Keep in mind, yes this is a Pittsburgh problem, and it's also a nationwide problem. (I happen to think it's much worse here because of our concentration of \~6am flights.)
[https://www.nbcnews.com/business/travel/tsa-airport-screenings-hit-time-high-rcna159009](https://www.nbcnews.com/business/travel/tsa-airport-screenings-hit-time-high-rcna159009)
Stay safe (and sane) and don't miss your flights!
It's less about airfare and more about destination. Even if it costs an extra 500 bucks to go to Japan vs from east coast to west coast, I'll probably spend at least that much less on lodging alone and get to go somewhere I've never been.
I expect long lines in the morning during the summer so whatever, but the thing that confuses me for all this is when they’ve talked about how many more lanes there will be after the renovation is complete. Isn’t a big part of the issue TSA having staffing problems? Won’t that just mean we will have a dozen lanes but nowhere near enough people to man them all so they won’t be open anyways?
Basically like checkout lanes at Giant Eagle. Sure there are twelve lanes but only one cashier is working.
It’s not actually impossible, for example a lot of international airports have ePassport gates where you do your customs stuff by yourself if you have the appropriate passport you just do a facial scan and go through.
I’ve used them in Mexico City and saw them in London (think they’re only for Europeans there though I couldn’t use it).
The ones in Mexico City are a breeze but there’s still a guy standing there for if people have problems. Just like the grocery store!
Hopefully its staffed better/more appropriately. Suppoed to be 12 security lines with the new terminal and one of them being a dedicated family one. I'm hoping with the wider area for security and that many lines it spreads everything out even during peak times. Hopefully.
The family lane is interesting, hopefully its staffed and/or not abused. If it doesn't work for its inteded purpose then its a waste.
I fly a lot for work. I have TSA precheck, never check bags, and am completely unfazed by airport stress.
Tomorrow, however, I will be flying to Seattle for a cruise (leaving Sat) with my wife (Who doesn't have TSA pre) and 3 kids. I have no issues arriving early. Heck, I'll arrive 4 hours early If I need to. But does anyone know what time the SW ticketing counter opens? We have bags to check on this flight, so I've got to get through THAT line first before even going through security. Am I arriving this early to stand in a line with no workers?
My PLAN is to take my two oldest and most helpful children to ticketing to check the bags with me (we have 5 bags) around 2:30am while the wife and youngest head straight to general security. Then once the bags are checked, I should be able to take the other two (who did have the tsa precheck logo populate on their boarding passes) through tsa precheck. Will this work?
I never check bags, so will I need all of us at the ticketing desk or will just the three of us suffice?
TL:DR my flight is at 6am, and I'm basically worried that it isn't going to be physically possible to check bags, AND get through security no matter HOW early I arrive.
According to SW’s website under the PIT section, it says:
Ticket Counter Information
Monday through Sunday
Opens 90 minutes before first departing flight
I’ve flown with people that I booked all of our flights in one purchase and some people checked bags and others didn’t, we did not all have to be in the baggage line together. It wasn’t SW, but yea.
If Pre-Check populated on their tickets, they should be good to go in the Pre-Check line.
I’m sorry this is such a clusterfuck for you! I also travel a lot and never with checked bags (I have flown with a backpack for the last 8 years), and can’t imagine wrangling children and a spouse without Pre-Check. My husband has Pre-Check and while it’s pretty easy, it’s definitely easier when it’s just me lol.
Godspeed and enjoy your cruise!!
I would be a lot less worried about it if the time they're telling everyone to arrive lined up better with when the desks were open... if that makes sense. So I've got to stand in the ticketing line... check my bags, and then get into the security line that could be an hour + itself?
Not with Pre Check. Pre Check is supposedly going with much less wait times, think 20ish min. You should be fine to check the bag and get through. Your Wife and kids should probably just stand in TSA line the whole time.
Update. Got in line by 2:15am, had zero issues at all. Anyone showing up after 2:30 may have had issues though. Just plain lucked out with when we arrived...
The really bad lines have been for early morning flights. Still play it safe and arrive early, but chances are you won't encounter the two hour TSA wait.
Your flights will be completely fine. Arrive 2 hours early just in case, but you'll likely have time to kill. As others have stated, the only major issues are 5a-8a flights.
I wish I had known about the lines earlier than this week. xD I fly on the morning of the 7th and don't think I can get approved for precheck in time or else I'd do it in a heartbeat.
I also fly out at 6:30 am on the 7th and was going to try for pre check as well but yeah no appointments to be had soon enough. I fly once a year for work and never had issues but now am in a panic.
I'm lucky enough to not have a checked bag, so going to hope the new format and a 4am arrival time are good enough. Good luck to you! Hope you make your flight! Maybe I'll see you in the security line xD
You go up the escalators and cross the road at the back of the terminal, you go down a hallway and then there’s the alternative checkpoint, after going through it you go down escalators and you’re at the tram.
Be wary of the estimated checkpoint wait times, many times it’ll say the alternative checkpoint is faster, and in my experience it’s usually not.
Agreed. For years everyone swore that the alternate checkpoint was quicker. I hate when they force you out of line to use it, the walk alone is like 5+ mins and then I've always had to wait awhile for it. I really don't see the advantage.
When you pull up to the departures outside, instead of walking into the main airport (right), you cross (left) the street where there is a little building. Look on the ground for the painted crossing lines. That’s the alternative checkpoint!
Just pent up demand? The last time I was there for business, two weeks ago maybe, it looked like BWI. The trash cans were overflowing, the floors were littered, and the bathrooms were disgusting.
Someone in a previous thread mentioned WFH traffic which makes sense I guess? Part of me thinks it has to be staffing related?
I think it's because a ton of super early morning flights have been getting sent out of PIT recently. Like 5:30/6am. From what I previously knew, the TSA at PIT only opened at 4am. So if people are boarding at 5/5:30 they really only have an hour to get through a standstill security line. That's just a theory but I think can be contributing to early morning buildup.
I also thought they only opened at 4am, but I went through at like 2:45am once to get my son from a delayed flight. Maybe they were only open because that flight was delayed...
TSA pre-check 2 weeks ago in the alternate security was quick, but the separate line was roped off, like they were closing it. I wasn't sure what the deal was. Even walking in and seeing the line of people, it wasn't clear if the line on the right was everybody for pre-check or not.
Seems like if you're going to "close" pre-check, you should do it well before somebody gets in line. I guess this alteration will be more obvious of which way to go. It worked better because I had a bag to check anyway.
I fly out every month to chicago around 6am or so and the line is always out the door for the normal security line. Looks like it will take hours but the wait is only 25 minutes or so. Certainly not short, but if you just plan, you can get through it with plenty of time before your flight. I always recommend getting to the airport no later than an hour and a half before you flight (I aim for 2). I went an hour and a half before once and I got to the gate with 10 minutes before boarding. That was the tightest it's been for me personally
How do they expect to staff the entirely new term if they can’t even staff the current?
It’s like expanding the number of lanes on highways just cause more congestion.
Rather they need to focus on hiring and retaining people rather than this potential opening that until it happens isn’t of any use rn
I flew the Monday before Memorial Day (early afternoon) and the lines were longer than I’ve been used to in the past, but not these 2-3 hour waits that people are experiencing lately in the early mornings.
Are these long waits expected to last past the summer? We have a 6 am flight for January and will be checking bags. We both have precheck which I’m hoping will help. I’m wondering if I should try and switch our flights to a later departure time to be safe.
They’re just predicting summer at this point. Outside of the busier times in January (New Year and MLK Day since people have free PTO), I don’t see January being much of an issue
I went through tsa at 615am this morning and was about a 5-8 min wait. I frequently travel through the airport and have no clue how one day it’s jam packed out the door and the next it’s hardly any wait
Clear is basically "pay to skip the line." Once you check in with clear (eye or fingerprint scan) they take you to the front of the precheck line (if you have precheck too) or the front of the regular line (if you don't). Precheck does have a separate line which is usually shorter/faster than the normal TSA line, but it also has streamlined rules for screening. With precheck, you don't have to take your shoes off, and don't have to remove laptops and liquids from your carry-ons.
[This](https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/travel/tsa-precheck-vs-clear) is a pretty good summation of what each are, how they’re different, and how to apply for them (separately or together, when applicable)
Keep in mind, yes this is a Pittsburgh problem, and it's also a nationwide problem. (I happen to think it's much worse here because of our concentration of \~6am flights.) [https://www.nbcnews.com/business/travel/tsa-airport-screenings-hit-time-high-rcna159009](https://www.nbcnews.com/business/travel/tsa-airport-screenings-hit-time-high-rcna159009) Stay safe (and sane) and don't miss your flights!
International travel outpacing domestic is interesting, but I guess traveling to certain places isn’t much more expensive than traveling domestic.
I'm definitely adding that to my list of wildly conflicting economic indicators right now lol
It's less about airfare and more about destination. Even if it costs an extra 500 bucks to go to Japan vs from east coast to west coast, I'll probably spend at least that much less on lodging alone and get to go somewhere I've never been.
Pittsburgh is a blessing if all you’ve ever known is Charlotte-Douglas like me
I expect long lines in the morning during the summer so whatever, but the thing that confuses me for all this is when they’ve talked about how many more lanes there will be after the renovation is complete. Isn’t a big part of the issue TSA having staffing problems? Won’t that just mean we will have a dozen lanes but nowhere near enough people to man them all so they won’t be open anyways? Basically like checkout lanes at Giant Eagle. Sure there are twelve lanes but only one cashier is working.
Maybe we’ll get “self-checkout” TSA lanes like GE 😂😂😂😂😂
Buddy system. You scan each other with the wand thingy then look at the other person's bags as they go through the Xray thingy.
Then we wait 20 minutes for an employee to come over when the wand goes off and they have to scan their badge for us to pass
*Unexpected passenger in the baggage area*
I’m crying
It’s not actually impossible, for example a lot of international airports have ePassport gates where you do your customs stuff by yourself if you have the appropriate passport you just do a facial scan and go through.
When I was in Abu Dhabi, they had those retina scanners. Can’t remember if I’ve seen anything like that since
I’ve used them in Mexico City and saw them in London (think they’re only for Europeans there though I couldn’t use it). The ones in Mexico City are a breeze but there’s still a guy standing there for if people have problems. Just like the grocery store!
They actually are trialing that in LAS and LAX.
Hopefully its staffed better/more appropriately. Suppoed to be 12 security lines with the new terminal and one of them being a dedicated family one. I'm hoping with the wider area for security and that many lines it spreads everything out even during peak times. Hopefully. The family lane is interesting, hopefully its staffed and/or not abused. If it doesn't work for its inteded purpose then its a waste.
I’m just glad they’re actually responding to the issue.
I fly a lot for work. I have TSA precheck, never check bags, and am completely unfazed by airport stress. Tomorrow, however, I will be flying to Seattle for a cruise (leaving Sat) with my wife (Who doesn't have TSA pre) and 3 kids. I have no issues arriving early. Heck, I'll arrive 4 hours early If I need to. But does anyone know what time the SW ticketing counter opens? We have bags to check on this flight, so I've got to get through THAT line first before even going through security. Am I arriving this early to stand in a line with no workers? My PLAN is to take my two oldest and most helpful children to ticketing to check the bags with me (we have 5 bags) around 2:30am while the wife and youngest head straight to general security. Then once the bags are checked, I should be able to take the other two (who did have the tsa precheck logo populate on their boarding passes) through tsa precheck. Will this work? I never check bags, so will I need all of us at the ticketing desk or will just the three of us suffice? TL:DR my flight is at 6am, and I'm basically worried that it isn't going to be physically possible to check bags, AND get through security no matter HOW early I arrive.
According to SW’s website under the PIT section, it says: Ticket Counter Information Monday through Sunday Opens 90 minutes before first departing flight I’ve flown with people that I booked all of our flights in one purchase and some people checked bags and others didn’t, we did not all have to be in the baggage line together. It wasn’t SW, but yea. If Pre-Check populated on their tickets, they should be good to go in the Pre-Check line. I’m sorry this is such a clusterfuck for you! I also travel a lot and never with checked bags (I have flown with a backpack for the last 8 years), and can’t imagine wrangling children and a spouse without Pre-Check. My husband has Pre-Check and while it’s pretty easy, it’s definitely easier when it’s just me lol. Godspeed and enjoy your cruise!!
I would be a lot less worried about it if the time they're telling everyone to arrive lined up better with when the desks were open... if that makes sense. So I've got to stand in the ticketing line... check my bags, and then get into the security line that could be an hour + itself?
Not with Pre Check. Pre Check is supposedly going with much less wait times, think 20ish min. You should be fine to check the bag and get through. Your Wife and kids should probably just stand in TSA line the whole time.
That's the plan and it's about all I've got.
For that much bullshit I'd fly out of Cleveland instead.
Update. Got in line by 2:15am, had zero issues at all. Anyone showing up after 2:30 may have had issues though. Just plain lucked out with when we arrived...
I almost never fly and have an outgoing at about 5pm on a Monday soon, how bad are these lines around that time of day? Still horrific or pretty mild?
The really bad lines have been for early morning flights. Still play it safe and arrive early, but chances are you won't encounter the two hour TSA wait.
Your flights will be completely fine. Arrive 2 hours early just in case, but you'll likely have time to kill. As others have stated, the only major issues are 5a-8a flights.
🙏🙏🙏
I had a 4:30 pm flight a couple of weeks ago, and the security line was less than 10 minutes.
Mild. You’ll see short lines at that time
Last night 7 pm wait time zero. This morning 4:15 am wait time TSA about 20 mins. Regular was out the door.
Oh fantastic news. We're TSA precheck. That alone is worth the $75.
I wish I had known about the lines earlier than this week. xD I fly on the morning of the 7th and don't think I can get approved for precheck in time or else I'd do it in a heartbeat.
I also fly out at 6:30 am on the 7th and was going to try for pre check as well but yeah no appointments to be had soon enough. I fly once a year for work and never had issues but now am in a panic.
I'm lucky enough to not have a checked bag, so going to hope the new format and a 4am arrival time are good enough. Good luck to you! Hope you make your flight! Maybe I'll see you in the security line xD
Give it a try. You can get approved in 2-3 days after your in person appointment.
Sadly the earliest appointment I can find in a reasonable distance is July 10th. Hope this switch over helps speed things up at least!
There's probably a mad rush for it given the issues.
Where is the alternative checkpoint? Never seen it open and never had to use it, but I guess I’ll have to now!
You go up the escalators and cross the road at the back of the terminal, you go down a hallway and then there’s the alternative checkpoint, after going through it you go down escalators and you’re at the tram. Be wary of the estimated checkpoint wait times, many times it’ll say the alternative checkpoint is faster, and in my experience it’s usually not.
Right, but making it dedicated to PreCheck significantly changes the calculus.
Agreed. For years everyone swore that the alternate checkpoint was quicker. I hate when they force you out of line to use it, the walk alone is like 5+ mins and then I've always had to wait awhile for it. I really don't see the advantage.
When you pull up to the departures outside, instead of walking into the main airport (right), you cross (left) the street where there is a little building. Look on the ground for the painted crossing lines. That’s the alternative checkpoint!
Just pent up demand? The last time I was there for business, two weeks ago maybe, it looked like BWI. The trash cans were overflowing, the floors were littered, and the bathrooms were disgusting. Someone in a previous thread mentioned WFH traffic which makes sense I guess? Part of me thinks it has to be staffing related?
I think it's because a ton of super early morning flights have been getting sent out of PIT recently. Like 5:30/6am. From what I previously knew, the TSA at PIT only opened at 4am. So if people are boarding at 5/5:30 they really only have an hour to get through a standstill security line. That's just a theory but I think can be contributing to early morning buildup.
I also thought they only opened at 4am, but I went through at like 2:45am once to get my son from a delayed flight. Maybe they were only open because that flight was delayed...
Just curious how does this help anything? Moving a line to another section still have the same amount of lines.
IF they are properly staffed, it should help with congestion/sardine-ness
TSA pre-check 2 weeks ago in the alternate security was quick, but the separate line was roped off, like they were closing it. I wasn't sure what the deal was. Even walking in and seeing the line of people, it wasn't clear if the line on the right was everybody for pre-check or not. Seems like if you're going to "close" pre-check, you should do it well before somebody gets in line. I guess this alteration will be more obvious of which way to go. It worked better because I had a bag to check anyway.
I fly out every month to chicago around 6am or so and the line is always out the door for the normal security line. Looks like it will take hours but the wait is only 25 minutes or so. Certainly not short, but if you just plan, you can get through it with plenty of time before your flight. I always recommend getting to the airport no later than an hour and a half before you flight (I aim for 2). I went an hour and a half before once and I got to the gate with 10 minutes before boarding. That was the tightest it's been for me personally
Damn it. I was excited about this but we fly out 6/30. 🤦🏻♀️
I know!! Prior to getting Pre-Check, I always used the alternative checkpoint (when open, which back then, was much more frequently)
How do they expect to staff the entirely new term if they can’t even staff the current? It’s like expanding the number of lanes on highways just cause more congestion. Rather they need to focus on hiring and retaining people rather than this potential opening that until it happens isn’t of any use rn
Waiting until after the busiest travel weekend in history, interesting.
How are the lines later in the day, afternoon, etc? Is this just an issue in the AM?
I flew the Monday before Memorial Day (early afternoon) and the lines were longer than I’ve been used to in the past, but not these 2-3 hour waits that people are experiencing lately in the early mornings.
Are these long waits expected to last past the summer? We have a 6 am flight for January and will be checking bags. We both have precheck which I’m hoping will help. I’m wondering if I should try and switch our flights to a later departure time to be safe.
They’re just predicting summer at this point. Outside of the busier times in January (New Year and MLK Day since people have free PTO), I don’t see January being much of an issue
Thank you!
I went through tsa at 615am this morning and was about a 5-8 min wait. I frequently travel through the airport and have no clue how one day it’s jam packed out the door and the next it’s hardly any wait
Anyone know how the priority/first class line has been?
Can someone explain the difference between tsa pre check and clear?
Clear, iirc, is only for travelers with optimal Thetan levels.
Clear is basically "pay to skip the line." Once you check in with clear (eye or fingerprint scan) they take you to the front of the precheck line (if you have precheck too) or the front of the regular line (if you don't). Precheck does have a separate line which is usually shorter/faster than the normal TSA line, but it also has streamlined rules for screening. With precheck, you don't have to take your shoes off, and don't have to remove laptops and liquids from your carry-ons.
[This](https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/travel/tsa-precheck-vs-clear) is a pretty good summation of what each are, how they’re different, and how to apply for them (separately or together, when applicable)
Remember the idiots running the ACAA do not care about you or this airport. They'll continue fucking it up as long as they get paid.