What!!!?!!!?
Marty, are you trying to tell me that you actually sat in COACH yesterday??!!!???

That is truly a shocking development. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

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"I just wanna wish you good luck, we're all counting on you"
-Dr. Rumack

Bingo. I witnessed the same exact scene last year on the Sunday after CES (fortunately I was in the SWA line which was only 1 hour long). I have since decided to boycott LAS for Sunday departures.

The fault really lies with the Clark Co. airport authority because they have failed to implement a better system to process people through security since 9/11. TSA has set up additional metal detectors, but they are now maxed out on space at the C and D checkpoints.

So long as people continue to stream into LAS, the airlines have no incentive to pressure McCarran as their planes are full and profits are high on these routes. Ditto for the casinos (who probably have more clout than the airlines).

Perhaps those of you who attend major conventions in LAS might suggest to your trade assoc that the conventions be relocated unless improvement are made. That is the type of action that will catch the attention of Clark Co and the casinos.

Just prepare to get to LAS early period. You can always play the slots if you get there too early. The lines are horrendous when I go there. LAS is the #1 vacation spot so tehre are conventions and many people coming and going. No airline can be responsible for our Government not stepping up the amount of TSA workers at McCarran. Therefore I would just go early. This is the price you pay for Sin City.

Hi,

An article ( and photo) from the Las Vegas Review Journal

http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_ho.../22976139.html

Regards

TBS

Don't know about outgoing last (Sun) night, as I didn't arrive at LAS until around 11pm myself (I've been flying RT from RDU-LAS) every Sun evening and returning via the red-eye pretty much every Thu evening (not counting last 2 weeks in Dec) since late July, and will continue until (at least) late May/early June.

My take on the situation is that TSA does a decent job here at LAS (better than at most airports I've been to in the past year). If you're part of a Vegas convention (or are aware of one going on), then common sense would dictate to avoid peak travel times (based on the conf. schedule). While I'm not attending any in-town conferences, that's mostly why I fly in on Sun evenings and return on Thu evenings.

Just my two peso's.

We too left LAS at 0700 Saturday Morning. Had two parties of two. The e-machine would not allow either group to check in with cards, however, the first class/premier line got us through fairly quickly.

The first class check in line had a small, maybe 20 minute wait for us. Somebody in the four deep other line mentioned they had been there for an hour and weren't near the check in lane. Some person decided to jump the rope and check in through the crew line. It was rather entertaining, then he announced to the TSA Agent that he "was waiting for an airplane". She explained that was what everybody else was doing there.

We decided that arriving at 0515 for a 0700 flight was just about right. Would not have wanted to get there any later.

Is the priority check-in line an "elite/premier" line or a "first class" line? I have seen it referred to as both, as well as a reference to getting a boarding pass stamped as FC.

I am traveling through LAS as a 1P on a coach ticket. I usually use Mr. Easy Check. Is there something special that I need to do to use the priority line?

In LAS the fast line is only for First Class - 1P in coach will not work.

The UA supervisor at check-in said that they were for Global Sevices customers too. If a GS were in coach, he/she could get the coveted "FIRST CLASS" stamp.

Oh pleasssssse.
You know me better than that.
The upgrade for the LAS-LAX flight cleared at the gate. Really had to sweat that one. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

The banners above the check-in desk definitely say "First Class / Premier"... Although I was booked in F anyway.

Today I went from the kerb through check-in and security in about 30 minutes (at 11am)... Kudos to the UA check-in agent who was surprisingly friendly and cheerful.

The "First-Class stamped" security line only had 6 people.

The normal security line zigzagged for a LONG way (albeit only inside the terminal), I'd say 1000+ people queued.

It was hard not to smile when walking around that crowd http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

What a difference a day or two makes. Left LAS Friday 11am for ORD. 1 min wait for check in, no wait in F security line, regular security line maybe had 20 people lined up (could have been more than a 2-3 minutes). 757 had maybe 18 people in F, and 75 in Y. UA agent told me that CES kept others away so low bookings leaving, but watch out on Sat (pm) and Sunday whan everythign was way overbooked.

The C/D Gates Security Checkpoint Expansion project is underway at McCarran. The existing passenger queue area will be expanded over the top of a portion of the South Baggage Claim area in order to better accommodate passenger queues during peak hours.

I believe this is scheduled for completion by next fall. I was told there'll be up to 16 security lanes.

Things were better Monday morning... but not much... I'd estimate 1000+ people in the late a.m. 'D' Security line. Moved pretty fast though -- about 45 minutes total from the end of the baggage overlook area to boarding the tram.

Here's a tip that saved me an hour in line at the UA check-in desk and probably kept me from missing my flight (even Mr. EasyCheckin's lines at the counter were LONG and slow)...

But there are a dozen or so of the multi-airline EasyPass (I think that's what they call them) machines on the second floor before the security gates. No one was using them!! 30-seconds... and off to the security line! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Things were pretty empty on Mon night. I gave myself a little extra time to drop the car off and get thru security. I ended up strolling thru security and had 1.5 hours to kill at the gate.

[This message has been edited by SeeYa (edited Jan 13, 2004).]