Between the JetBlue flight attendant recently arrested for trying to get 69 pounds of cocaine through airport security and a Delta baggage handler taken into custody for allegedly smuggling more than 100 guns onto flights, you’d hope that airline staffers would think twice before abusing their positions. Apparently, that didn’t cross the mind of another Delta ramp agent arrested over the weekend with a backpack full of cash. [More]
transportation security administration
Alaska Airlines Now Lets You Use Frequent Flyer Miles For TSA PreCheck Membership
By 3.22.16
It’s been two years since the Transportation Security Administration declared that the PreCheck airport security fast lanes — no removing shoes, no taking your laptop out of your bag — is only for paying customers. Now Alaska Airlines is letting its frequent fliers use their airline miles to pay the PreCheck membership fee.
REAL ID Standard Implementation At Airports To Start January 2018
By 1.11.16
Hundreds of thousands of residents in five states and one U.S. territory will receive a two-year reprieve from having to use an additional form of identification when going through airport security, as the Department of Homeland Security extended the deadline for state drivers licenses to meet REAL ID standards. [More]
Father Claims 10-Year-Old Daughter Experienced “Uncomfortable” Two-Minute TSA Pat-Down
By 1.6.16
While it’s normal for travelers to undergo additional screening procedures from the Transportation Security Administration when there could be something amiss, the father of a 10-year-old girl says she was made uncomfortable by a two-minute pat-down after she left a juice pouch in her carry-on. [More]
TSA Stepping Up Random Security Screenings For Airport Workers
By 12.29.15
There’s a good chance you’ve been waiting (patiently) in the airport security line, preparing to take off your shoes, your belt, remove your laptop, and place everything on the belt, only to see an airport employee breezily walk through the side gate with a quick flick of their badge. That scenario will likely be less and less frequent around the country as the Transportation Security Administration plans to increase random checks of airport and airline employees. [More]
Residents In Nine States Could Need A Second Form Of ID To Pass Through Airport Security Next Year
By 12.28.15
Ten years ago, Congress passed the REAL ID Act, which set minimum security standards for state-issued driver’s licenses and photo IDs. While the rules haven’t exactly been enforced to the “T” by the Dept. of Homeland Security, that’s poised to change, leaving millions of people in nine states in need of a second form of ID to pass through airport security. [More]
TSA Updates Screening Procedure, Will Mandate Some Passengers Use Full-Body Scanners
By 12.23.15
Going through airport security is about to get a bit different for some passengers: the Transportation Security Administration can now require some travelers to go through body scanners even if the person asks to get a full-body pat-down instead. [More]
Bride & Groom’s “TNT” Wedding Favors Spark Evacuation At Denver Airport
By 10.1.15
No matter how clever it is to put you and your intended’s initials on glass jars filled with fancy bath salts and topped with wax seals and fuses — “T” and “T” becomes “TNT, get it? — it’s not a great idea if you’re headed to the airport. See, the Transportation Security Administration can’t let something labeled as an explosive through without thoroughly checking things out, which, in this case, turned into an evacuation of the Denver International Airport. [More]
TSA Agent Accused Of Stealing Cash From Passenger’s Wallet At Security Checkpoint
By 9.21.15
When travelers send their personal belongings off into x-ray machines at the airport, we expect them to come out on the other side exactly how they entered. But officials at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport say one man happened to notice his wallet come through a security screening a bit lighter than it had gone in, leading to the arrest of a Transportation Security Administration agent. [More]
Leaked Photo Leads To 3-D Printed Copies Of TSA’s Master Keys For Approved Luggage Locks
By 9.10.15
The keys to the Transportation Security Administration luggage kingdom can now be printed on a 3-D printer, thanks to photos published on the Internet of the agency’s master keys, the ones that can unlock any number of approved locks travelers might use to keep their belongings safe. [More]
You Can Now Rate And Review U.S. Government Services On Yelp
By 8.19.15
The wait time to get customer support from the Internal Revenue Service is stretching on into infinity. The Transportation Security Administration agents at one particular airport checkpoint always seem to have it out for you. There’s one particular bathroom at Yellowstone National Park that is the best and everyone should know about it. Whatever your experience with U.S. government services, you can now review it on Yelp. [More]
Southwest Airlines, TSA Blame Each Other For Unusually Long Security Lines At Midway Airport
By 8.14.15
People traveling out of Chicago’s Midway International Airport on Friday aren’t getting very far, as travelers are said to be waiting an hour or more to get through unusually long security checkpoint lines. [More]
Parents: Remember To Check Your Kids’ Carry-On Bags Because Hatchets, Grenades Aren’t Allowed On Planes
By 8.7.15
Parents, we are not here to tell you how to be a parent. But might we suggest you oversee your child’s packing efforts before you head to the airport? You know, just in case said kid decides to include a dangerous weapon in their carry-on bag. [More]
Man Arrested After Making It Through Security, Boarding Plane Without Ticket
By 7.27.15
The Transportation Security Administration is investigating a disruption – that included a visit from the local bomb squad – at Dallas Fort-Worth International Airport Sunday night after authorities say a man boarded a flight without a ticket. [More]
Oregonians Can Now Fly With Recreational Marijuana — As Long As They’re Traveling Within The State
By 7.9.15
The friendly skies over Oregon just got a bit friendlier to residents who don’t want to leave their weed at home: Airport officials at Portland International Airport said travelers can now legally board planes with up to an ounce of marijuana — for in-state flights only, of course. [More]
No Charges For Fired TSA Screeners Accused Of Conspiring To Grope Attractive Male Passengers
By 7.8.15
You might recall the tale of two Transportation Security Administration screeners who were accused of conspiring to tweak the system so they could give very thorough patdowns to the good-looking male travelers who passed through their post at the Denver Airport. But months after the workers were fired amidst allegations of a groping scheme, prosecutors have declined to file charges. [More]
Guy Puts His Cat Through X-Ray Machine At LAX, Everyone Freaks Out
By 7.2.15
Something important you should probably add to your check list when traveling with a pet: Make sure your furry friend doesn’t go through the X-ray machine at the airport, not only because it could be dangerous, but because everyone around you will promptly freak out. Officials at Los Angeles Airport say a traveler accidentally placed his cat in a bag during the security screening procedure, but agents say it seems the fuzzy guy is perfectly fine. [More]
Report: TSA Paid Out $3M In The Last 5 Years For Lost, Stolen And Damaged Baggage
By 7.2.15
If you’ve ever had your checked luggage stolen, damaged, lost or otherwise mishandled while flying, you probably know you’re not alone. But what you might not know is how often the Transportation Security Administration actually admits wrongdoing and compensates unhappy travelers in those cases. Enlightenment is here: A new report says the TSA has forked over about $3 million in the last five years for such claims. [More]
