As Security Tightens, the Race Goes to the Savviest
 

As Security Tightens, the Race Goes to the Savviest

The three pros advanced confidently along the V.I.P. security line at O'Hare International Airport, identification in hand, Palm Pilots and cellphones packed away, pockets emptied of change and other miscellaneous items, laptops out and ready for X-ray.

"I was flying out of Philadelphia Wednesday night, and you had people who acted like they'd never seen a metal detector before," said one of the three, Stuart Graff, 38, a lawyer for a Chicago consumer products company who racked up more than 100,000 miles on business last year, which with bonus points translated into 400,000 frequent flier miles. "There was one guy who took about five minutes to unload his pockets. He was taking out coins and keys. It took about 90 minutes to get through security."

Anthony Sitko, 37, another lawyer, and Roger Palmer, 40, a product engineer, who were with Mr. Graff and who are also experienced business travelers, nodded knowingly. They have no complaints about heightened security. They have adapted. Mr. Sitko pointed to his shoes — loafers, the perfect new airport shoe. "You can step out of them for screening," he explained.

Mr. Graff said: "They should have separate lines for amateurs and professionals. Those of us who know how to go through airports should be able to go through quickly. Just keep me away from grandma with all her gifts for the grandchildren."

http://www.nytimes.com/2002/01/20/national/20AIRP.html

...I understand that as an "elite" flier, Stuart Graff enjoys "better seats on the plane, early boarding, separate check-in lines and plush lounges away from the crowds" on his frequent business flights. And I understand that he may be entitled to these privileges.

But what makes my blood race to a boil is to read that United and American Airlines believe that people who pay a higher fare — the first-class, business and elite frequent fliers at O'Hare International Airport — may breeze through special, "separate security lines."

Hold it. Aren't airport security measures mandated and now run by the federal government? Should the degree of inconvenience created by national security measures be determined by the fare that one pays a private carrier?...

http://www.nytimes.com/2002/01/23/opinion/L23AIRR.html

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...: "The guys who are running the airlines now are running retail businesses in a heavily regulated industry. And they don't want to make anybody mad..."

http://www.nytimes.com/2002/01/23/business/23TRAV.html


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Airline Security Holes Remain

Until all luggage is screened for explosives, checked bags should be matched with airline passengers on connecting flights, the Transportation Department's inspector general said Wednesday.

Many airlines will not load luggage on an airplane unless it is matched to a passenger who also boards. But since luggage is not matched a second time if a passenger changes planes, Inspector General Kenneth Mead said, the system ``creates a higher risk for flights departing hub airports, which are the largest airports in the country.'' Most passengers change planes at hubs.

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/nati...-Security.html

[This message has been edited by doc (edited 01-23-2002).]

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

I also noticed the special line for 1K's at UA LAX security checkpoint where on a recent early Friday morning no one was in that line, while the 'plebian' line stretched on almost endlessly..... http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif

Folks, it's called rewarding your best customers. Look, businesses do that all the time. The neighborhood bartender slips the regulars a beer or two for free from time to time.

So why should the airlines be any different?

Possibly because no one can blow up, or crash, or even hijack an aircraft with a beer? http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

Just guessin'! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

The airlines shouldn't be any different, but the federal government should. The federal government isn't allowed to discriminate at the discretion of third parties (the airlines). I think that's what the woman was upset about.

It's fine for your neighborhood bartender to give you a free drink, or for the airline to bump you up to first class. It's not fine for the government to give some people VIP treatment and others no special treatment when everyone is paying the same $2.50 fee.

d

The obvious solution is to have enough security machines so we don't have to stand in endless lines. There should not be a hundred people in each line. Maybe a more appropriate question is what are they doing with the new security tax? I still don't *feel* safer, only hassled.

While I agree that everyone should be subject to the same level of screening, I think the airlines are doing frequent flyers a service by having the "preferred" security lanes.
I too have been behind people who don't know the drill and have to go back several times to remove coins, keys, etc. Why shouldn't the airlines recognize that we travel enough to know this and allow us to be processed quickly?

prior to sept if i walked up to security and there was a line and the person at the front was taking his time getting ready to go thru, i would just dart thru ahead of him. no-one ever said a thing.

i learned that trick from watching the regulars at the betting window at the race track

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f

So, then make it free for eco pax and $ 15 for C and F pax. Or $ 15 for anyone who thinks his time is worth more than that. Still cheap for buying 1 hour of time. Others, who are preparing two days packing their luggage for their family weekend trip maybe dont care about the wait.

Last time I checked, I paid on the order of many tens of thousands of dollars in Federal Income Tax than did Enron over the last 3 years.

Funny, I didn't get to visit with Dick Cheney to discuss energy policy. Nor has my business gotten a single exemption from any federal law.

Shoot! And I thought we were all equal...

But when you were at the post office or DMV, did Enron executives come in and get moved up to the front of the line? I don't think so.

I think the best solution here is to hold Minetta to his "everyone will get through security in less that 10 minutes" proclaimation. That works out best for us and the general public. It's also the most efficient use of resources from an operations standpoint.

Besides, unless you have elite status on every airline or you never fly an airline that you don't have elite status on (and you only use airports that have elite lines), elite lines wouldn't even work out well for us.

For instance, I have Plat status on AA. A couple times a year I have to fly US because AA doesn't fly certain routes. As a result, when I fly US I'll be stuck in the super long lines, and there's nothing I can do about it.

Like I said, the best solution is to hold the DOT to the 10 minute security wait.

d

Well, the last time I was at the DMV, waiting in a long line, a Lakers basketball player came in and got the royal treatment. He was a new player and has since moved on to other teams, but he just signed with the Lakers and needed a California driver's license. He didn't wait in any line.

Was that proper government policy, or were the DMV employees breaking the rules and acting on their own? There's a big difference.

d