Security Lines - Which airports are the worst?
 

Of the road warrior types out there, have any of you noticed that certain airports have predictably longer security lines or have apparently more or less stringent security regimes? It seems to me that some airports are just not physically configured to handle the new security and really need some major rearrangement. Any candidates? Which are the worst??

Atlanta Hartsfield and Chicago O'Hare have the longest security lines but they move fairly quickly. It also depends on what time of day and day of the week you fly. I've been in just about every major airport in the US and a lot of the minor ones since September 11th and haven't found any airport ill equiped to handle security. Ill equiped employees maybe. I don't get what you are saying about the airports not being configured to handle security. The FAA made sure of this before they would let any of the airports reopen after Sept 11th.

BWI (Baltimore!)

Anchorage had several flights going out all at the same time but only had one security line. It took over an hour to get through.

I think I know exactly what you mean about configuration changes. LAX Terminal One is a case in point. It is the LAX home to Southwest Airlines, very high volume of people coming in and out because of the fast gate turnover.<BR><BR>Unfortunately, the length and width of the terminal entrance area (and thus the security perimiter) is quite small, several yards past the checkpoint is Gate 1. To give them credit, they have jam-packed this small area with metal detectors in a staggered pattern so as to get as many "lanes" into the area as they can. It is still not enough, and any LAX SWA passenger who has had to sit through the predictable morning line (that wraps out into the ticketing lobby, out the front door, down the sidewalk, and often all the way to Terminal 2 knows what I'm talking about.

My recollection is that FLL had a bizarre security line last winter. However, I noticed that they had folks there expediting things and keeping the lines moving. As Brad indicates, those 6:00am lines can be brutal.

Terminal One at LAX is also home to two other low-cost carriers in addition to SWA--ATA and America West--so the line there is ALWAYS a mess!<BR><BR>When I flew American out of LAX (Terminal 4, I think) in May we were through in less than 15 minutes. But then when I flew America West in June, it took me over and hour and I was running to my gate.<BR><BR>That's why I'm sticking to Burbank from now on! Even my SWA flight out of there back in December (2 days before Christmas!) was about 20 min from curb to the gate. Amazing!<BR>