These New Travel Initiatives Could Slash Airport Wait Times

Air travel has become agony for many travelers: enduring endless lines, arguing about luggage with harried airline employees, running for flights because of security delays. The list goes on.

During the recent U.S. government shutdowns, lines often extended around and outside terminals, in scenes that still haunt travelers.

But overwhelmed U.S. airports and airlines are working to ease some of the worst pinch points: passenger and luggage screening. New, albeit limited, programs are using tools like biometric technology and remote check-in facilities to get passengers, and their bags, to their destinations more efficiently.

“What we’ve had for a long time is very traditional and labor intensive,” said Laura Albert, an engineering professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison whose research has included risk-based security. “We are overdue for some innovation and experimentation.”

These initiatives won’t address the havoc that could be wreaked by future government shutdowns, though a separate U.S. government program called Gold+ might. It allows airports to choose a private screening model instead of Transportation Security Administration agents. Only three airports have opted into Gold+, which the T.S.A. workers’ union has criticized as possibly detrimental to safety.

Here are a few ways airport lines could get shorter.

Remote Security Screening

Some travelers flying out of Boston can clear security before they even get to the airport — and avoid having to drive and park there. Passengers departing from Logan International Airport on Delta Air Lines and JetBlue Airways flights from 5:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. can go to a remote terminal about 23 miles away in suburban Framingham, Mass., where they’ll go through T.S.A. screening and board a secure bus that deposits them past security checkpoints.

Tickets, which cost $9 and are limited, can be booked as late as 90 minutes before departure, though buying earlier is recommended. Returning passengers can take a Logan Express bus back to the remote terminal.

Another location is expected to open this fall in Braintree, about 12 miles south of Boston, said Benjamin Crawley, a spokesman for Massport, the agency that runs the airport. Massport is also considering adding a Boston location and is working to add more airlines to the program, Mr. Crawley added.

Eligible travelers on United Airlines flights departing from Chicago O’Hare International before 10 a.m. can drop off their checked bags at the airport from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. the day before. This program is also available at Antonio B. Won Pat International Airport in Guam, where passengers on United flights departing before 9:30 a.m. can check their bags from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. the day before.

While the program, called Twilight Bag Drop, does require two trips to the airport, it can be “particularly beneficial for customers traveling with bigger, bulkier items” such as ski equipment and golf clubs, said Erin Jankowski, a spokeswoman for United.

Easier International Transfers

Travelers connecting in the United States after an international flight have long had to claim, screen and recheck their bags. But now some arriving passengers may be able bypass all or part of that gantlet, though they will still need to clear customs.

It depends on the program, the airline and the itinerary. The One Stop Security program allows Delta passengers flying from Heathrow Airport in London and connecting domestically at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport to skip T.S.A. screening and have their bags automatically transferred to their next flight. The same goes for travelers flying on American Airlines from Heathrow to Dallas Fort Worth International Airport.

A separate initiative, called International Remote Baggage Screening, focuses on bags, which are automatically transferred, though passengers still need to go through T.S.A. screening. U.S. Customs and Border Protection employees conduct baggage inspections remotely by reviewing X-ray images of checked bags before eligible flights land.

This program also varies by airline, airport and flight:

• Delta and Korean Air: Incheon International to Hartsfield-Jackson, Detroit Metro, Los Angeles International, Minneapolis-Saint Paul International and Seattle-Tacoma International.

• American: Sydney to Los Angeles International.

• United: Sydney to San Francisco International.

Dedicated Biometric Lines

The T.S.A. Touchless ID program grants passengers access to a dedicated lane where they speed up their trip by using facial recognition instead of physical documents to verify their identities.

Touchless ID is available at 65 U.S. airports and includes six participating airlines: Delta, United, American, Hawaiian, Southwest and Alaska.

Biometrics can also make coming home faster. Citizens entering the United States can join a line that lets them simply have their photo taken by a kiosk, even if they don’t belong to a trusted traveler program like Global Entry. This option, called Enhanced Passenger Processing, is available at more than 30 airports, including some that screen U.S.-bound passengers abroad before departure. The lines have shaved wait times for citizens by an average of 25 percent, said Jessica Turner, a C.B.P. spokeswoman.

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