Please remember when <B>the airlines</B> in one of the first post-911 Congressional hearings blatantly said that "the public will not stand" for measures including everyone being wanded. Of course, when that nasty "Big Government" decided to spend ITS money to do so, that changed minds.

Ben Nelson and ALL the other members of Congress are one of the BIGGEST reasons we have National Airport remaining OPEN despite its obvious and very well-documented dangerous approach from the north.

None of them want to drive "all the way" out to Dulles and that being the case, I think Ben Nelson can just cool their heels in the regular TSA line.

I'm tired of politicians trying to make everything "fair." There is no way to ever make life fair for everyone.

<i>And if anything, the benefit is in the exact opposite direction - having a line for more experienced fliers who are accustomed to TSA procedures shortens the overall process for all, reducing the need for staffing at the checkpoint.</i>

It depends upon how that line functions. If it is just a line that allows you to cut to the front of the screening queue, I fail to see how it saves time overall. I'm dubious that even a separate queue will make an appreciable difference to total screening time.

If the goal is providing the service to those who are accustomed to the TSA procedures (and presumably more efficient), then providing that service based upon elite status isn't a very direct way to do that. For example, I am currently elite with multiple airlines. I go through TSA security only 2 or 3 times per year. Am I really that much more experienced than others? And what about the frequent flyer that does not concentrate his or her flying with a single airline?

Assuming that there is value to it and we want to segregate the frequent TSA screenee from the pack, then the best way would be to track the number of screenings of the passenger and provide TSA elite status. Providing it to airline elites is simply too roundabout.

I wonder how many privileges the good senator gets that we don't. And I wonder how many he's willing to give up to "be fair."

(Married to a St. Louis Cardinal Fan) :)

Well, he's retiring at the end of the year, so he may be giving up some privileges whether he wants to or not.

Infrequent flyer here who went thru 3 security lines over the weekend. It's all bogus anyway so if they give those FF preferential treatment, then so be it. For all the shoe and belt removal and scanning and patting those who go thru security all the time ought to have some benefit. JMHO.

I watched old people, wounded vets in wheel chairs and kids all get ridiculous treatment in security.

I've yet to see any airline provided service occurring in front of TSA. I see someone making sure that some of the users don't have a choice of which TSA before them they are able to use. And that's it. Purely by controlling the few rows of tiles in front of the checkpoints. I see 3 TSA lines before me and the "service" is to tell me I can only 2 of them, even though there's no line at the 3rd? That's not a service. It's a legal shakedown. The service is to business class passengers - to make sure I don't walk over to the TSA provided, taxpayer paid line of my choice by physically preventing me from getting to it. That's all it is.

The vetting is done by amount paid to a private company, regardless of the customer's flying experience.

Back, not so long ago when anyone could walk to the gates as long as they weren't carrying weapons, the lines moved quickly and I don't recall there being a boarding pass check? My memory is slipping... but as I recall, no "service" necessary. Agree, it's not the most important thing in the world, but it keeps the congress critters out of trouble and keeps private companies from bullying the poorer people in public spaces.

I'm a bit confused. I am all for frequent flyers getting pre clearance and waved thru a special line that has their info, fingerprints, or eye identifying to quicken the process.

But elite lines by airlines to help them jump the line? That aint right.

I hated it when I was on the line to Disney and some little brat told me that she could cut me and get on the ride quicker cuz her daddy just cashed his bank bailout bonus check and they could afford to get on first cuz she wasn't poor white trash like me.

Finally! Someone is bringing this to light. I rant about it every time I fly. It really, really bugs me that someone who pays a lot of money to say United Airlines gets to go ahead of me to be screened by TAXPAYER paid agents. Why? I spend a ton of money at Costco, why can't I go first?

If the airlines want to get together and pay for a special screening line and agent for their elite passengers, that's fine with me. But, since I'm paying the agent, I want equal access.

OK, last time I get into this one -
<<<i>If the airlines want to get together and pay for a special screening line and agent for their elite passengers, that's fine with me. But, since I'm paying the agent, I want equal access.</i>>>

That is what they <b>are</b> doing!! You are "paying" via taxes and fees for the TSA screening; the part you are "paying for" starts when your ID is checked by the uniformed TSA agent. Anything before that - i.e. the line to get to that TSA agent - is paid for BY THE AIRLINE, not you. No different than when the airline sells extra leg room seats to the general public but offer them free to elite FFers, or charge general public for checked bags but give it free to elite FFers, or have a FF elite only line at the ticket counter.

<i>Anything before that - i.e. the line to get to that TSA agent - is paid for BY THE AIRLINE</i>

That's true, but sort of beside the point, as anything before that serves no purpose EXCEPT to make sure you can't get where you're going, if you were thinking you were going to go to that TSA agent (you've already paid for) on the far right with the shortest line. Who are airlines to tell me which agent I've paid for that I may use, in what is usually a quasi-governmental, tax and fee supported airport in the first place, except by threatening me? That's a service?

btw, after passing that person, one time we did look at a unroped break in the lines for so long that we did walk over to that other TSA entry point when they were free. Agents themselves couldn't care one way or the other what class you're in. It's just the airlines using 9-11 and the added troubles since to add a perk to their programs without costing themselves anything, by pushing people around and paying off the airport authorities to let them.

>The provision of government services shouldn't be based upon how much money you spent with an airline.<

We agree, tg.

((I))

>The federal government's part of the operation doesn't start until you get to the actual TSA employee who checks your ID and boarding pass.<

This explains the inconsistencies and lack of efficiency.....

I am more concerned about this congressman and others' children getting all of their student loans wiped out when their folks get into congress?