I've done two roundtrips since the Attack on America(tm). For both trips I had an E-ticket and did not check bags. Three times out of four, I got there early I was able to go standby on a previous flight (actually, for one segment I got there at 9am when I was scheduled to fly a redeye, but I knew there was plenty of space and I made a 9:55am departure easily). The one time I didn't get on earlier flight was when my flight was the first one of the day -- still had more than an hour to kill.

A few things I've changed about my airport procedure: I bring along my passport instead of my driver's license and I put every possible piece of metal into my carryons before going through security -- this includes watch, coins, keys and belt if possible. I have yet to have my bags searched. Biggest wait at security was about 5 minutes at LGA today.

An article in Friday's WSJ echoes the sentiment that "2 hours early" is usually far more than you need.

Actually, I think I'm enjoying airports a bit more now. Fewer people, easier to go standby.

No line for e-service, first class or security for CO at DFW this morning (9:30am). Line for economy didn't look too bad.

Terminal D (CO,UA,HP,AC,Air Tran)secuirty line at PHL around 5:40pm looked to be a good hour today. Terminal E line (TW,DL,AF,NW,ATA,National, Midwest Exp)looked much shorter (maybe 15 minutes). NY Times reported 1/4mile lines at US Airways in PHL.

I've flown out of LGA, EWR, ORD, and MSY since Sept 11, and I agree with the post above that it's probably unwise to comment on specific security procedures in place. As a UA 1K, my ticket counter check-ins have been extremely fast, but I have seen long non-elite check-in lines only at ORD. My experiences through security have been generally relatively fast, but my significant other and his coworkers have been finding DEN to be very, very slow.

You will need at least 2 hours on Monday mornings out of DEN. I've flown out on the 7:45am DEN-MSP for the past two weeks in a row and it has been a mess!

Check-in: 45-60 min. Both weeks so far UA has been allowing anyone into the Premier/FC check-in line. And UA wonders why biz travel is down...

Security: About 30-45 min.

Parking: Waited 30 minutes this morning to get into the east garage parking. A National Guard carrying an M-16 was searching every car.

I really used to enjoy traveling every week on business. I am now trying to do everything I can to get staffed on a local project in Denver.

SAN this morning was a breeze -- however, elite check-in was a definite plus

Flew BOS-ATL on Fri. 9/28. First flight out at 6:08a. Arrived at 4:15a, only to find out that Delta personnel start work at 5:00a. Even with e-tix, we couldn't get down concourse as security grate was not raised until 5:00a. Only airport and airline personnel allowed through security door prior to 5:00a. Delta personnel checked e-ticket receipt and ID prior to scanner, I was patted down and my son's bag was searched, while state police and border patrol looked on. The scanners seem so sensitive that you would probably set one off even if you were to pass through naked.

Side note: Interesting to watch a Border Patrol agent walk through x-ray with a backpack on his back...no questions asked. That's one of the reasons why BOS gets poor marks for security, along with the fact that many of the security people are seriously lacking in a variety of skills. I vote to raise their pay but require everyone to pass an aptitude test.

Coming back ATL-BOS on Sunday, 9/30, the kiosks were hardly used and the line at FC/Medallion was about 25 deep. The "steerage" line was at least 100 deep. The lines to the scanners were all snaked back to the baggage carousels but I observed that many people were treating it as a "kiss-ride" dropoff, with spouses, kids, and significant others standing in line until their flying partner made it to the front. All-in-all, about a 30-minute wait.

The concourse was crowded, even though only travelers were allowed on it, but nowhere near the number of people who are usually there on a Sunday afternoon. I would not want to own an airport business right now.

Surely the answer is simple logics:

Arrive 2 hours before dept. : wait in the lounge for 1 hour 58 minutes

Arrive just before dept. : 2 hour wait for security

Forget getting through security at Pittsburgh in less than an hour. We were there yesterday (Monday) at 6:45 a.m. and waited through a line of at least 200. We almost missed our plane as a result. My suggestion would be three hours there.

I just flew BOS-SLC-BOS and didn't have any trouble in either airport. I ended up with a LOT of time on my hands in the airport.

I flew out of Boston on 9/27 mid-morning. The check-in lines at DL were a little long but not terrible. No problem with security at all.
I flew out of SLC on Monday, mid-afternoon. The coach check-in line was quite long (maybe half hour?) but First Class/Medallion was very quick. Security can be quite a problem at SLC but there was no back-up there at all. I noticed they've added additional machines since I was there last.

Of course your mileage may vary!

this morning at MCO, I was staying in the Hyatt at the airport. Flight at 7:30. Made my way to security at 6 AM. Through security in one minute. At the gate at 6:05.

Same thing on the Sunday AM outbound at O'Hare, pretty quick through the lines. And when I landed at ORD today, also no line at T3 security.

I don't need to put up with anyone shouting instructions at the security line, especially if I've been waiting in a long, snaking line--and most especially if it's an early am flight and I've yet to have my morning brew. If this is the new procedure, how hard is it to put up an f-ing sign? That alone would be a great step in speeding up the line.

Beware at BWI... flew out Monday morning on UA and 2 hours was definitely NOT enough time... The lines were 90 mins. to check-in and another hour to get through security. United finally ended up pulling people out of line via flight departure times....

Today at ORD at about 6am flying on CO about a 5 min.wait for security------about 10:30 am at EWR C concourse no line at security---about 2 pm in FLL no line for security---at about 5:45 pm in EWR for the A concourse there was no line.

[This message has been edited by Ord26 (edited 10-02-2001).]

Had a 6:10am flight at LAX this morning. Arrived at 4:40am to a line of about 15 people at the United Premier Exec. line. The self check in machines were blocked off, but a CSR was standing next to them. I asked her if they can be used, and she said go ahead, and removed the barriers.

One minute later I was off to security (QuietLion's "Secret Security" entrance was closed however). Time through security was about three minutes (at 4:46am). There was a line of about forty people showing ID's in order to enter, that had not obtained hard boarding passes yet. However with a boarding pass, there was a separate line with almost nobody in it. Moral to the story, if you can use United's self check-in, use it!

BTW, at 3:30pm I was leaving ATL-Hartsfield and walked by their entrance to security. Wait to get in appeared to be less than ten minutes.

Flew from Dulles yesterday (my fourth departure from Dulles since the WTC). Went with E ticket in hand and no baggage to check. Went directly to security. THe prior three trips I had to show E ticket and drivers license. This time I just showed E ticket. I was reaching in my purse for wallet to show License and security person told me "It's OKAY Just go on thru". I don't understand why some airports are so bad with long lines and yet Dulles where they had a plane hijacked from is so easy (not that I am complaining).