Whenever there is a change in TSA screening procedures, especially those covered widely in the media, it seems that things bog down for a while.

For those who have flown in the last couple of days, has the current flap over backscatter scanning and pat-downs caused significant delays in security lines?

Whoops! :o

Clicked in wrong window, I thought I had posted this in "Travel Safety/Security". Sorry, folks.

Fixed. Moving to TS/S
Obscure2k
TravelBuzz Moderator

I flew on November 3, November 8, November 13, and November 14 out of MIA, TPA, LGA, and PWM respectively and lines and checkpoint throughputs seemed normal or even better than normal. Of course, the time between Labor Day and a few days beore Thanksgiving is typically a light travel time.

I flew a bit at the end of Oct. and beginning of Nov. out of TPA and ORD (including the day the cargo bomb plot broke) and didn't notice any long wait times.

I flew out of MEM in early Nov and at 5:30 am the lines were longer than normal (normally not a line until much closer to 6 am). TSA finally turned off the WBI. Don't know why. It was taking a very long time to get through the scanner. Haven't heard lately.

Flew MSP-ATL-DFW on 11/5 - all checkpoints at MSP were crazy busy including Priority Lanes - we were 5 rows deep stacked up heal to toe for at least 25 minutes. Coincidence...who knows.

How do the pat-downs in the USA compare with the UK pat-downs? In terms of invasiveness and time taken? I guess it takes about 45" in the UK and I don't remember it being too close to the crown jewels, nor do I recall it overly slowing things down. It just seems to keep moving along.

I recently flew through PIT. Everyone in my line was required to do the NoS which really backed things up. Then I opted out and the next 25 people breezed through the WTMD.

Starting November 5, I flew out of (and went through security at) EWR, SEA, HNL, FLL and MCI. In my opinion, lines were longer than usual at all the airports except MCI. The line was especially long at FLL, early on Monday, November 15. That line was crazy long.

Bruce

Lines definitely longer than usual at JFK, SFO, and LAX in the past week. Of course it didn't help that tons of airline personnel were cutting in front of the priority lines, but that's fodder for another post.

On the 8 domestic flights I've been on since 10/29, the NOS (when it has been operating) has only been used randomly, and less frequently at times when the security line gets longer. I have not yet been through an airport that required ALL pax entering security to go through the NOS, which would definitely take longer than usual. About 4 pax can get through the metal detector in the time it takes to body scan one pax through the NOS, from my observation.

Thanks for the reports. I decided to go early to SFO for my WN flight to DEN today, but at 7:30 AM there was not much of a line in T1. About 10 minutes or so, total. They didn't seem to be doing anything different and the scanner did not appear to be in use. We all just zipped through the metal detector without incident.

Technically, the length of the line wouldn't have been affected one way or the other by cutting in line; whether they cut in line in the front, or get in line at the end, the line still ends up being the same length.

Now, the issue of how long you end up standing in that line ... well, yes, that definitely changes ... and I agree, that's fodder for another post ...

No, the delays are due to Liquids left in baggage.

And anyone with a brain and a college education with a focus on the sciences knows that the liquids threat is complete and udder bull cookies. how many times do we have to go over this.

Lay off the koolaid cue, tauting the company line that is a known lie just discredits you.