was), and if it was El Al (no, United), but then took it (and my security "Exit Letter" that I get from my company), asked me the bare minimum interview questions, came back and put the sticker on. So I suspect not a lot of people flying other airlines realize they can do this so they don't see too many -- heck, my coworker didn't realize that one could even go to that whole shops area before checking in.

Timewise, everything was very quick -- 2-3 minutes for the interview/sticker, maybe 3 minutes through body/hand-luggage security, and 5 minutes passport control. We arrived earlier than I was thinking, because we didn't have enough time to stop in Tel Aviv for dinner, but I didn't go through security until 2 hours before my flight and had tons of time. I wouldn't count on those times being so short, but skipping the checkin line definitely saved some time.

Anyway, thanks to all for the info, hopefully the process will be similar by the time I or someone else wants to use it again.

joshwex90

This "exit letter" confuses me. I'm not so sure one needs it in order to do the "only carry-on security interview"