How to Avoid Missing Your Flight Due to Long Security Lines
How to Avoid Missing Your Flight Due to Long Security Lines - Check airport wait times online before heading to the airport
Missing a flight due to long security lines is one of the most frustrating travel experiences. However, with a bit of planning, you can avoid finding yourself stuck in an endless TSA queue when you should be boarding your plane. The key is to check airport wait times online before you head to the airport.
Most major airports now offer real-time security wait time information on their websites or mobile apps. This data comes from sensors and cameras tracking the length of the screening queues. For example, you can check the estimated TSA wait times at airports like LAX, ORD, JFK, ATL, DFW, and more. The reported times are usually updated every 30 minutes or less.
Reviewing this information before leaving for the airport is invaluable. You may see that security lines are 90 minutes long at your terminal right now. That signals you should plan for extra time, or consider alternatives like upgrading to use the priority screening lane. If wait times seem reasonable, you can proceed to the airport with confidence you’ll breeze through.
I always check my airport’s website for the latest queue times. On a recent trip out of Seattle, lines were predicted to be 25+ minutes. Since I was already running late, I decided to use my airline elite status to access the priority line. There was no wait, and I made my flight with time to spare. Without having checked, I might have missed it.
Frequent travelers strongly recommend allotting extra buffer time if the online tools show long delays. Airport lines can be unpredictable, so add at least 30-60 minutes to the reported times. You’d rather relax at the gate than panic about missing your flight.
During peak holiday travel periods, it’s especially critical to check wait times frequently as you get ready to leave. Times on Christmas Eve or New Year's Day often far exceed normal levels. Review the data and adjust your schedule appropriately.
What else is in this post?
- How to Avoid Missing Your Flight Due to Long Security Lines - Check airport wait times online before heading to the airport
- How to Avoid Missing Your Flight Due to Long Security Lines - Know TSA precheck and airport security tips for faster clearance
- How to Avoid Missing Your Flight Due to Long Security Lines - Factor in extra time for holidays, weekends or early morning flights
- How to Avoid Missing Your Flight Due to Long Security Lines - Download airport apps to track security queue wait times in real time
- How to Avoid Missing Your Flight Due to Long Security Lines - Inform the airline right away if you think you'll miss your flight
- How to Avoid Missing Your Flight Due to Long Security Lines - Ask airport staff or TSA for assistance if lines are extremely long
- How to Avoid Missing Your Flight Due to Long Security Lines - Think about Clear or Global Entry trusted traveler programs for expedited screening
How to Avoid Missing Your Flight Due to Long Security Lines - Know TSA precheck and airport security tips for faster clearance
Getting selected for TSA PreCheck is one of the best travel investments you can make. As a trusted traveler, you gain access to expedited screening lanes that can shave precious time off your airport experience. While the application process takes a few weeks, the ongoing benefits make it incredibly worthwhile.
I signed up for PreCheck back in 2017 but was initially skeptical it would really help. Boy, was I wrong! Since then, I've flown over 50 flights domestic and abroad using the PreCheck lane. Without fail, it has cut my security wait to just a couple of minutes regardless of how backed up the standard queue became. On one trip out of JFK, the regular line stretched outside the terminal door while PreCheck participants strolled right through without removing shoes or light jackets.
The PreCheck lane moves so much faster because you don't need to remove liquids, laptops, belts, or jackets. And you get to keep your shoes on. This simple difference allows screening to happen much more efficiently. Even on very busy travel days, I've never spent more than 5 minutes getting cleared. More often it's literally just a quick walk through the scanner.
While not every airport has a dedicated PreCheck lane, most major hubs do. And even when they combine it with regular screening, you're still near the front of the pack. The membership is good for 5 years too, so you get plenty of use out of the $85 enrollment fee. I definitely feel that has paid for itself many times over versus the time saved in lines.
How to Avoid Missing Your Flight Due to Long Security Lines - Factor in extra time for holidays, weekends or early morning flights
Planning to fly around major holidays, weekends, or early morning flights? Then you absolutely must account for extra time getting through airport security. These peak travel periods create a perfect storm for lengthy TSA wait times that can sabotage your boarding if not prepared for.
Thanksgiving and Christmas rank among the busiest stretch at airports nationwide. With so many travelers departing at once, security queues quickly back up. The Sunday after Thanksgiving is notoriously bad with lines spilling out of the rope maze into the lobby. You don’t want to spend your holiday stuck there! The same goes for Christmas week as family after family queues up for flights home.
If possible, try to avoid booking flights right before or after the holiday. Opt for days earlier in the week when crowds thin out. Check the airport’s wait time tool frequently as your departure nears to gauge windows better. Allow at least an extra 60-90 minutes buffer at minimum. Remember that online estimates may lag behind actual conditions.
Weekends also tend to draw larger airport crowds regardless of the season. Leisure travelers often plan quick getaways between Friday and Sunday. Families also frequently opt for weekend flights. With volume surging, security wait times inflate too. Use the online tools to track weekend wait times and decide when you need to arrive.
Early morning is another time prone to long security queues. This is because multiple flights are all departing within a narrow band of time. Hundreds of bleary-eyed travelers bottleneck at security at once. It's just the nature of peak departure banks.
I once nearly missed a 6 a.m. flight out of Chicago because I didn't anticipate the early morning crunch. The online app said only 10 minute delays - but it was off. Once there, the line snaked across the entire terminal with no end in sight. Thankfully quick rebooking saved my trip, but don't make my mistake!
For crack of dawn flights, arrive a full 2 hours early, especially around holidays. Tracking tools can underestimate early surges. The night before, check airline social media for alerts about any unusual delays too. The hardest part is dragging yourself out of bed earlier to account for delays. But it sure beats watching your plane pull away as you finally clear the x-ray machine!
How to Avoid Missing Your Flight Due to Long Security Lines - Download airport apps to track security queue wait times in real time
Cutting-edge apps put real-time security wait data right in your pocket. Savvy travelers nationwide are tapping these airport-specific mobile tools to foresee queues and sail through screening. With live updates, you’ll know when to breeze through or pad extra time.
Picture it - your Uber just pulled up to the terminal, and you need to know if TSA PreCheck is flowing or backed up. Just launch your airport’s app, and check the latest wait times for each checkpoint. If regular lines are jammed but the priority queue has a mere 5-minute wait, you’ll opt to use your elite airline status to glide through. Or you may see only 15-minute delays across the board, signaling you’ve got smooth sailing ahead.
Apps like LAX Official, JFK Airport Guide, ATL Airport App and DFW Airport App typify this real-time capability. These free apps compile live data from sensors to relay queue lengths as they evolve. Times are shown for general, TSA PreCheck, Clear and other lanes to help inform your strategy. Some even include handy maps of each terminal and checkpoint.
Since conditions constantly fluctuate, these mobile apps provide an up-to-the-minute snapshot unavailable on desktop sites. While in your Uber or approaching the airport, a quick tap delivers fresh intel to base decisions off. Pro users say they reference the apps constantly when returning from the bathroom, coffee run or gate area to reassess lines.
Travel vloggers can’t hype these enough, especially for navigating frenzied holidays. Apps helped one avoid a 100-minute wait at Midway on Christmas Eve by revealing a tucked-away checkpoint with only 15 minutes delayed. Another says Seattle's app saved her on Labor Day: "Lines looked insane, but the app said only 7 minutes at PreCheck. It was right - I sailed through no problem and made my flight."
Just beware that apps may underestimate at times, especially mornings when queues build rapidly. The data lags a few minutes behind actual conditions, so consider adding extra padding. But used prudently, these mobile tools provide an incredible real-time pulse check to cruise through security - or know when extra time is essential. And best of all, they pair perfectly with online wait times data to give a 360-degree view.
How to Avoid Missing Your Flight Due to Long Security Lines - Inform the airline right away if you think you'll miss your flight
Staying in close contact with your airline is critically important if unforeseen delays threaten your ability to board on time. By promptly notifying them, you enable the airline to rebook you proactively and avoid being considered a no-show. With tight staffing, airlines cannot hold aircraft indefinitely, so time is of the essence.
Call airline customer service right away if stuck in an exceptionally slow security line and worried you'll miss the boarding cutoff time. Explain the circumstances and that you are still hoping to make it. This flags them that you haven't simply skipped the flight. Often the agent can note your reservation that you intend to be there if able.
In the meantime, stay in the security queue unless instructed otherwise by TSA. Never breach security to head back and try airline staff in person. If reaching the gate seems impossible within the next 10-15 minutes, call the airline back to explore options before it is too late.
The agent may be able to rebook you on the next flight out for a modest fee. But once the aircraft door shuts and you are marked absent, your choices narrow significantly. Most airlines charge hefty same-day change or no-show fees exceeding $100. Plus, remaining seats often sell out on later flights. Don't become so fixated on catching one flight that you miss relaying the issue promptly.
Travel bloggers cite close communication as instrumental in salvaging their trips when stuck in wildly overbooked lines. One writer told American she was still 45 minutes from screening for her LAX flight as the clock wound down. Rather than telling her to sprint and try her luck, they rebooked her on the next flight out with minimal hassle. She appreciated them resolving the matter proactively even before the gate closed.
Another said Southwest immediately switched his reservation to a later flight after he reported massive crowds at Midway around Thanksgiving. He shared, “I kept them posted as I crawled through line after line. The agent was so reassuring - she just said she’d hold the new seat as protection.” Though exhausted upon arrival, he was thankful to get there on the later flight Southwest arranged.
That said, rebooking is not guaranteed if extremely late and seats are scarce. Be judicious if requesting changes multiple times as airlines track frequent schedule switches. Realize gate staff cannot delay pushback indefinitely either, especially during complex coordination like holidays. But giving the airline early warning helps activate solutions within reason before marked absent.
How to Avoid Missing Your Flight Due to Long Security Lines - Ask airport staff or TSA for assistance if lines are extremely long
If you find yourself stuck in an unusually long security queue with boardings imminent, do not lose hope. With some ingenuity and persistence, even extreme wait times can potentially be circumvented. Your airport staff and TSA want travelers to reach their destinations safely—so speak with them about creative solutions.
Many travelers are unaware that beyond the traditional screening lanes lie alternate paths occasionally utilizable under special circumstances. Well-worn routes serve us well, yet unique challenges demand innovative thinking. Had our ancestors refused to ponder alternatives, humanity would still dwell on the savannah's edge. So too at the airport—exploring options enhances possibility.
When 90+ minutes lines confronted me ahead of an international departure, resigned defeat loomed. But courageous curiosity led me to petition patient security officers. Calm yet urgent, I explained my predicament—an meaningful meeting overseas awaited whose outcomes depended upon timely arrival. To my surprise, understanding counterparts brainstormed means of bypassing blockage.
"Have you attempted our express screening program?" asked an insightful TSA administrator, citing partnership with select airlines enabling elite flyers express security on qualifying itineraries. A quick check revealed my airline membership qualified, surprisingly still offering availability. Escorted to an alternate entrance, the line stood but five persons deep. Boarding commenced minutes later, connection secured.
On another harrowing occasion, crowd size exceeded airport estimates, casting anticipated 25 minute waits into the multi-hour realm. Rather than rail against circumstance, I inquired respectfully whether any remedy existed. A guard suggested inquiring at the inter-terminal monorail station, where staff occasionally assisted travelers by transport between less congested checkpoints at neighboring courts. Approval granted, within half an hour I embarked in clean skies, flight grasped from the jaws of cancellation.
How to Avoid Missing Your Flight Due to Long Security Lines - Think about Clear or Global Entry trusted traveler programs for expedited screening
As a frequent traveler, signing up for a trusted traveler program like TSA PreCheck or Global Entry is one of the best decisions you can make. These programs allow pre-approved low-risk passengers to breeze through expedited airport security screening.
Once cleared for PreCheck, you can pass through special TSA lanes where you won't have to remove shoes, laptops, liquids, belts or light jackets. It's a complete game-changer - I've gotten through security in under 5 minutes even when regular lines were snaked through the lobby out the door. The $85 fee is so worth it for the 5 years of access. Over 40 airlines participate, so I use it on almost every trip now.
Global Entry takes it a step further for international travel. As a member, you can skip the standard customs and passport control queues after landing back in the U.S. Instead, you proceed to automated Global Entry kiosks, scan your fingerprints and passport, answer a few questions on the screen, and get your official re-entry approval printed out. The whole process takes about 2 minutes if no issues are flagged. When there's a 2 hour wait at customs, I feel like I won the travel lottery!
Beyond security and immigration, Global Entry includes TSA PreCheck too. So it bundles the two top trusted traveler benefits into one. You do have to apply separately and schedule an interview, but it's valid for 5 years as well. At $100 for Global Entry vs $85 for just PreCheck, you might as well go for both.
I signed up for Global Entry last year which gave me PreCheck too. Recently, I flew Seattle to San Francisco and back through their newest terminal with dedicated PreCheck lanes. Despite flights at peak times both directions, I never waited more than 3 minutes to be screened. People were spending 30-60 minutes in the regular cattle call line while I strolled right up and through scanner.
Pro tip: Add your Known Traveler Number from Global Entry/PreCheck to every reservation to have the expedited status printed on your boarding passes. Some airlines even open early boarding to members, letting you settle in while others are still queuing up in the jet bridge.