ListNook

belikethemanatee Mar 27, 2026 +121

lol NOPE. I traveled through LGA last weekend and so many people missed their flights because they got there less than three hours beforehand. GO EARLY.

121

defnotanr4ralt Mar 27, 2026 +24

It’s hit and miss. Many airports are fine with normal security times, but the ones that are bad, are really bad

24

jedrider Mar 27, 2026 +7

I checked San Francisco and apparently they don't use TSA services but contract out directly, I'm not sure, but no excessive wait times are reported. I think that's f****** brilliant not to rely upon government for ANYTHING nowadays.

7

mnorthwood13 Mar 27, 2026 +17

The government is likely going to come forward in the next year or so begging for privatizing security in the name of "efficiency" after this debacle, using the pilot systems SFO and about a dozen other airports have as data.

17

eorlingas_riders Mar 27, 2026 +17

What you said is in project 2025… literally expanding TSA’s Screening Partnership Program (SPP) that SFO does with the ultimate goal of full privatization. Gonna just grab a random article published last year, but it’s been the game plan all along: https://onlabor.org/the-trump-administration-wants-to-privatize-tsa-why-the-agency-americans-love-to-hate-should-remain-public/

17

Blochamolesauce Mar 28, 2026 +6

Of course it's all intentional. There's always an ulterior motive. Get the masses so annoyed with gov't "inefficiency" that they willingly let the worst of the worst sell it off piece by piece to the epstein class to make even more money while the rest of us peons suffer.

6

FeRooster808 Mar 27, 2026 +2

I always go four hours early. Even if that means I can't check in yet. The airport here is a crapshoot. Mostly fine, but there are days the lines are out of the airport and that's before all of the stuff going on now.

2

ajmartin527 Mar 27, 2026 +1

SeaTac? They’ve had no issues and wait times are under 15 mins. Even with construction and rush hour times the most I’ve ever waited is 30 mins at SeaTac and I fly through there often. I’ve never heard anyone say they’ve seen lines out of the airport even in summer when cruise ship traffic is hitting.

1

FeRooster808 Mar 27, 2026 +1

You must not be from here then. [https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/very-unusual-seattle-airport-experience-forces-travelers-parking-garage/281-6f6c9cd9-fd17-4e25-a938-d7b2bb037423](https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/very-unusual-seattle-airport-experience-forces-travelers-parking-garage/281-6f6c9cd9-fd17-4e25-a938-d7b2bb037423) [https://www.thenewstribune.com/news/state/washington/article250652044.html](https://www.thenewstribune.com/news/state/washington/article250652044.html) Or any of the many posts on local subs talking about wait times.

1

ajmartin527 Mar 27, 2026 +1

The articles you posted are from 2021 and 2022. I get to the airport an hour before my flight and always wait at the gate

1

envymatters Mar 27, 2026 +2

Do you have a reason to believe things have changed since then? 50 million people depart SEATAC each year, why do you think your individual experiences represent everyone?

2

BeagleWrangler Mar 28, 2026

This is all nonsense. Seattle has standard wait times right now because Port of Seattle employees are helping with tasks like line management. You are simply lying.

0

FeRooster808 Mar 27, 2026 +2

Yes. And you said you'd never heard of it. I have and now I've told you. Those are two stories. It tends to happen during Spring Break and when cruise schedules align to all leave at once, etc. Other times the lines are less long, but also quite long. Regardless, the fact you A) don't live here and B) are unfamiliar with these situations just proves I know more about it than you. Take the L. You didn't know. I always get there about four hours early. I have Precheck and I have lounge passes. No big deal. I'd rather be safe than sorry.

2

throwaway3113151 Mar 28, 2026

Damn I’ve never had to wait more than 15 min in TSA line can’t imagine 4 hours early I’d get so bored

0

Seemoreglass82 Mar 27, 2026 +1

I’m at DFW and just went through security. Ironically the fastest it’s ever been. Literally zero wait. I realize everywhere is not like this though.

1

donald7773 Mar 27, 2026 +2

Atlanta is crazy in the mornings, settles down around lunchtime and then it's 50/50 if it gets crazy again in the evening

2

MFour_Sherman Mar 28, 2026 +1

DFW’s multiple security entires across all of the terminals help thin out mass surges of people. I have seen it get crazy busy before, but typically you can still get through in about 30-45 minutes.

1

Adept-Sir-1704 Mar 28, 2026 +1

Could it be that it’s so blocked up because people are showing up too early….. those who need to get to their flight in 1.5 hours are being blocked by a crowd whose flight is 3-4 hours away. You shouldn’t be allowed to enter the security line if you’re outside a time range. Exceptions made for security that isn’t overcrowded.

1

creddittor216 Mar 27, 2026 +36

This is definitely how a First World nation operates /s

36

RaspberryCommie Mar 27, 2026

Technically yes because the 1st 2nd and 3rd world things refer to the US and its allies (1st), russia/the ussr and theirs (2nd), and then everybody else (3rd).

0

Mysterious_Floor_868 Mar 27, 2026 +5

Yes but the US is now allied to Moscow so it's Second World now.

5

creddittor216 Mar 27, 2026 +4

That’s how it started. It came to mean something different

4

123-91-1 Mar 27, 2026 +7

How do we look up TSA wait times? The My TSA app isn't being updated during the shutdown and only shows typical wait times, not actual ones.

7

Catcher3321 Mar 28, 2026 +1

If you just Google the airport you're flying out of and then "tsa wait times" it'll show up from the airports website

1

JeffSteinMusic Mar 27, 2026 +13

I got to SFO three hours before my flight to Phoenix this morning. They can deal with me, I guess. If America’s gonna keep insisting on sending Republicans to office and throwing our governance into a tailspin, I’m not risking missing my flight because of it. [SFO was fine/quick like always this morning, and that is entirely, 100%, not the point here.]

13

Mysterious_Floor_868 Mar 27, 2026 +4

SFO employs private contractors working under the supervision of TSA. The funding for the contracts was already apportioned so the contractors are still being paid. STS airport is the same. [https://www.sfgate.com/travel/article/tsa-boss-callouts-airports-22085747.php](https://www.sfgate.com/travel/article/tsa-boss-callouts-airports-22085747.php)

4

Bennyscrap Mar 27, 2026 +3

At least 3.5 hours before your flight leaves, if you're in Houston. Shit's whack(as I wait in the TSA line at terminal E).

3

Icy_Ratio6281 Mar 28, 2026 +1

No worries. I've stopped going completely.

1

Sea-Degree4173 Mar 27, 2026 +5

Coming out of COVID Amsterdam had this same issue, but for a different reason (theybasically lowered their pay). A bunch of people quit and the lines were out of control, then people would show up 6-8 hours before their flight, but that would block people who's flights left before them. Schiphol Airport has an app that tells you when you should arrive, which might be something US airports need. It does no one any good when people show up too early and create a surge but you also don't want to get into a situation where you show up 4 hours early and still miss your flight.

5

123-91-1 Mar 27, 2026 +10

There's a TSA App that shows you wait times. But of course it is not being updated during the shutdown. This AP article pisses me off when it says that travelers should check wait times before going to the airport. HOW? They are not being updated and only show "typical" wait times. Signed, a flyer who showed up way too early to the airport, because the previous day people had been waiting for 4-5 hours in line.

10

hop_mantis Mar 27, 2026 +2

looks like staycation this year

2

monkeywithatool Mar 28, 2026 +2

Damned if you don't, damned if you do. Fares have doubled in the last couple of days, so I assume less people will be traveling going forward, so the tsa issues will resolve themselves. I wonder if airlines will go under again?

2

Vig6y Mar 27, 2026 +4

Yeah it really depends on the airport, look up specific TSA wait times. MSP and Orlando were a non issue these past few days at least. Houston and Philly sound like they were a much different story.

4

Dovydas_AL Mar 28, 2026 +1

Philly was 2mins a few days ago

1

Catcher3321 Mar 28, 2026 +1

It even depends on the time. I flew out of Austin when it was a mess a week or two ago. From arrival at airport to gate was less than 20 minutes

1

jrsinhbca Mar 27, 2026 +4

Are airport liquor sales up?

4

DontOvercookPasta Mar 28, 2026 +1

Or f****** what?

1

pixelwhip Mar 28, 2026 +1

Like a day early

1

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