Inane DIA security lines
 

I live in CO and am Summit with Frightier and 1K with Untied, so I am quite familiar with most security lines at DIA. The Premium Passenger document check lines have never been 'aligned' with the 'expert traveler' screening lines(black vs blue vs green). In other words, once you've had your docs checked, the expert line is ALWAYS on the complete far opposite side of the area...makes no sense to me...all premium passengers by definition are expert. I finally decided to just bring this to someone's attention(just amazed that no one notices this after all this time, and they DO NOT rotate or switch alignments around). I go up to a TSA supervisor with a smile on my face and am very polite, but he had no idea what I was talking about, and actually said "I'm a government employee". I shut down, said thank you, and walked away once more defeated. He did say the airlines have influence over doc check line placements, but once you've passed thru, it's gov territory.

Anybody with a sane reason why it's done this way? Certainly, a premium passenger can walk over(thru various other lines of grandma's, baby strollers and tired skiiers), but why not be efficient....just move the expert sign!!!

Because the TSA has long had contempt for any "premium traveler" or "trusted traveler" or "expert traveler".

Remember that they have made the marked Diamond line at IAD into the designated wheelchair line.

+1 - would be willing to bet that if DIA (or any other airport, since most have the same issue) moved the signs to the side that had the TSA "Expert" lane, TSA would simply move the "Expert" lane to the other side...

Countdown to those posters that feel that these premium FF benefits are illegal violations of equal access in 3...2....1...

Were you using one of the main security checkpoint's, or were you using the concourse A security? I find that with A security, it is much easier to access the expert security line....

I noticed last week that DEN is reconfiguring the A security checkpoint. They removed the moving walkways, and have started to reconfigure the line arrangement.. Perhaps they will fix your problem...

However, I find that it is pretty easy to walk fifty feet to the expert line, rather than trying to talk sense into TSA...;)

Fixed it for you.

Say hello to Alvin for all of us. ;)

+1. I often use Concourse A security even when traveling on UA or DL.

They've been working on the removal of the last section of moving walkways (closest to the checkpoint) for a while. It became necessary post 9/11 because of occasional crowding of the checkpoint - just now being fixed.

Premium and expert lanes were aligned to the right side of the Concourse A checkpoint last time I went through a few weeks ago.

Yes, the former Clear lines.


In the north and south "security" checkpoints in the main terminal, they moved the Clear lines (before I get pummeled; I know they're not there anymore) to the opposite ends of the lines because people in the premium lines were getting verbally confrontational to the Clear folks.

For the past few years, it seemed the checkpoint configuration changed almost weekly.

What doesn't help nowadays is to consistently see empty checkpoints and empty ID podiums. DEN frequently has to stop the ID checking process because the line to the checkpoints reaches the ID podiums.

+1 I have always used the Concourse A security over the years. I remember when it was hardly used, so we could still use the second half of the moving walkway! The elite line has always been on the far right, but recently, they put a purple coat at the entrance to verify elite status or F/C seating... I don't mind it, but some of the people in the regular line apparently do. Last time I flew out of DEN, they had fifty people in the regular line, and nobody in the elite line. I flashed my BP, and heard a bunch of "how unfair" remarks... Perhaps they will move the expert screening line to the far right. It would be nice if it had stanchions around it to restrict it to elite pax only. It would really cut down on the amount of people who try to use the expert line, when they have small kids, or lots of items on their body...

I noticed last week, that they had ripped out the carpet on the far left (Employee entrance) and the far right (elite screening). They also took away the display cases... I wonder if they are going to have lines that start at the entrance to the checkpoint, near the main lobby..... I also noticed that they put up metal signs above each WTMD line, with the rules and regs for security.....

They also recently took down the pictures of the children at the north and south checkpoints near the escalator, while some people regroup after getting the Government-issued grope.

Looked like they used pictures of the children as some sort of "calming effect" in that area. Noticed they took them down about a month ago (I'm just assuming that pictures of children with their country of origin listed below them was for the aforementioned purpose).

They also finally got rid of the puffer in the south checkpoint.

Oh no. What a frightening breach of security. It's a wonder that we all aren't dead because someone with a name of "Robert Smith" on his drivers license got by the checkpoint with a name of "Bob Smith" on his boarding pass... :rolleyes:

No, I'm not saying they suspend checking the IDs, I'm saying they halt the lines being the lines to the checkpoint get so long.

+1

On family-heavy travel days, the lines are insane. I remember a few years back it that it was taking up to an hour to pass through regular screening on the South checkpoint... Luckily, the elite line was practically empty!!^ Took about two minutes from the moment one would enter the line, until they reached the TDC...

Ouch!

That's an even worse solution to the problem.

Common sense should just tell them to stop wasting time checking granny's wheelchair and ID/BP combinations for all passengers to speed things up. Instead they shut things down...

Remember, this is TSA.... To them, common sense means nothing:mad: