How to Jump the Line at Airport Security

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The TSA stopped posting average wait times at security checkpoints on its website more than a year ago, but travelers weren't fooled: We all know lines at security are getting worse. The agency—somewhat hesitantly started testing Pre-check, an express lane for pre-screened frequent fliers, in October for frequent fliers in October, but only at Atlanta and Detroit (big Delta hubs) and Miami and Dallas (ditto for American). The perk is even less accessible because the test run is open only to high-milers chosen by an airline, or to members of the U.S. Customs trusted traveler programs, which require a full background check and biometric ID—meaning the government already deems them trustworthy.

So maybe your invitation got lost in the mail? You’ve still got options.

•Join Clear—there’s a deal going on now. A private company, Clear (which rose out of the remains of a defunct company of the same name) is already operating expedited lanes at two major airports (Denver and Orlando) for all airlines, and wants to get into more.

It costs $179 a year to join, which might sound steep if you’re not a road warrior, but there’s a discount rate of $50; for family members and no charge at all for children 18 and under. It works like this: You sign up online, then present an ID and get your fingerprints taken at one of the enrollment centers where Clear operates. At that point, you get a card that essentially gets you right through security with no wait (you still have go through the metal detector and bag check, of course).

If you’re thinking about it, now’s a good time to give it a try: In a promotion pegged to Daylight Savings (because the service saves you an hour, heh heh), Clear is offering a two-month free trial to prospective joiners, plus it’s knocking $25 off the membership fee. Sign up before we set the clocks back on November 6 for the deal.

Other ways to avoid airport jams:

•Earn premium status in airlines’ frequent flier plans. That’ll get you line-cutting privileges at some airports, but it might not work where your airline isn’t a big player or if you don’t fly enough for this perk. At some airlines you can gain this exalted status after flying a minimum of 25,000 miles a year (note that that’s actual miles flown, not points gained through a credit card).

•Use TSA ”expert lanes.” These are marked by the black diamond signs, but unless you have an airline’s membership card proving your road warrior bona fides you’ll have to fast talk your way past the minders. Technically there’s no requirement that you have to prove you are an expert, but I tried to get on this line at O’Hare Airport once, and a red-jacketed security guard (a sure tip-off a person is with a private contractor working for the airlines and not a TSA employee) shooed me away, saying my boarding pass gave no evidence that I was an ”expert.” True, I was flying coach and I don’t have premium status in any program, but on TSA’s website explaining these lanes, there’s no mention of needing any official status, and given what I do for a living (I’m CNT’s senior correspondent for aviation), I’m clearly an expert traveler. I actually wrote a complaint to TSA and got a form letter reply that simply said they were not responsible for the actions of someone who wasn’t a TSA employee.

•Find an airline agent. If you might miss your flight because you’re stuck behind the Clampett family, seek out an airline agent and explain your situation. They’ll usually bump you to the front of the line to avoid having to rebook you. That’s because of one little known fact: The airlines, not the TSA, actually control the space right up to the checkpoint. That’s how they’ve managed to have their own elite lines and at peak times they’ll often have employees posted nearby—in part, to sort out situations like this.