onthesam

From ORD this morning:

All T1 lines were moving but several x-ray machines were closed down. The Wednesday crowd at 630am (usually relatively quiet) looked a lot more like a busy Monday morning. The most notable closure was at the Gold Track/Premier Access checkpoint where 2/3 of lanes were closed. I'd estimate wait times between 10 and 15 minutes on average at all checkpoints and growing.

At T1 precheck where I went through, TSA has reconfigured stanchions to allow for additional people standing in line in between ID checks and metal detectors. The line to have BP checked for TSA Pre eligibility (before getting in checkpoint line) extended into the terminal past the Premier Access check in and probably added 7-10 minutes to the total wait.

​​​​I didnt suffer the additional wait as the 1K/Polaris check in area has been reconfigured to allow passengers to spill out at the front of the initial PB check line. There were 100+ people waiting to have their BPs looked at whom I was able to get in front by using that check-in area. Because I still had to wait in line for ID checks, however, it wasn't quite the GS experience. Hence ''middle-of-line privileges". Still nice. Thanks UA!

BThumme

The Delta/AC precheck gate at T2 is almost always a better and easier option in the morning from my experiences.

RobOnLI

Wait...the 1K check-in area doesn't require one to have their BP "looked at" for PreCheck before going into the PreCheck line? I never check a bag at ORD and I'm flying out of ORD today. Maybe I'll have to try this.

-RM

mpw81

Count me as another person who religiously tells the Uber driver to pass T1 for T2 during the morning busy period. I don't think I've ever had more than 4-5 people in front of me at the T2 pre line.

bmacke

There's usually someone standing right at the entrance of PreCheck, which is right where 1K/Polaris dumps out. Normally the ID check is still there even when the line is extended down the terminal so my guess is this was an unusual event.

Also, if you manage to get to the ID check, you'll likely be turned away at that point if you don't have PreCheck so I wouldn't advise trying.

msg75

Last week I uncharacteristically had a bag to check and went to the 1K check-in right next to the pre-check at the far left of Term 1 (closest to Term 2). I also noticed that there was an exit from the check-in area that opened just past the TSA BP checker. There was no back-up or lines but the BP checker was pre-occupied with a family and I walked right into the empty queue and headed straight to the TSA agent at the podium.

onthesam

​​​​​​
RM:

​​​​​​My BP still got "looked at", but thanks to using 1K line, it got "looked at" first. I highly recommend this area now (if not using T2 as otherwise discussed).

StuckinITH

When we check-in for Polaris flights, we use that exit from the check-in area but the TSA BP checker usually turns around . Sometimes a verbal assurance that we are TSA PRE is enough but sometimes they want to read it.

RobOnLI

Sorry. To be clear I have PreCheck.

Thanks. This is helpful. I'll try it today and enter through the 1K check-in area if there's a line for someone to check my PreCheck mark on the BP.

-RM

eng3

Sometimes I get past the front line checker because they are distracted but they always check at the end of the line and I've seen them turn people away.

tarheelnj

I'd love to see EWR open the GS TSA lane to 1K's (even if it's just during the shutdown). I've never seen more than 3-4 people use that lane at a time.