MCO used to be a reaosnable airport for going though security.
Today it took just over 60 minutes(at the 15 min sign) --at 1pm.
The situation was worse as people would be joining the line at various points ---due to the way the stations were organised.
Some people were stressed as their flight times were getting closer.
There seemed like there were only a few screening stations open and in the midst of all this they started using the "nude o scopes" so it even slowed things more.
There is no premium line as such..only a 'clear' line.
Chatting with some of the others in the line the chaos today was becoming the norm for MCO,,,,and they were planning on using other airports ,
Prior to this it would work OK...as the staff would have various lines and transfer people in groups to open stations to make it flow.

Every time I've flown through MCO in the last 8 years it's been as you describe. I had the prior incarnation of CLEAR because of two airports: MCO and IAD. IAD has improved since then. MCO has not.

The couple of times I've flown through MCO it has been a disaster at the checkpoint.

But anything the TSA touches turns into that.

As noted in another thread MCO allowed another Delta Door Opener to board yesterday. No doubt today they slowed the line down on purpose to give the BDOs more time to SPOT check today's fares.

While waiting in line try calming yourself by chanting a mantra. Just loud enough for the other fares to hear. Something like "If this prevents another 9/11� it's worth it." Repeat until your fellow fares turn into a riotous mob.

I'd rather chant:

"None of this would have prevented 9/11 (tm). None of this would have prevented 9/11 (tm)"

THEN watch the riot.

I've been flying to MCO, regularly, for the last six years. As mentioned, it has always been a charlie foxtrot at the checkpoint. When they use the RapeScan�, things go even slower, as so many of the disney families have no clue on how to clear security. "You mean I can't take my Starbucks through?!"

I took this photo from the Hyatt, last December. It can be hard to see, but TSA SPOT clerks were wandering the crowds, engaging the passengers.

Wow, that's a juicy spot for a suicide bomber.

> There is no premium line as such..only a 'clear' line.

Somewhat incorrect. There is an "Expert Traveler" line; and TSA
was monitoring it when I boarded at MCO two weeks ago.

It is adjacent to the regular line; on the same side as the Clear
line. Poorly marked. The Clear line and the Expert Traveler line
both dump into the same pair of scanners.

If you were traveling with kids; or lacked an obvious laptop bag,
TSA was politely asking questions; and shuffled a few near me,
out of the line.

Not to be rude towards you in any way!, but the "expert line" is a load of bull. There are many days where TSA will take down the "expert" sign, claiming that it slows down the other lines, or come up with some other nonsense..

As far as no airline premium cabin/elite lines, I had a long talk with the Customer Service Manager at MCO, and she said that the airport authority does not allow the airlines to have premium lines. Very unsure of what motivation there is to deny airlines, but I believe it may be financial, as CLEAR probably pays better..

I do my best to avoid MCO, be it the constant use of the RapeScanners�, or the clerks that tell me NEXUS is not a valid card, despite showing them paperwork from the website.

I agree. There are many times the Expert line is used incorrectly or not at all. Some times they shuttle all single passengers to that line. I like that, except for the "non expert" single passenger in front of me most of the time. One time they would not let hubby and I use expert because there were 2 of us. Didn't matter we were both experts on other days.
I also think MCO has the slowest TSA looking at the belts in any airport. They reverse that baggage way too much. Does looking at it 6 times help? How about getting a good look the first time?
MCO is best avoided at all times.

Yeah, I can't stand it!! make it stop!! Can't have to reduced wait time at checkpoints and no more wait for 10 minutes to get through at security. This is insane for TSA behaviors. This is not real specific time at all. I dislike TSA behaviors is very badly at airports. Eliminated the bodyscanners now!

Good Riddance to TSA!!

Maybe a stupid question,
But how do they if you are a expert flyer ?
Somebody who carries a laptop bag ?
I carry my laptop in my carry-on and I�m in jeans instead of a suite but I regard myself as a very export flyer. ( instead in the USA that is )
And what kind of questions do they ask to check if you are a expert flyer.
Sorry for my incompetency but I never traveled to the USA after 9/11

They don't. Furthermore, the lines are controlled by the airline, not the TSA. They can ask as many questions as they like about whether you are an expert traveler but they don't get to tell you which line to use.

Mike

Oh, it's even worse for the part of the lines that you can't see from this pic. Multiple lines of people with plexiglass walls to the right and left, a wide elevator bank behind (in between two groups of people in line--the one pictured and the one on the opposite side of the elevators), and a row of NOSs and WTMDs in front...and beyond those, the tram station.

So if anything crazy happened inside that area (gunman, bomb, whatever), those people pretty much have nowhere to go, other than to backtrack and stampede the lines of people in the pic.

The expert lines at the checkpoint are run by TSA, and not the airlines.