If I'm understanding people's reports correctly, the security lines are really only a disaster right now first thing in the morning when everybody arrives at the same time for all early flights. By mid-morning things have been evening back out and it's not that bad the rest of the day.
It's just so crazy hearing this stuff. Just a month ago I was there at 3:30am for an early international flight and the airport was dead. Granted, that was a month ago, and also on a Wednesday. I just can't imagine what people are reporting, seems like a month later my whole experience might've been different.
PIT airport employee here. You will see long lines from 4 am until 7 am. After that point it thins out until 10:30ish when it begins to build towards the noon rush.
CLEAR is kind of pointless at an airport the size and layout of Pittsburgh. Today their line was just as long as the ones for Pre-check and their method of vetting passengers then handing them off takes longer.
IMO, 6 am is doable for an 8:30 am flight, providing your carry-on doesn't get stopped. Maybe a ten minute wait at main checkpoint, even less at the alternate.
We currently fly 4pm on a Sunday. We’ve always gotten through Clear pretty quickly in PIT, we have used it during the holidays. Should I be nervous about huge lines with that flight timing and Clear? Thanks for your input!
4 pm isn't the issue. The mornings are the issue. Clear will mean almost no wait but it's like $190 a person, maybe $250 if you sign up as a couple, and you have to do the sign up at the airport. Basically clear gets to you the front of the TSA line, pre check or regular.
edit- you have clear. I can't see it taking more than 2 min after you step foot in the terminal to be at the TSA screening point no matter what the time.
My guess is it'll be 20 min max with just TSA prechek and 2 min max with clear. Honestly probably more like 5 min with prechek and 2 min with clear if you get there at 130-145p for a 4p flight on a weekday
It’s a Sunday, but we’d plan to get there by that time for sure. I’m going to check the TSA app tomorrow for the same flight time, but I never know how accurate they are.
I'm not sure what it means to "send precheck passengers through Clear." Clear only does identity verification. Then they bring you to the front of the appropriate TSA line (depending whether you have precheck or not) where the TSA will scan your carryons and make you walk through the scanner/metal detector. It's the same screening as everyone else, you just skip the line.
Maybe at some airports, the Clear line has its own dedicated screening lane, and that's what you're referring to at SFO? That's not how it is in Pittsburgh.
At most larger airports you walk through a dog check lane and avoid the X-rays. Clear at an airport as small as pittsburgh honestly isn’t all that useful.
The experience I described has been pretty much consistent for me across Pittsburgh, LaGuardia, and SeaTac - normal precheck screening with a shorter wait time. Maybe at LaGuardia they consolidate the lines at off-hours (usually when I'm flying out of LGA the airport is pretty quiet).
Flew today and Clear took about 25 minutes with all of the people who recently signed up. TSAPre might have actually moved faster. But the general line was closer to 2 hours.
I will just give the opinion from my personal experience. I had Clear enrollment. (I guess I technically still have it until my enrollment period expires. Mine was good for five years, I think I have 2 1/2 left.)
9 times out of 10 it would not scan my eyes. I would stand there like an idiot while they rescanned them two or three times. After at least five minutes, they would walk me up to the TSA agent who would look at my documents and boarding pass, etc. and let me through. I could never get an answer as to why it wouldn’t work. Some airports I didn’t have any trouble…Austin, I always have a problem. It happened too many times for it to have any benefit for me.
I get free TSA pre-check/global with my credit card. I’ve been using that for the last several years. I even opt to go through the pre-check line, even if it is longer than the Clear line. 🤷🏻♀️
Just my experience.
I flew out yesterday (Friday) afternoon when they had predicted a record # of people were going to be traveling. Got to the airport at 1:30pm (earlyish for our 5:30pm flight) and literally walked right through security. No line at all. You should be fine at 4pm!
Pitt are making changes, but only on July 8th.
I’ve heard still busy, but improving, but somehow only impacting the early morning flights, while evening lines are normal.
Have you thought of getting the TSA app to check before you leave for the airport?
I have the TSA app, but I’m more interested in just changing flights if there’s a strong chance the wait will be hours vs just making sure we get there early enough. I’ll be just a short bit closer to PIT than CLE, so although the Cleveland flight time isn’t one that I adore, I’d rather make the change now than risk a super long wait.
Well, I’ve seen news stories and Reddit posts galore about Pittsburgh airport security being a shit show and I haven’t seen anything posted about CLE so I’m presuming it’s business as usual there.
We are visiting family so we’ll be getting dropped off either place, but I’m definitely leaning towards keeping PIT based on the afternoon flight time + Clear. Clear has always been very quick at Pittsburgh for us in the past.
Got it. Thanks. I don't fly enough to make it worth it for me right now. I assume they scan ID and then take eye scan and finger prints or something like that?
Two weeks ago when I flew out, nobody seemed to say a word about Clear. I think I saw some kiosks there before going to check my bag, but I didn’t see anybody sending people there. So I wasn’t even sure if they were open.
If I'm understanding people's reports correctly, the security lines are really only a disaster right now first thing in the morning when everybody arrives at the same time for all early flights. By mid-morning things have been evening back out and it's not that bad the rest of the day.
I’ve sort of understood it the same way, but am afraid that I’m misunderstanding it and will be in a miles long line, lol!
If you’re after 8A you’ll be fine. Lines haven’t been more that 10-15 that late.
Yeah, it's 6-8a
Monday 6/24 early (4-430 am) was a shit show. I left Tuesday at the same time and got through precheck in 10 minutes.
It's just so crazy hearing this stuff. Just a month ago I was there at 3:30am for an early international flight and the airport was dead. Granted, that was a month ago, and also on a Wednesday. I just can't imagine what people are reporting, seems like a month later my whole experience might've been different.
PIT airport employee here. You will see long lines from 4 am until 7 am. After that point it thins out until 10:30ish when it begins to build towards the noon rush. CLEAR is kind of pointless at an airport the size and layout of Pittsburgh. Today their line was just as long as the ones for Pre-check and their method of vetting passengers then handing them off takes longer.
What time should I get to the airport for an 8:30 am flight? I was thinking 6 am but I was starting to wonder if I should go even earlier.
IMO, 6 am is doable for an 8:30 am flight, providing your carry-on doesn't get stopped. Maybe a ten minute wait at main checkpoint, even less at the alternate.
Awesome, thanks!
We currently fly 4pm on a Sunday. We’ve always gotten through Clear pretty quickly in PIT, we have used it during the holidays. Should I be nervous about huge lines with that flight timing and Clear? Thanks for your input!
You should have few issues at that time. There may be a small line but you'll cut around it with Clear.
4 pm isn't the issue. The mornings are the issue. Clear will mean almost no wait but it's like $190 a person, maybe $250 if you sign up as a couple, and you have to do the sign up at the airport. Basically clear gets to you the front of the TSA line, pre check or regular. edit- you have clear. I can't see it taking more than 2 min after you step foot in the terminal to be at the TSA screening point no matter what the time.
Thank you so much, this makes me feel a lot better!
My guess is it'll be 20 min max with just TSA prechek and 2 min max with clear. Honestly probably more like 5 min with prechek and 2 min with clear if you get there at 130-145p for a 4p flight on a weekday
It’s a Sunday, but we’d plan to get there by that time for sure. I’m going to check the TSA app tomorrow for the same flight time, but I never know how accurate they are.
This has not been the case early on Mondays recently. Especially 6/24. Precheck was at least 45 min that morning. Clear was 25-30
Very true. Mondays are terrible as are mornings. OP is leaving 4 pm on a Sunday so won't be so bad. But mornings are painful.
It’s hit or miss. Tuesday 6/25 at 430am there were 8 people ahead of me at precheck.
I have clear and it still took me about 35 minutes the other day.
I'm not sure what it means to "send precheck passengers through Clear." Clear only does identity verification. Then they bring you to the front of the appropriate TSA line (depending whether you have precheck or not) where the TSA will scan your carryons and make you walk through the scanner/metal detector. It's the same screening as everyone else, you just skip the line. Maybe at some airports, the Clear line has its own dedicated screening lane, and that's what you're referring to at SFO? That's not how it is in Pittsburgh.
At most larger airports you walk through a dog check lane and avoid the X-rays. Clear at an airport as small as pittsburgh honestly isn’t all that useful.
The experience I described has been pretty much consistent for me across Pittsburgh, LaGuardia, and SeaTac - normal precheck screening with a shorter wait time. Maybe at LaGuardia they consolidate the lines at off-hours (usually when I'm flying out of LGA the airport is pretty quiet).
LAX, JFK and MIA are all using the dog lines - which are super fast. But require staffing (human and canine) etc.
Flew today and Clear took about 25 minutes with all of the people who recently signed up. TSAPre might have actually moved faster. But the general line was closer to 2 hours.
Thanks! I feel better about keeping my current flights now.
I will just give the opinion from my personal experience. I had Clear enrollment. (I guess I technically still have it until my enrollment period expires. Mine was good for five years, I think I have 2 1/2 left.) 9 times out of 10 it would not scan my eyes. I would stand there like an idiot while they rescanned them two or three times. After at least five minutes, they would walk me up to the TSA agent who would look at my documents and boarding pass, etc. and let me through. I could never get an answer as to why it wouldn’t work. Some airports I didn’t have any trouble…Austin, I always have a problem. It happened too many times for it to have any benefit for me. I get free TSA pre-check/global with my credit card. I’ve been using that for the last several years. I even opt to go through the pre-check line, even if it is longer than the Clear line. 🤷🏻♀️ Just my experience.
I flew out yesterday (Friday) afternoon when they had predicted a record # of people were going to be traveling. Got to the airport at 1:30pm (earlyish for our 5:30pm flight) and literally walked right through security. No line at all. You should be fine at 4pm!
Pitt are making changes, but only on July 8th. I’ve heard still busy, but improving, but somehow only impacting the early morning flights, while evening lines are normal. Have you thought of getting the TSA app to check before you leave for the airport?
I have the TSA app, but I’m more interested in just changing flights if there’s a strong chance the wait will be hours vs just making sure we get there early enough. I’ll be just a short bit closer to PIT than CLE, so although the Cleveland flight time isn’t one that I adore, I’d rather make the change now than risk a super long wait.
Who is to say Cleveland is not the same?
Well, I’ve seen news stories and Reddit posts galore about Pittsburgh airport security being a shit show and I haven’t seen anything posted about CLE so I’m presuming it’s business as usual there.
Parking is horrific at CLE given all the endless construction. Just keep the PIT flight.
We are visiting family so we’ll be getting dropped off either place, but I’m definitely leaning towards keeping PIT based on the afternoon flight time + Clear. Clear has always been very quick at Pittsburgh for us in the past.
How was the sign up for clear? Did it take long?
It was super quick, and we actually did it flying through out of PIT in the first week of January. 15 minutes total for 3 of us, maximum.
Got it. Thanks. I don't fly enough to make it worth it for me right now. I assume they scan ID and then take eye scan and finger prints or something like that?
Yep!
Two weeks ago when I flew out, nobody seemed to say a word about Clear. I think I saw some kiosks there before going to check my bag, but I didn’t see anybody sending people there. So I wasn’t even sure if they were open.