As a frequent traveler, one of the few perks I am afforded is to use the priority boarding line at the airport, getting to my gate a little faster avoiding long waits behind inexperienced travelers fumbling for their boarding passes, drivers licenses, passports and false teeth.

Unfortunately, twice now I have had to wait for extended periods at the security point while a TSO happily checks the documentation of many people in the regular line while I stand and wait like a spare part. I know this gives them a sense of power and purpose but it pissed me off enough to complain to the airport authority who, after all owns the line up to the security point. They denied any responsibility and forwarded my complaint to the TSA.

I received a reply telling me the TSA does not believe in the priority lines but (and get this) would support experience traveler lines.

I would like to know the difference between a priority passenger (one who has in excess of 50000 miles racked up in a year) and an experienced traveler? The difference eludes me but then I am a mere software consultant and not clever enough to be a TSO.

Perhaps someone here could elucidate.

Personally, and I know others might at my statement, I would just walk right up to the TDC and hand over my BP and PP card if he/she continued to draw pax from the regular line, instead of just standing there, waiting for them to service me...

^

No from me.

I also walk right up to the ID checker as soon as he/she is done with the scribbling on the BP. No need to wait for the Godfather/Pope-like gesture to proceed, "You may now approach me, my child."

Count me in the camp that doesn't stand back and wait - I move myself in front of the next Kettle so the checker doesn't have a choice.

Which airport is that occurring at? I know my airline's station manager at my home airport blasted the FSD over checkers who were playing Robin Hood deliberately and making Elite customers wait for a long time....that problem was fixed quick.

PHX was the airport. And I did report it to the Airport Manager before being forwarded to the awe inspiring TSA.

Report it to the station manager of the airline that owns that priority line space. Was it more than once?

It was more than once. Thanks for the suggestion.

No one has yet been able to explain the difference between a Priority Passenger and TSA's Experienced Traveler. Could it be we are all too stupid to understand this philosophical point?

INK's totally guesswork definitions:

Priority Passenger: Determined by numeric criteria by an airline

Experienced Traveler: Determined in the mind of each individual traveler

So there is an existential aspect to the TSA suggestion!

Who cares if TSA 'believes' in the priority lines? Not their business to 'believe in' or 'not believe in.'

Their job is.........to annoy the travelling public. And to absorb all the McDonald's rejects.

I have noticed a trend of TSA-screeners deliberately treating "priority" AND "experienced" travelers badly - as in deliberate delays. At IAD, the experienced traveler line is the wheelchair line... and it seems to be the TSA trainee line (this morning they were training a contractor to do ID checks). At other airports - like T-4 at LAX - the strip-search machines are in the elite lanes. South side of DEN main checkpoint, same.

I believe, though have never seen a formal definition

Priority Line - Skip the line waiting for the ID Check or whatever based on your airline status

Experienced Traveler - A security station set up for so called Experienced Travelers, where those who know how to go through will pass quicker.

The experienced traveler concept was described a couple years ago when they were piloting it as:

It's a simple idea that is � at least in initial tests � having a big impact: have expert travelers who know the drill go through one line; folks who have a good idea of what they're supposed to do, but may not fly often, go through a second line; and families with kids or people who need more time or special assistance, through a third.

The difference, at least to me, is that the assumption is that an experienced traveler will go through the line quicker, be them priority qualifying or not. If for example I'm flying an airport I have no status on, I would not be Priority, but would be Experienced.

A priority traveler could be somebody who has never been on a plane before, has no clue how security works, but bought a first class ticket or whatever.

The TSA has never been thrilled with the some people get to cut the line concept.

There's definitely an attitude from some TSA/CATSA folks on those of us with access to priority services. I've gotten the hairy eyeball from CATSA agents when taking the priority line at YYZ, including being reprimanded and told to "wait my turn" for trying to attract the agent's attention. I don't know if it's jealousy or spite, perhaps both.

I remember the failed experiment with black diamond/blue square/green circle lanes at various airports due to the number of extremely slow people who self-selected as "experts", including families travelling with kids in strollers, and women wearing lace up boots and 5000 metal jewelry pieces who proceeded to alarm repeatedly while going through the WTMD.

Has any "test" that the TSA done ever been announced a failure?

Even if the "experienced traveler" lane is backed up and the family one is not as sometimes happen, they will declare it a success.

With no measurable goals, nor any independent measurement, they will always declare success with everything they do.

I have been going through PHX about twice a month this year and have never experienced this at all... often there is a dedicated priority lane ID checker who calls over regular PAXs when there is nobody in the priority line. This is in Terminal 3.