TSA wait times improving at major airports, but travelers should still plan ahead
Security wait times seem to be improving rapidly at many airports across the country, a day after Transportation Security Administration officers started getting paid for the first time in weeks.
If you're traveling in the coming days, things may not be perfect — and you may still want to err on the side of getting to the airport early. But we can report this bit of good news: Several of the busiest airports have finally begun to see TSA lines easing. In some cases, wait times have returned to normal levels.
At Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) on Tuesday, travelers stood in line for just two to three minutes on average during a quiet stretch of the afternoon.
That's a huge change from just days ago, when the megahub saw TSA backups of two and three hours at the height of the ongoing partial government shutdown.
"Airport operations have seemed to return to normal," an ATL spokesperson told TPG Tuesday.
How normal? ATL was back to its "standard" guidance for travelers wondering how early to get to the terminal: two hours for domestic flights, and three hours for international.
It's not just Atlanta.
TSA staffing levels improve
Across the country, the TSA on Monday reported a 30% drop in officer call-outs as two full paychecks began to hit workers' bank accounts.
Outside Baltimore, travelers faced far less chaos to start the week after crowds snaked through the terminal over the weekend at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI).
"The normal, quick and efficient checkpoint operations we're known for have returned," BWI declared on social media.
Elsewhere, New York's three major hubs were back to sharing live TSA checkpoint wait times on Tuesday. The airports had pulled their trackers after a volatile few weeks made it difficult to predict how long flyers might have to wait in line.
The problems aren't entirely over
These improvements at TSA checkpoints came after the Trump administration on Friday took executive action to pay TSA officers, while Congress remained in a stalemate over funding the U.S. Department of Homeland Security — which has been shut down since Feb. 14. The partial federal shutdown caused TSA staffers (and other federal workers) to miss two paychecks, and triggered scores of agents across the country to call off work.
That led to the worst security backups in the TSA's nearly 25-year history, the agency's top leader told lawmakers last week.
The problems aren't entirely over.
Staffing problems remain
Despite improvements, Atlanta still saw roughly one in four TSA officers call off work on Monday.
At least one in five officers didn't show up at BWI and at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY).
Meanwhile, passengers flying out of Terminal 4 at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) on Tuesday afternoon faced a nearly hour-long backup — though the waits were less than 10 minutes for those with TSA PreCheck.
At Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), still only two checkpoints were open on Tuesday, and travelers didn't have access to fast-tracked services like TSA PreCheck and Clear.
However, the airport showed TSA wait times that were dramatically better than the three- and four-hour marathons passengers faced a week ago.
Will the TSA improvements last?
Together, all this looks like progress, and has given travelers with upcoming trips reason to hope the airport experience will be less miserable than the scenes we've seen of late.
Will these improvements last?
We have to point out, DHS — which oversees TSA — technically remains shut down. And the lawmakers that could end the shutdown are home on a two-week recess from work, a fact that's left the TSA workers' union "utterly disgusted."
TSA union leadership also told TPG that officers remained "unclear" on Tuesday whether the Trump administration's executive order (signed Friday) to pay officers this week would guarantee their next paycheck.
In a statement to TPG on Tuesday, a DHS spokesperson said TSA would "use every available means" to pay its workforce as the shutdown drags on.
Tips if you're heading to the airport
In the meantime, we recommend keeping a close eye on your departure airport before your next trip. Check its social media feeds and website to gauge whether operations seem to be running normally or if long lines are still the norm.
Keep in mind that many of the busiest U.S. hubs publish their own TSA wait-time trackers. Just don't rely on the TSA's own app, which is not being updated regularly as the partial government shutdown continues.
Expedited services like TSA PreCheck and Clear remain the best way to dodge the longest lines, and we're hopeful that as TSA staffing levels continue to rebound, we'll see fewer airports suspending those services.
If you have PreCheck access, be sure to opt in to the TSA's extra-fast TSA PreCheck Touchless ID service, which can get you through checkpoints even faster at dozens of U.S. airports. To use those lanes, you'll need to upload your passport info to your airline profile.
Bottom line
Beyond this shutdown, long-term concerns about TSA wait times remain. The agency on Tuesday said more than 500 officers have now quit or otherwise left their jobs since mid-February.
Last week, the agency's acting administrator warned this could have major consequences for the upcoming summer travel rush — a season that also includes the World Cup hosted in the U.S.
Related reading:
- When is the best time to book flights for the cheapest airfare?
- The best airline credit cards
- What exactly are airline miles, anyway?
- 6 real-life strategies you can use when your flight is canceled or delayed
- Maximize your airfare: The best credit cards for booking flights
- The best credit cards to reach elite status
- What are points and miles worth? TPG's monthly valuations