Had to fly with the peasants and unwashed masses today and American (still sucks) sent me email saying TSA was experiencing delays and to arrive 2 hours early....I compromised at 1:30 early.....by golly the line was backed up and they only had one lane open....I am precheck so I zipped through pretty quickly, with only some minor annoyance on unclear policies. My question is, is this delay being experienced nationwide? I am guessing yes, due to the “free” money and lack of anybody wanting to work. Thoughts?
TSA delays......
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Mikey B
Pre-takeoff checklist
And summer vacation, after a year+ of confinement...
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3G
Flew commercial (AUS-SFO) last week of June/first week of July. Airlines warned the same thing about TSA and it was still a no-wait experience for us in PreCheck and the regular folks didn’t seem to have anywhere near the wait they would’ve had the summer of 2019.
Yes. There’s a shortage of TSA workers. Really shortage of workers in every sector. So combined with the increases travel demand, the lines have been crazy lately. If you fly often, I’d suggest purchasing Clear. You get to cut to the front of the Pre-Check line. Also download the MyTSA app. They show approximate wait times and average wait times depending on the time and day.
midwestpa24
Final Approach
Travel is back to pre-pandemic levels for a large part of the country, even exceeding it in others.
luvflyin
Touchdown! Greaser!
I got MyTSA. Cool app. While is was in there I enrolled in TSA Pre-Check. Gonna go get fingerprinted soon. What is Clear? Thanks for the tip. And thanks @Getonit for starting it. Even though I am a peasant and don't work. I do take a shower every Saturday though whether I need it or not.
schmookeeg
En-Route
I flew SFO-BOS and back last week (also on AA, god, what a goat rodeo) -- While there were numerous items of nonsense, terribleness, and delay, none were due to a TSA shortage and the lines were brisk for me. I think my precheck line was actually slower than the prole line in Boston.
The first-class seats were so gd uncomfortable on the flight out, I downgraded to coach for the return -- a middle seat even -- and it was BETTER. I don't understand how they do stuff like that.
The first-class seats were so gd uncomfortable on the flight out, I downgraded to coach for the return -- a middle seat even -- and it was BETTER. I don't understand how they do stuff like that.
https://www.clearme.com/
Uses facial recognition so you don’t need to show your ID or boarding pass. After the machine scans you and gives you the thumbs up, you just go to the front of the security line and go through the scanners
Katamarino
Pattern Altitude
I think you mean the shortage of people willing to work crap jobs for poverty level wages. The overall unemployment rate is trending down nicely.
EdFred
Taxi to Parking
Yes everyone deserves to be a millionaire for doing jobs that require little to no skill.
schmookeeg
En-Route
It's a failing of the TSA's HR apparatus, that they can't find people willing to PAY for the privilege to legally run their hands around the junk of the nation's travelers.
Rushie
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I got that message. My flight from RDU was noon and I had to Uber through RTP traffic on I-40 so I opted to go ahead and get there early and eat breakfast at the terminal so I summoned my Uber at 6 am. When I got there security was already a zoo and they were doing individual dog sniffing searches on everyone. I did not have pre-chek so I took off my shoes and was taking the electronics out of my bag when the agent yelled at me “Why did you take off your shoes!?” I thought I was supposed to in regular security, said I, she said, “Don’t do anything we don’t tell you to do!” Has the shoe thing changed? I can’t keep up with this nonsense.
Katamarino
Pattern Altitude
But every business deserves to have people falling over themselves to come and work for them without paying the going rate? Capitalism works both ways. If you can't pay enough to attract workers, you don't have a business.
People love to say "if you don't like our wages, then you can choose not to work here" and then get mad when they choose not to
schmookeeg
En-Route
So irritating. Each airport has its local unpublished rules. tablets in, tablets out, one laptop per bin, all electronics in one bin. shoes on, shoes off, sweatshirt on, sweatshirt off
I think the only rule is to get barked at by 80 IQs with plastic badges, grit teeth, make it through, try not to think about the $19 per segment fee that supports this epic make-work program.
Mikey B
Pre-takeoff checklist
Let's not forget why we have it. And the answer isn't "government overreach," at least not to me.
luvflyin
Touchdown! Greaser!
I just booked some flights on Southwest and it was $5.60.
donjohnston
Pattern Altitude
Only useful if you fly out of the large airports. Just about all airports located in class B airspace have it. Granted, that's where it really comes in handy. But it ain't everywhere by a long shot.
EdFred
Taxi to Parking
But every business deserves to have people falling over themselves to come and work for them without paying the going rate? Capitalism works both ways. If you can't pay enough to attract workers, you don't have a business.
People love to say "if you don't like our wages, then you can choose not to work here" and then get mad when they choose not to
And if you can't get anyone to buy your product or services it at double the cost you don't have a business either. People want the cheapest crap and then complain about the wages that go with making the stuff cheap. People would work (because they were doing so), but not when they are getting paid not to.
But only for holiday travelers. It will tank again soon as kids go back to school and business significant limit travel.
it is really crazy now. I have never seen an airport so full of people who have no clue how to travel, how to board and how to deplane. The real tell is even with the full airports there’s only about a dozen people in the sky club so that tells you how much business travel is going on right now.
EdFred
Taxi to Parking
We are doing everything by Zoom/Teams/whatever unless a customer needs to see something in implementation.
luvflyin
Touchdown! Greaser!
Thx. Yikes, $15 a month. I’m a few times a yearer. Not for me but thanks for the tip
I don’t think the numbers will tank in September. It will just dip because people are back in school just like 2019. Anecdotal evidence but I was in the Amex platinum lounge in JFK a few weeks ago and couldn’t find a seat. Also was in the sky club in ATL and it was full to the brim.
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3G
Both of these arguments neglect the fact that .gov is not in the business of being a business.
EdFred
Taxi to Parking
Very true, and since they are paying people to not work, it is hard/impossible to compete with that.
I'm still skeptical and I think the airlines are too. I got an email from Delta today extending my current medallion status through Jan of 2023…mind you my current status was extended already by 1-year from the 2020 mess. I take this to mean that the airlines are absolutely paranoid about a permanent loss of business travel due to the new ways of working and the fact that frequent travelers like myself have gotten out of the rhythm and now realize it’s just not as necessary as it used to be to on the road every week. I’m not complaining about having my medallion status extended, I just think it shows how much risk and worry there is over the future passenger volumes.
I disagree. Almost every airline is going to hire a record amount of pilots in the next few years and they either put in large orders for aircraft or buying used ones from other airlines. They want to rapidly expand. I don’t think they’re too worried. They can’t sit on sidelines and get caught with their pants down which is basically what happened in late 2020. They either furloughed or offered too many early retirements and let too many people take leaves. Hold time for reservations at Delta can be up to 8 hours. Rampers are cross training as gate agents because there’s not enough. It’s full steam ahead. Hell, they’re training me on the 737 and I’m only going to fly it for 6-8 months before I go to the 757/767. They needed butts in the seats yesterday.
midwestpa24
Final Approach
Yes, but with a qualifier. We are starting to see a return of business travel, but slowly. The crazy part is being above pre-pandemic numbers solely from leisure travel. That is where the capacity issues are coming from, no one expected to see leisure over compensate like it did.
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Hang 4
Clear is one of those things where "If you have to ask, it's not for you" If you regularly fly out of certain airports (this all based on pre-pandemic travel) it can be well worth it. In some airports, the time it takes to go through the Clear line is longer than the pre-check line. ATL at 6:00 am on a monday, it was worth it. I was there every week. I am glad to say my Clear membership has expired and won't be renewed. I've not been on a commercial flight in almost 2 years. That was coming from 2 - 3 flights/week for the last 30 years straight.
Yea it’s not ideal if you’re not flying out of a major hub. If you have the Amex platinum card, they give you Clear for free as a new perk.
fully agree that there is a shortage of workers almost everywhere but part of it is simply because many folks left the workforce one way or another. Here is an alternate view on the points you raised…
yes, there are lots of pilots to be hired but there are also lots of pilots who have retired or will retire. This is a great way for a company to save money by exchanging a high time, expensive pilot for a lower time cheaper pilot. Same goes with planes. Money is cheap; now is the time to buy up new, more efficient planes and retire the older less efficient ones.
I’m not saying that Business travel is forever doomed I just don’t think it’s going to go back to the levels of 2019 anytime soon. i’m not suggesting that travel should stop at the expense of customer, supplier or employee relationships I’m simply saying that there was a ton of waste and unnecessary traveling done over the years which now has come under the microscope and saved many companies millions of dollars.
is it necessary to jump on a plane immediately if a customer needs me? Absolutely and I’ll do it without question. Do Most folks need to travel all around the world and all around the country just to sit in internal meetings…no. The latter is where I see the new way of working and the money that it saves as a driver for less business travel demand vs 2019.
kaiser
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The pilot formerly known as Cool Beard Guy
This is fantastic news. I am waiting for United to send me this email without me having to call and beg.
I used to travel 8-10x annually - all internationally. So I had all of these products… TSA pre for this side and Global Entry for coming back. Even had the UK one for a time (I forgot the name). Nothing like landing at O’Hare from São Paulo or London, and being outside waiting for the Uber 20-30 minutes after deplaning.
Business travel for me is probably still on ice until 2022. I’ve had to push some projects that I can’t do remotely as a result.
Rushie
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Rushie
But every business deserves to have people falling over themselves to come and work for them without paying the going rate? Capitalism works both ways. If you can't pay enough to attract workers, you don't have a business.
People love to say "if you don't like our wages, then you can choose not to work here" and then get mad when they choose not to
What are you talking about? TSA has nothing to do with capitalism.
MauleSkinner
Touchdown! Greaser!
What, to you, is the reason we have the TSA? And how does the fiasco that is airport security fit in with that reason?
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Albany Tom
I can answer that - it's to make people feel better. Security theater. I suppose there's some reason for that, but there's zero reason why the function can't be fulfilled by the airports themselves on a bid process. The contracting company gets paid a specific rate per passenger, with a penalty for delays. Kind of like the way they put out the oil well fires after the first Iraq war. There wouldn't be any delays.
But maybe that wouldn't work. Maybe the average person equates silly procedures and long delays with safety.
Robert Gee
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RBG
Some people didn't connect the right dots and then some people did some things then the party of small and limited Gov't went hypocritical as usual, built a huge system then cut it's budget.
Robert Gee
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RBG
You must have been lied to that privatization always leads to more efficiency and safety. You really think moving the conveyors faster to make more money would lead to a better outcome? Airport security used to be an actual min wage job, airlines didn't care if you flew with a pocketknife and pilots could let little boys sit on their laps.
Then again people kept their shoes on and ALL the stews were attractive and had an expiration date.
bflynn
Final Approach
People love to say "if you don't like our wages, then you can choose not to work here" and then get mad when they choose not to
getting mad accomplishes little.
I look at it as an opportunity. Smart businesses will recognize the lost revenue vs increase in employee pay and step up. For almost every business, the only cost higher than employee pay is lost revenue for not having enough people. Dumb businesses will keep paying last decade’s failing wages and have not enough employees.
ergo, TSA has a shortage.
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Albany Tom
No, not at all. Privatization is almost always less efficient and more expensive - for tasks that should be done by the government. But for tasks that don't really need to be done at all, when you can hire people to pretend to work and just put on a show, it can be cheaper and faster. Government contractors are EXCELLENT at pretending to do something, and that's what TSA is all about.
I miss the old days of air travel, too, except that I am happy that they now take de-icing pretty seriously.
Tarheelpilot
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Tarheelpilot
The solution is shutting down TSA and privatization of security.
woodchucker
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woodchucker
I’m probably missing something but privatizing *anything* means adding a cost to cover the profit that managers expect. They aren’t exactly selling a product to do this so the result is a less secure environment and the same problem with finding employees willing to work for dirt wages and benefits. I’m just failing to see how privatizing the TSA would solve anything. Same with ATC. Firefighters. Etc. Some form of socialism is necessary for a functioning society. The question is how to make it work better for the citizens utilizing those services.