One of the biggest frustrations in life is waiting in a long security line at the airport, especially when the boarding time of your flight is starting soon! Travelers have been given ample warning from airports and TSA (Transportation Security Administration) to allow for more time to get through the growing airport security lines.
According to a recent article in The Washington Post, TSA is hiring 768 new airport screeners by the end of June. They will also be moving 2,784 part-time employees to full time to accommodate for the anticipated high volume summer ahead. It is clear that TSA is doing all they can to elevate the situation, and it’s still not enough. Even with these upcoming changes, they still recommend arriving at the airport three hours before your flight time.
But is TSA the only culprit in the increasingly long lines? Two senators, Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) cite another point of contention; the additional carry-on baggage we bring through security with us. They are urging all airlines to eliminate the fees for checking baggage for this summer. They cite the TSA in saying checked baggage fees may add an addition 27 percent toward passenger checkpoints, increasing the time needed to get through security. It’s an interesting thought, isn’t it?I don’t know about you, but I would rather pack lighter and carry a bag with me, than pay additionally out-of-pocket to have my bags checked. And a big time suck of the security line process is the multi-bin organization, waiting of new bins to be wheeled out, and claiming enough conveyer belt room for all your stuff. The entire security line environment may be different if we weren’t lugging around additional bags in an effort to save a few well deserved bucks.
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