New security at TSA at Mccarran, Southwest probs

Going through security at McCarran Saturday was a breeze. Shoes on, no plastic bag of liquids and gels, computer stays in the case, keep belt on, jackets on, only had to take any metal out of pockets (if your cell pnone contains metal, it will alert).

To get this service, go to the rightmost line at the A, B, and C gates which are up the escalator from the SOUTHWEST AIRLINES counter. You may be stopped for a brief test before going through the metal detector (no nude-o-scope).

On the other hand, Southwest is having problems with their kioskes. Be sure you have a physical, PRINTED boading pass before you arrive at the airport. Your hotel can do this for you, or you can do it at an airport kioske IF you know your confirmation number. (Rapid Rewards number dos not work!).

Otherwise you may have to stand in a long, long line (allow extra time). People with printed BP's get in a much shorter line to check bags.

This is the way it was Saturday, Nov. 9. It may be better now.

- bcc

Tony, thanks for posting this. Great to know you can leave your shoes on! Also thanks for the tip about the boarding pass; good to know since I'm flying SWA.

Luck to all ~~

pattycor from Ohio (formerly Michigan)

I had the same experience as tonycc on Sat 11/9, but a TSA agent said it was a pilot program. Who knows if the new procedure will remain.

We went through LAS security again today on 11/13. and here's how it went.

The Southwest problems are solved, and they went back to the old way of one long line and using the kioskes for printing boarding passes and checking bags. The Rapid Rewards number worked to check you in (it didn't in my previous visit, as shown in my first message, above)..

In other words, it now works just like before. The Southwest line was long, but went quickly because they now have dozens of kioskes AND checkin clerks.

The fast lane for security was open today, but not until after 8:00 AM. Before that, the TSA agents running this lane lingered around for an hour or so beforehand doing their usual nothing.. When they finally opened, they seemed to be selecting people to go in the special line. Look for green sign with a checkmark on it just as you get off the up escalator.

We were there today too early to get into the special lane. We had to go through the regular line with the nude-o-scopes. There were over a throusand people in regular line, winding back to the escalator. There was only one (ONE !!) TSA agent checking boarding passes against ID's.

-bcc

What tonycc is describing is TSA's PreCheck program. It allows certain passengers deemed to be present a relatively-low safety risk to whisk through airport security much like it existed pre September 11. Passengers still can't carry much liquid through security, the 3-1-1 rules still applies, but passengers will no longer have to take them out of their bag, so long as the passenger is not randomly excluded from the PreCheck lanes, which happens.

A lot of the people who use this new process do so thanks to their frequent flyer status with the domestic airlines that have teamed with TSA. Until recently Southwest was not one of those airlines, so perhaps that's why tonycc's seeing something new.

Southwest does have a flyby line, which is the same line as First Class. This line is in the far left of all the lines, and puts you through the desk where the TSA looks at your boarding pass and drivers License. We used it when we were Southwest A-List last year.

It is not the same line as the new line which I described, which is at the far right of the lanes.

- bcc

We were selected for the TSA's pre-check program flying US Airways. The TSA agent said which line to use & explained what the pre-check program is, but the line for first class passengers was shorter. Also, were not screened by the new type "body scanner". The scanner looked like a previous generation device.
However, they lines in Terminal 1 & "D" gates still were quite long.

i, too, got the "beta" treatment 11-13-13 thru the airport. took less than 25 minutes curb to gate. was wonderful, but left a lot of time to sit at the gate.

We did it with American Airlines on November 8th. We checked our luggage outside and the boarding pass came up and said TSA Pre Check. We have no clue how we did it but everyone in line around us checking luggage got the same thing.