Several aldermen called the current conditions and wait times at the airports avoidable and unacceptable.
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Some American Air passengers have had to wait in line for over an hour.
A4A has created www.iHateTheWait.com as a crowd-sourcing tool allowing passengers easy access to social media platforms Twitter and Instagram where they can post photos of security lines and wait times to help their fellow travelers.
It’s, apparently, taking hours for some people to make it through security. ‘Tis the season, after all, and that’s only gonna get worse as the summer heats up.
Last week, Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said TSA won’t compromise security.
Beyond Sunday’s problems, American says thousands of additional customers have missed flights since spring because of long TSA lines. The cause? Cheaper airfare is expected to drive a record number of flyers to airports around the country, but the Transportation Security Administration has too few security screeners to deal with the influx.
American Airlines is spending an additional $4 million to hire contract personnel to support TSA workers.
“We are not here today to blame passengers but it is one contributing factor to long lines at the airports”, said TSA Regional Spokesperson Mark Howell. The prediction is good news for the airline industry but it could mean major headaches for summer travelers who can expect even more gridlock at airport security checkpoint lines.
The delays are due to an increased volume of travellers, tighter security screenings, more carry-on bags and a drop in the number of TSA officers in recent years.
Some 2.5 million travelers have signed up for the TSA program, far short of the 25 million the TSA would like to enroll, according to The New York Times.
“When they have the dogs at the lines it goes really smoothly and it is a really great process”, said Leslie Scott, spokeswoman for American.
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Isom said in a letter to employees that tens of thousands of the airline’s customers have missed flights and bags have been delayed because of long security lines.
