Airport security

TSA adds 9 airlines to PreCheck program

TSA, ,

The Transportation Security Administration has added nine new domestic and international carriers to the pre-check expedited screening program.

New airlines joining the program are: Air India, Asiana Airlines, China Airlines, Eastern Airlines, Elite Airways, EVA Airways, Japan Airlines, TAP Air Portugal and Volaris.

This brings the total number of airlines participating in TSA Precheck program to 65 domestic and international carriers. (The full list of participating airlines is below.)

Whether you’re enrolled in TSA Precheck or not, it’s helpful to know how long you’ll be waiting in line.

That’s now easier at John F. Kennedy International (JFK), Newark Liberty International (EWR), LaGuardia (LGA), and New York Stewart International (SWF) airports, where the respective websites now show up-to-date TSA wait times, as well as taxi wait times. The wait times are also shown on monitors inside the terminals.

According to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the real-time tracking information is part of the agency’s “aggressive efforts to deliver an enhanced customer experience” for passengers using its airports.

Here are all the airlines currently participating in TSA’s PreCheck program:

Aeromexico

Air Canada

Air France

Air India

Air Serbia

Alaska Airlines

All Nippon Airways

Allegiant Air

American Airlines

Aruba Airlines

Asiana Airlines

Avianca

Boutique Airlines

British Airways

Brussels Airlines

Cape Air

Cathay Pacific Airways

China Airlines

Condor Airlines

Contour Aviation

Copa Airlines

Delta Air Lines

Eastern Airlines

Elite Airways

Emirates

Etihad Airways

EVA Air

Finnair

Flycana

Frontier Airlines

Hawaiian Airlines

Icelandair

InterCaribbean Airways

Japan Airlines

JetBlue Airways

Key Lime Air

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines

Korean Air

Lufthansa

Miami Air International

Norwegian Air

Philippine Airlines

Porter Airlines

Scandinavian Airlines

Seaborne Airlines

Silver Airways

Singapore Airlines

Southern Airways Express

Southwest Airlines

Spirit Airlines

Sun Country Airlines

Sunwing Airlines

Swift Air

Swiss International Air Lines

TAP Air Portugal

Thomas Cook Airlines (Scan.)

Thomas Cook Airlines (UK)

Turkish Airlines

United Airlines

ViaAir

Virgin Atlantic

Volaris

WestJet

World Atlantic

Xtra Airways

TSA’s Top 10 Most Unusual Finds of 2018

Uncategorized, , ,

The Transportation Security Administration found a record number of firearms – 4,239 – in carry-on bags at the nation’s airports last year.

The agency also found a wide variety of unusual items. Like these inert grenades dressed in tuxedos.

View this post on Instagram

We know it didn’t go down this way, but we’d like to imagine that the groom lobbed these inert well-dressed grenades over his shoulder to his groomsmen, just as bouquets are tossed to bridesmaids. We could see a conversation going something like this. … Chad: “I was so close to catching one, bruh.” … Randy: “Whatever, Chad! Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades. Oh wait…” … Randy & Chad: “Hahahahaha! Bruh…” … OK, back to the real world. These dapper inert grenades were wedding gifts for groomsmen. They were discovered in a checked bag at the Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR). … When our officers spot a potential explosive on the monitor, they cannot just open the bag and take a looksee to find out if it’s real or not. A TSA explosives specialist or a police department bomb squad must respond before the bag is ever opened. This can lead to costly evacuations, delays, and missed flights. These types of items can also lead to hefty fines and arrest. Contact your preferred shipper about your options, because they can’t travel via commercial aircraft. So even though they aren’t real, they can cause a lot of headaches.

A post shared by TSA (@tsa) on

Want to see more?

Here’s TSA’s video of the Top 10 Most Unusual Checkpoint Finds from 2018.

In case you missed it, here are the TSA’s Top 10 Most Unusual Finds from previous years.

More love for unpaid airport workers

TSA, , ,

Travel Tidbits: Long security lines + airfare deals

Air Fare Deals, , ,

Long(er) checkpoint lines – and checkpoint closures

Due to staffing issues associated with the partial shutdown of the federal government, passengers are finding longer lines tha usual at many airport security checkpoints.

On Monday, Harstfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport had checkpoint wait times exceeding an hour. And George Bush International Airport (IAH) said its security checkpoint and ticketing counter in Terminal B would remain closed through Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2019.

Fiji Airways airfare deal

Fiji Airways has a two-for-one airfare deal right now. “The Great Companion Getaway” is available to purchase January 12 to 19 for travel from January 21 through March 31, 2019 and includes flights to Fiji from Honolulu, San Francisco and Los Angeles. Buy one all-inclusive ticket and pay just for the taxes on a companion ticket. Details here.

$49 flights to Europe on WOW Air – with lots of caveats

WOW Air, the budget Icelandic airline that expanded quickly but is now cutting many routes, has announced $49 sale fares to some European cities from the U.S., all with stops (or free stopvers) in Iceland’s KEF airport.

Fares are on sale now through January 18 (or until seats sell out) for a limited number of dates and flights between January 21 and March 11, 2019.

Keep in mind that WOW Air charges for just about everything – including carry-on bags that go in the overhead bin, reserved seats and in-flight meals, so that $49 fare may be significantly higher once you add in the “extras.”

Stellar credit card offer from Southwest

There are lots of airline credit card offers out there (and blogs devoted to getting you to apply for them) but Southwest Airlines currently has a generous promotion that some say takes things to a new level.

The deal, available through February 11, promises 30,000 Southwest rewards points – plus a compantion pass for the rest of the year – to those who sign up for the airline’s credit card and charge $4,000 to the card in first three months.

Gov’t shutdown causes closed checkpoints – and pizza – at airports

Uncategorized, , ,

The partial shutdown of the federal government is taking its toll on airports.

On Saturday, Miami International Airport closed one of its security checkpoints because airport officials were worried there wouldn’t be enough TSA employees on duty to keep all the airport’s checkpoints open.

The airport plans to reopen the checkpoint on Monday morning.

On Sunday afternoon, Houston’s George Bush International Airport (IAH), shut down the TSA checkpoint and ticketing counter in Terminal B. The reason? Concern about staffing issues associated with the partial shutdown of the federal government.

If the government shutdown continues, we can expect more of these checkpoint closures to take place. Passengers will be directed to other checkpoints, where lines will no doubt get very long.

And outpouring of pizza

While long lines are surely frustrating for travelers, there is an outpouring of support for the TSA workers, air traffice controllers and customs and border protection workers who are working without pay.

On Friday, Nashville International Airport sent pizzas to TSA employees at the airport working without pay.

And Canadian air traffic controllers showed their support for their American counterparts by sending pizzas as well.

Elsewhere, there’s a pop-up food pantry for TSA employees at Tampa International Airport.

At Your Gate is offering $10 off and waiving the delivery fee for food delivered to TSA employees on duty at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR). The offer will expand to other airports where the service is available (San Diego International Airport, New York LaGuardia Terminal B, JFK and MSP) later this week.

Federal workers working without pay at Ontario International Airport were treated to a barbecue on Friday. Food was supplied by the Ontario Reign Hockey team and other groups in town.

On Friday, Pittsburgh International Airport served lunch to federal workers at the airport and plans to do so each Friday until the shutdown is over.

Seattle Tacoma International Airport will hold its second information fair on Monday to help federal employees working without pay learn about short term loans and other resources that may be available to them.

And, as we reported earlier, Hudson Group, which operates shops in many airports, is offering a 20% discount off food, beverages and many store products to all TSA and customs employees until the shutdown is resolved.

OTG, which operates retail outlets and restaurants in 10 airports, will offer TSA employees a 50 percent discount on food and beverage through the duration of the government shutdown too.

If you learn of any other efforts underway, please let us know.