- Joined
- May 2, 2002
I think the OP was looking for a preferred security line, not precheck. They bought first class tickets so wanted a preferred security line. I'm not at all sure those exist anymore. When I was in the precheck line, in Dec, there was a couple that had first class tickets, in the precheck line next to me. They were told to go to the regular security line. They argued that they had first class tickets, the TSA person said that didn't matter in the security area...if they didn't have precheck, they had to go in the regular line. Those were not happy people!!!There is - at least there was this morning on the A side.
I just flew out of MCO this morning. My husband was assigned TSA pre-check and I was not (previously, it has either been both of us or neither)- so we had the entire security experience!!
My husband breezed through pre-check, other than a woman in front of him who insisted on taking all of her stuff out of her bags, shoes off, etc. - she wasn't listening to anybody and was drawing the ire of the agents and those behind her. He then went to the lounge to wait comfortably for me. I had given him my few liquids to put with his, so I could avoid at least part of the regular security process, but it turns out it would not have been necessary.
I had to go with the masses. It was 5:45 - the lines were insane. Went through at the start of the line for all non-pre-check passengers. Times were posted as 22-26 minutes. About 50 feet into the line, there was a place for expedited passengers for certain airlines to break off from the line at the far left - there was a white lit sign above it, heralding expedited security for statused passengers for listed airlines. It would easily go unnoticed and the agents weren't telling anyone, you had to see it on your own. It definitely allowed those eligible to make a big 'skip the line jump' and get in front of a lot of people (the break off is before reaching the 'desks' where the agents check boarding passes).
Just for more information on today's security procedures (which are literally different every time I fly through MCO, and I have done it at least half of a dozen times this year alone).
Drug sniffing dogs working the lines at a point less than halfway to the desks. Constant calling out to everyone that there were no bins in use today - everything stayed in your bags including laptops, other electronics (absolutely no mention of food this trip), belts and shoes on - nothing in your pockets. If your shoes set off the metal detector - they said you would have to go through again, with your shoes going through the belt that 2nd time. There were still lots of people taking things out and off, and annoyed agents. Still lots of people getting snagged for missing those bottles of water they had coming into the airport. They were basically doing TSA pre-check protocols in the the regular security lines.
I set my stopwatch when I got on line - I cleared the security area after 25 minutes. If they were running the full boatload of security measures, those lines would have easily taken 60 minutes or longer. We still had plenty of time in the lounge before boarding since I am neurotic about getting to the airport early (for just that very reason - you never know how bad security is going to be). When we finally went over to the gate to board - we witnessed a lot of frantic people running to their gates. Our plane left late because they held it due to the large number of passengers who had not yet boarded - 18 to be exact, we left about 10 minutes late to accommodate the late arrivals.
And yes, that post is from Oct '17.