Comments on: Expert Traveler Airport Lines Coming to MSP

By: justpbob

justpbob — Wed, 21 May 2008 12:35:41 +0000

I was among the first “expert travelers” using this service in MSP. I flew to Chicago on Saturday, a TSA employee asked if I had all my liquid luggage in the required clear plastic bags, when I said yes, she waved me toward the Black Diamond line.

It was quick.

I suppost it was the suit that suggested I was an “expert traveler.” Actually, I don’t fly too often, perhaps 3-4 times a year.

By: Scott McGerik

Scott McGerik — Tue, 20 May 2008 18:00:52 +0000

Some how Kat and I missed the expert line when we flew out to Portland. We got stuck in a line full of people who did not know you were supposed to remove liquids, take off shoes, etc.
Our travel partners, however, saw the expert line and were through in a few minutes.

By: Erica

Erica — Tue, 20 May 2008 14:29:04 +0000

(I wish I could remember where I saw the article on this a few weeks ago.)

What I read is that, overall, it makes the process go faster, but that’s an average. Folks with kids are going to take longer, period. So it goes a little faster for most and slower for some. The main finding was that the security area was a lot calmer.

But yeah, an expert traveler is gonna take the shortest line.

And there’s always that “incompetent people don’t know they’re incompetent” caveat.

By: Greg

Greg — Tue, 20 May 2008 13:47:22 +0000

My trip to DC today got canceled, otherwise I would have a report from MSP. I’ve been thinking about the length of line issue. Wouldn’t everyone just picker the slower line?

By: amake

amake — Tue, 20 May 2008 13:19:44 +0000

This is absolutely the wrong answer to the airport congestion problem. The correct answer is to do away with the pointless, ineffective security circus that wastes so much time in the first place. Shoes don’t need to be taken off, laptops don’t need to be placed in separate bins, and this madness with carry-on liquids is pure BS.