Security Question
 

Does the ticket you book make you more/less likely to be screened? I am flying DTW->MDW ret ORD->DTW on a reverse-commute 'round trip' over this weekend. I find that MDW is a mess in the morning, but the traffic on the way home is much nicer, and it is quicker @ the cab stand. NW would not allow me to check in online, and told me that I would need to see a ticket agent (no kiosk, even) because I had been randomly selected for a security screening. I'm a little confused as to how waiting in a ticket checkin line will impact the security situation, but that's another discussion. If they're trying to hide the 'SSSS' from me, they didn't do a good job by making it impossible to check in, thus raising a red flag and causing me to call them up and ask. Is this common with other airlines? Never happened to me when flying UA, but UA doesn't have internet checkin and I never flew through MDW. Could the itinerary really be the cause of this headache? If so, it's not worth it.

[This message has been edited by IH8DTW (edited 03-13-2003).]

It's been widely reported that one indicator CAPPS looks at is a deviation from your usual travel pattern - although I deviate all the time and I've never gotten the SSSS.

Perhaps it interprets your ticket as two one way tickets (and one way tickets have been acknowledged by FAA and TSA as CAPPS factors).

In any event since you're not a terrorist, in all, a gigantic waste of your time. http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttr...orum/frown.gif

Welcome to FlyerTalk, BTW. http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttr...orum/smile.gif

I think others will soon tell you that cross-posting (posting your question more than once) is really frowned upon here. http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttr...orum/smile.gif

I'll be leaving from MDW on Memorial Day. What are the wait times at security these days? The problem is, if the first train from the Loop arrives at the station at 6:30 a.m., and my plane leaves at 07:25, is that enough time?

And no "If a train leaves Phoenix the same time a train leaves Philadelphia" jokes....

Tough call. Obviously you were smart enough to check the 'holiday' schedule, since on a normal monday the first trains get there before 5 am. I can't vouch for how many leisure travelers are travelling that early, but I will say that since it is primarily a leisure travel day, and MDW does NOT have a status/first class line for security, you will be waiting behind a large number of non-frequent travellers, which tends to slow things down. If you are somewhere along the orange line, I'd say the 20 or 30 bucks it will cost to take a cab is worth the peace of mind.