Sea-Tac –TSA

[Eaglecw]

Last Sunday I had the displeasure of flying out of Sea-tac airport. The TSA check point was an absolute zoo. Yesterday I got an e-mail from the Port of Seattle that they are aware of the problems at SeaTac. Here’s a link for more information. http://www.portseattle.org/Newsroom/News-Releases/Pages/default.aspx I hope the Port of Settle and Sea-tac get there stuff into one sock before the cruise season starts.

[paul929207]

Sure glad I am fly to & from Vancouver in July

[logan25]

The most unreasonable TSA agent I have met was at SeaTac. It was first thing in the morning. An agent opens a second line and directs hubby to that line while I am to stay in another. I hand my ID and boarding pass to agent. Turns out hubby mistakenly gave me the boarding pass for our connection, rather than origination flight. So I politely explain what happened and attempt to take a step toward reaching hubby in the other line so I can retrieve the proper boarding pass. Well, I got told in no uncertain terms that I was to stay put. I again politely explained what happened. Then I take a small couple of steps sideways so I can clear the way for passengers behind me to still go through the line, since it would be impolite to delay them for my mistake. Well, I got told in no uncertain terms that I was to stay put.

[shredie]

Sending up thanks again for Pre-Check. :D

[satxdiver]

Our youngest lives in Seattle so we fly to Seattle every August. On our latest trip, the line for going through PreCheck was considerable longer than the take-your-shoes off line! As more pony up the fee for PreCheck, expect longer lines. However at least you don't have to remove your shoes or your computer from the bag.

[srpilo]

I actually saw on C-Span on Tuesday or Wednesday this week the Congressional TSA oversight hearing, and they were specificly addressing Seattle's Sea-Tac and the horrific screening problems being reported there, and the REP from Washington State was grilling the TSA director on what the TSA was going to do about it before the beginning of the cruise season next month

 

So I guess hopefully the TSA is aware of the problem

Srpilo

[eclue]

wow, we have gone thru Sea tac pre check line many times and never a problem!!

Lucky, I guess.

eclue:rolleyes:

[VibeGuy]

It's been unusually bad of late - the worst I've seen it in the 17 years it's been my home airport.

 

There are five checkooints, four are usually open peak non-cruise hours. It's worth asking which is the smart money - all gates are connected post security. Be on the lookout for checkpoints where the explosive-sniffing dogs are in use - they convert to a pre-check style shoes-on/everything-stays-in-the-bag/metal-detector-not-nudiescope inspection for everyone. The goal is to keep the lines moving and get people inside the secure area as quickly as possible. Checkpoints three and four are particularly good for this.

 

There's no rhyme or reason right now about when it gets backed up. I've had terrible waits on off-peak times/days and wow-that-was-fast when I allowed two hours. It's been hundreds of people in the last two months who have missed flights due to TSA queues, but we move about 3.5 million people a month through the airport.

[SheriffJoe]

I have read that this entire ordeal is actually an orchestrated work slowdown by TSA to try to get raise or more workers...I say fire em all and start over...Ronald Reagan style!!

[VibeGuy]

To be fair, they are short-staffed and the move to centralized training isn't helping. I think the action is less about raises and more about "working to the rules" which results in throughout reductions that highlight the short staffing. I believe they're short 5400 screeners across the country.