Travelers are rightfully concerned about the strain the government shutdown is having on airport screening by the TSA, which is seeing a spike in call outs as government workers go without pay. A poll by Airfarewatchdog (SmarterTravel’s sister company) recently found that 62 percent of travelers are concerned about safety. Plus, 47 percent think that airlines should have to pay for private security to fill gaps during worker shortages.
But clearly, neither airlines nor airports are filling those gaps—and need to continue operating despite them. That can mean longer security lines, and a lot more general airport havoc. And with no end to the shutdown in sight, many people wondering what’s going to happen.
TSA Government Shutdown Need-to-Knows
The obvious answer is that, at this point, nobody knows how it’s going to end. But we do know several basic things, including which app can help you figure out how long it’ll take to get through the airport if you’re concerned about security wait times.
Here are five things you need to know about the TSA’s government shutdown woes.
The Problem: TSA employees are not getting their paychecks, but most are working anyway. While the nation’s air travel system is not shutting down, lots of TSA employees are calling in sick—most likely because they need to find other work so they can keep up with their bills. Because overall staffing is down (TSA confirmed absences have spiked) some airports are consolidating checkpoints or shutting down terminals.
The Response: TSA reports that despite the staff shortages, 99 percent of travelers are processing through security within the “standard” maximum time of 30 minutes—a claim that is difficult to affirm or refute at any given time or on any given day. Local news media have been reporting wait times well in excess of the standard 30 minutes at some key airports, notably including Atlanta and Houston/Bush.
The Resources: Some airports, including Atlanta, Denver, Houston, and New York/La Guardia post delay times on their websites, but most do not. The MyTSA app, however, does allow users to share their security processing times for most U.S. airports. MyTSA remains up and running. The app is based on location services from individual travelers who passed through security already—so the app can theoretically work on its own even with severe staff shortages. If you don’t already have the app, it’s free and available for both iOS and Android. (And it’s available only by app, not online.)
The Back-up Plan: The independent website iFly remains active, but its estimates are based on a combination of historical data and analytics, not real-time reports—so it’s less helpful. If you Google “wait time” and the name of your airport, the search will show the iFly report for that airport.
The Uncertainty: Nobody knows how long TSA will be able to maintain near-normal operations, at it currently claims it is, and as others claim it isn’t. And just about everybody suggests that you allow even more time than usual to complete screening.
More from SmarterTravel:
- 2 Major Budget Airlines Join TSA PreCheck
- Not Just Liquids: TSA Adds New Rule for Carry-ons That Will Change How You Pack
- TSA PreCheck Lanes Could Soon (Finally) Be for PreCheck Members Only
Consumer advocate Ed Perkins has been writing about travel for more than three decades. The founding editor of the Consumer Reports Travel Letter, he continues to inform travelers and fight consumer abuses every day at SmarterTravel.
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