Nov 19, 2008 6:46 pm US/Eastern
TSA Works To Keep Lines Shorter At Airports
BALTIMORE (WJZ) ―
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It's one of the most dreaded parts of holiday flying: long lines at the airport.
WJZ
It's one of the most dreaded parts of holiday flying: long lines at the airport.
Derek Valcourt has a look at how the Transportation Security Administration is trying to make those lines shorter this year.
The TSA has a self-imposed deadline of Thursday, Nov. 20 to make some changes that they say will make holiday travel smoother for millions of Americans.
BWI is one of the busiest airports in the country and the Thanksgiving holiday is one of the busiest times of the year for flying.
Last year, 23.8 million Americans flew home for turkey. While predictions of a 7.2% drop this year may be true, airports know they'll still be swamped. That's why the Transportation Security Administration is introducing a new special lane at airports across the country. It's set aside specifically for families with small children, people who need special assistance, first-time flyers and people with more than three ounces of medically necessary liquid.
"We see families with small children that are bringing baby formula, older adults that have special medical needs, where they need to bring the medicine with them on board the aircraft. So this lane is going to give them the chance to take a little more time to get through the security process," said Ellen Howe with TSA Public Affairs.
"The idea is to separate the travelers into different groups. For example, experienced travelers, business travelers who fly several times a month, separate them from the family who may be flying for the first time in a year or two," said Jonathan Dean, BWI spokesperson.
The hope is that by giving those with special needs their own line, it will make the other lines faster and more efficient.
Last year during the Thanksgiving break, the average flyer spent about 12 minutes in line.
TSA officials say last year, 100% of the Thanksgiving travelers who flew out of BWI spent less than 20 minutes waiting in line.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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