It’s hard to realize the changes at the TSA Security checkpoint over the last several years. Even more so because for part of that time, most people weren’t traveling.
Now that we’re back in the air again, we’ve settled into our travel routines. For me, that means starting trips from Orlando airport (MCO). I have my favorite off-site parking lot and know exactly how much time it will take to get to the airport and through the security line. There’s hardly for us a wait at MCO because we have both CLEAR and TSA PreCheck. And while this combination might not help much at some airports, like Atlanta, this is a huge timesaver in Orlando.
Flying home is a different story since every airport has its own respective idiosyncrasies. Since we don’t know if there will be a wait for a rental car shuttle, check-in or security, we leave plenty of time as a buffer.
On a trip to Philadelphia, I was flying home on United, which has a small presence at PHL’s Terminal D. The Hertz bus dropped me off outside and I walked to security since I was traveling with only carry-on bags.
What I saw was, well, surprising. There were a few zig-zag ropes for the TSA check-in. Off to the side was a sign for TSA PreCheck. There were more TSA employees than passengers.
There is no CLEAR presence at Philadelphia airport, making it one of the few top 50 airports in the US without the service.
I showed my boarding pass and was allowed into the PreCheck lane. I then walked to the TSA agent and provided my ID, since we had just written about why you no longer have to show your boarding pass to the TSA.
She nicely asked for my boarding pass, which I had to pull up on my phone (since I don’t print my boarding pass anymore).
Once through the security check, there was a dedicated TSA PreCheck security lane. However, the person in front of me wasn’t familiar with the process and began taking out his Kindle and removing his belt and shoes before the agent told him that it wasn’t necessary. (If he had only read our post about how to get through the TSA PreCheck security line faster.)
I wasn’t upset about the process because there wasn’t a line and I had plenty of time to stop at the Centurion Lounge before my flight.
The TSA doesn’t promise anything at security checkpoints, so you can’t complain if you don’t get expedited screening.
TSA uses unpredictable security measures, both seen and unseen, throughout the airport. All travelers will be screened, and no individual is guaranteed expedited screening
It was like that time when everyone on the PreCheck line had to take their shoes off for some unknown reason.
Many changes to the security checkpoints have happened incrementally, so it was interesting to see what things were like just a few years ago before CLEAR became prominent and when TSA Agents didn’t have Credential Authentication Technology.
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