WASHINGTON — Fed up passengers in Atlanta waited at least an hour last summer to get through security at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.
They weren't alone. Long lines choked airports nationwide.
Passengers flying out of Atlanta were told to arrive two to three hours early last summer to get through Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screening.
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A surge of air travelers and an understaffed TSA kept airport lines miserably long.
“We had a crisis at our airports,” said Jonathan Grella, with the U.S. Travel Association.
Avoiding a sequel to that nightmare this summer was the focus of a summit in Washington.
Channel 2 Action News was there Wednesday as airport and security experts discussed new ways to shorten security lines while still keeping flyers safe.
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Ideas like eliminating secondary screening for international travelers and reducing the cost of TSA PreCheck, which allows passengers who go through background checks to use express security lanes at airports.
Pre-Check costs $85 per person for five years.
“What we're interested in doing is seeing if there could be discounts for those who buy in bulk, like going to Costco or Sam's Club, or perhaps spreading the pricing over time,” Grella said.
The groups at the meeting now take their ideas to the TSA, and to members of Congress.
“We have a balancing act to do. We want to move those lines so we're to inconveniencing people but we also have to balance our security needs,” said Rep. Bill Keating, D-Massachusetts.
The aim: Preventing another summer of steamed passengers standing in line.
The U.S. Travel Association also is asking the TSA to use more technology to detect bottlenecks at checkpoints.
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