CDTraveler

I can remember standing in quite a few long, slow security lines before 9/11 - hit Terminal A at SJC at the wrong time of day, and the line was 30 minutes because of poor planning and inefficient staff. SFO, especially the international terminal, was also a total cluster at times, and let's not even talk about my one experience in Orlando - in 1991 - that security line took an hour, and we had to sprint for the plane.

In my experience, some airports had slow and inefficient security long before the TSA came along. I find SFO is actually better now than it used to be with previous screeners - ever read the SF Chronicle expos� on the wage scams of the private company screeners?

sergeant655

The airports at PIT, DTW,SEA and MSP have most of their shops and restruants beyond Security, Meeter's and greeters waiting in the Baggage claim area have little to no choice to grab a bite to eat even if the flight is delayed for three hours and they are left guessing what time the flights arrive. MSP only has Starbucks landside on the arrivals level, SEA has a few places and PIT has 2 places. Jax moved thier security checkpoints the pier entrances because of this rule to allow everyone access to the central shops and restruants. The area outside of the arrivals exits are now getting congested with meeters and greeters. the 9/11 highjackers departed from two airports with the ticketed passengers only rule prior to 9/11. Canadian airports always had this rule and most are designed so the arrivals exit the secured area striaght in to baggage claim and a few airports restrict access to the domestic baggage claim to passengers only. Australia is one of the only countries that stills allows meeters and greeters to the gates. This rule also makes the airport less of a public place.

Flyingmama

There are times when it IS a big deal to have a few more minutes to spend with the passenger. My husband and I always ask for (and always receive) passes to the gate when our son is coming back from or returning to Iraq. Those few extra minutes with him are extremely precious to us.

mirage1228

Buy a refundable ticket, and call the company for a refund the minute you pass the checkpoint. I've done it more times than I can count.

Spiff

^ ^

fastflyer

Have you ever had a problem with any airline, because by this point you would have checked in and printed your boarding card?

Spiff

There is no problem. If you do not fly, you can get a refund.

Even if you board the plane, as long as you "deboard" (get off and get checked off the flight), you still get a 100% refund, no questions asked. That is the flexibility of fully refundable tickets and that is why they are somewhat expensive.

mirage1228

Never... no questions asked! Anytime my friends are flying out of the same airside as the DL concourse here in MCO, I'll print out a BP and go with them and we'll all go boozin (free) in the DL CRC before their flight.

brentley

[QUOTE=FWAAA]
To be fair, however, the long lines began on September 14, 2001, even before the TSA was formed (Nov 19, 2001) and before the TSA began taking over checkpoints (beginning in May, 2002).

[QUOTE]

the longest line I have ever seen at SJC was Sep 14th, 2001 when I was travelling on the first AA flight out of there to DFW. the line was so long that there were empty seats simply because they couldn't get enough passengers through the checkpoint. A very rough day to travel and sort of a surreal experience.

amejr999

News from Rochester ...

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/1/7/19377/04428

(I liked the poll results)

Spiff

This Program will:

( ) slowly expand to other small/medium airports
(X) will be cancelled because it's a good idea
( ) only be applied to regional airports
( ) will eventually get to the major hubs

mikeef

Spiff,

If I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times: The answer is None of the Above. Rather, the correct answer is the super-secret unlisted choice:

(x) apply only to those willing to submit to a full body cavity search and pay a $75 annual fee.

Mike

bambi47

About 2 years ago, the TSA was asked to come up with a plan to allow everyone saying goodbye to or greeting a soldier to be able to go to the gates. Since then I have heard nothing about it. But, I do think that the mother, father, husband, wife and kids are allowed to the gate. I believe that you only need a gate pass and you are supposed to be able to get one, no problem. The one problem I see often, is that when soldiers are comming in on late flights, there is no one at the ticket counter to issue one. And trying to find a ticket agent or airline employee is like pulling teeth. My suggestion to you is to make sure you get there while there are still departing flights so that the ticket counters are manned. That is almost the only place you can get a pass. And ask their policy on going to the gate, because if the airline says you can go, we don't question it.

exerda

Not at the airports I frequented prior to 9/11. I admit I flew much less often in those days--perhaps 5-6 times a year vs. the 25-30 times now--but at the airports I used (ROA, CRW, GSO, DAB, JAX, and MCO, largely), anyone who wanted could clear security and go airside.

The lines were never long back then, either, oddly enough. My first experience with really long lines was at ATL on somewhere around 9/17/01 on a business trip, and then on the way back from XNA a week or so later. This was pre-TSA, but with inspections of nearly every carry-on, frequent pat-downs and gate screenings, etc., things were definitely much slower.

Personally, I don't mind so much that non-ticketed pax don't go airside. At many airports, it was a MESS trying to wade away from the gates through the departing pax and those seeing them off plus those waiting for the arriving pax. With the TSA's level of "efficiency," lines would be ridiculous at most airports trying to handle the added pax.

However, I wouldn't mind there being some way for non-pax to more easily clear security than having to buy a refundable ticket or claim to need to be meeting a minor or other pax needing assistance... maybe they could use a kiosk to buy a pass (for $2.50 - $5, to pay the "9/11 fee" ) and then go clear security. I doubt most people would take advantage of that, keeping #s of additional screenees low, but it would be there for the times you're picking someone up and their flight has been delayed, etc.

sergeant655

That would be handy for those people that want to go airside and greet friends or watch planes. The kiosk could include a id swipe system to check the persons id to make sure that they are not on the no fly list.