Airport security lines are ridiculously long. Check the waiting time before leaving

You may even be able to squeeze through the crowds with a reservation through security at some airports.

Pierre Butler Editor-in-chief

Peter is a writer and editor for the CNET How-To team. He has covered technology, software, finance, sports and gaming since working for @Home Network and Excite in the 1990s. Peter managed reviews and listings for Download.com in the 2000s and is passionate about software and practical advice for creators, consumers and investors.

Skill 20 years of editorial experience with a focus on software and the Internet

Spring Break Travel and understaffing at the Transportation Security Administration hit U.S. airports with a devastating double blow this week, particularly at security checkpoints. Personal social media accounts report wait times of 8 hours or more.

Understaffed U.S. airports are now being helped by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The White House deployed ICE agents Monday to help alleviate staffing shortages caused by TSA agents who quit or stopped reporting to work. TSA workers have already missed a full paycheck due to the partial government shutdown, and now they could miss a second.

Don’t be surprised if you arrive at the airport and see the security line stretching all the way to the parking lot. It’s easy to check security lines before you leave for the airport, so you know how long it will take you to get from check-in to your boarding gate. If you’re planning spring break or other air travel soon, learn how to check security line wait times so you can better plan your airport trip.

Check out the official TSA app

The TSA maintains an app for mobile devices called MyTSA (iOS and Android) that tracks security line wait times for airports in the United States. The app is pretty basic and now includes a disclaimer that “this website is not actively maintained” due to the federal funding pause, but it includes plenty of official TSA information about air travel.

To check wait times for specific U.S. airports, tap the My Airports tab at the bottom of the app, then tap “Find Airports.” You can scroll through the alphabetical list of airports or enter an airport name or code in the search bar at the top.

Tap to the airport of your choice and you will see the estimated security wait time at the top of the screen.

When I checked some of the major U.S. airports on Tuesday afternoon — Los Angeles (LAX), Chicago O’Hare (ORD), Hartsfield-Jackson in Atlanta (ATL), JFK in New York (JFK), and Ronald Reagan in DC (DCA) — most had relatively low wait times, from 0 to 15 or 15 to 30 minutes. Only JFK had an estimate of 30 to 45 minutes.

These estimates are a far cry from the two to four hours that airports advise travelers to allow, but times listed on the MyTSA app mostly match times listed on airport websites (see below). The exception was Hartsfield-Jackson in Atlanta, which showed a 0 to 15 minute estimate on the MyTSA app but slightly longer times on the airport’s website.

The MyTSA app also includes historical averages of security line wait times at each airport, by time of day.

Check the airport website

When I tested the TSA app, it didn’t list any specific terminals at any airport. It only listed a time slot for “All Terminals”. If you want this kind of detailed information, your best bet is to use the official airport websites. Most large establishments now offer estimated security wait times. Some airports put these estimated times front and center on their websites; others require a little more exploration.

Most airport websites detail schedules for specific terminals. In some large airports, there is often a large disparity between terminals. Here are the web pages showing the estimated queues for security screening at some of the busiest airports in the United States:

• Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL)
• Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT)
• Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW)
• John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)
• Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
• Orlando International Airport (MCO)
• Denver International Airport (DEN)
• Miami International Airport (MIA)

I was unable to find security line wait times on the websites of two of the busiest airports: O’Hare (ORD) in Chicago and Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) in Las Vegas. For these, you will need to use the TSA app.

Reserve your place in the security line

Many airports now allow travelers to reserve a specific time in the security line. At Seattle SeaTac Airport, you make a Spot Saver reservation and go to a specially marked entrance to the security checkpoint listed on your reservation. An employee scans the barcode emailed to you and you are taken to the front. At SeaTac, you can be up to 15 minutes before or after your Spot Saver reservation, as airport times are difficult to estimate.

Here is a list of some of these booking sites. You can search the name of your airport and “reserve security line point” or something similar to see if your airport also has a program.

• Denver International Airport (DEN): DEN reserve
• Orlando International Airport (MCO): MCO reserve
• Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA): Save space
• Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX): PHX Reserve
• Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP): MSP Reserve