At Dulles and National, The Wait Gets Worse

Security lines have grown at two Washington area airports and at others across the country in recent weeks, prompting federal officials to seek new ways to reduce logjams during the holiday travel season.

Authorities have been trying to balance security needs with those of travelers since they banned gels and liquids from passenger cabins in mid-August. That action followed the announcement by British police that they had uncovered a plot to use liquid explosives on jetliners. Late last month, U.S. authorities eased the ban, allowing small amounts of toiletries in carry-on luggage.

Nationwide, wait times during peak hours at airports increased to just over 13 minutes on average last week from about 11 minutes at the end of last month, according to the Transportation Security Administration.

Two local airports surpassed those times. The average peak wait time at Washington Dulles International Airport rose to 25 minutes this month from about 14 minutes in September.

Waits at Reagan National Airport were about five minutes longer this month than the 10-minute average TSA officials recorded in September.

TSA officials said they thought the increased wait times stemmed from passengers carrying more bags onto airplanes since the gel and liquid ban was eased last month, forcing screeners to take more time to inspect luggage for potential explosives. Many passengers also remain confused about what they can take with them on planes, causing further delays as screeners throw out bottles of water and other banned items, they said.

TSA officials said Dulles has had more delays because of ongoing construction, more flights and a high number of international travelers, who carry more items onto planes.

An airport spokeswoman said construction has actually eased congestion because security lines were reconfigured for the work. She said the delays were caused mostly by confused international travelers unfamiliar with the gel and liquid restrictions in the United States.

Officials at Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport said security delays remained about the same this month as in September. The wait times declined to about 12 minutes last month from 22 minutes in August, and TSA officials said they could not explain the drop. Waits at Dulles and Reagan became longer from August to October.

A BWI spokesman said the reduction was probably caused by increased communication between the airport, the airlines and TSA officials about how to manage security lines.

Worried that wait times might lengthen during the holiday season, as inexperienced travelers go to airports, TSA officials said they were launching a publicity campaign to remind passengers about the revised restrictions. The TSA is also evaluating staffing levels and how travelers are informed about restricted items before they reach security checkpoints.

"We are looking Thanksgiving right in the face," said Kip Hawley, the top official at TSA. "This is the time we have between now and then to prepare the American public."

The publicity campaign is titled "3-1-1" to remind travelers that they each can carry liquid and gel toiletries in containers that are 3 ounces or smaller onto planes. Those items must be carried in a one-quart plastic bag that is shown to screeners at checkpoints. Each passenger is allowed only one such bag, TSA officials said.

TSA officials said they were also going to try to better educate screeners about restrictions. Yesterday, 31 screeners from across the country attended a brainstorming session at TSA's headquarters in Arlington.

Hawley and an assistant TSA administrator, Michael J. Restovich, took questions and suggestions from the screeners about what they could do to improve the flow of travelers through checkpoints without compromising security.

The suggestions included pop-ups on TSA's Web site to alert passengers to restrictions, and better communication from the agency's bosses about screeners' responsibilities. Hawley and Restovich said they are considering whether to implement the suggestions.

Veteran business travelers at Dulles -- an airport notorious for its long waits -- have noticed longer delays for several weeks.

On Sunday, the line was moving smoothly about 3 p.m., with waits of 10 to 15 minutes. But by about 4 p.m., the wait was about 45 minutes for some travelers, as hundreds of passengers headed toward their flights.

Don Thorpe, 55, a consultant from Northern Virginia traveling to Denver for work, entered the line around 3:55 p.m. It was so long, he couldn't see where it ended.

"I could walk to Denver faster than this," he said.

There were no airport employees or TSA screeners telling passengers where they needed to go or what awaited them, Thorpe said. "This is the ultimate frustration."

After about 10 minutes, an airport worker closed his lane and directed travelers to walk toward a checkpoint entrance. Thorpe hustled after them.

"I guess they want us to be in great shape," he joked. "We are all just assuming we are going to the right place. Nobody tells you where to go. Just follow people around in front of you."

It took Thorpe about 40 minutes to get through security. "It's unacceptable," he said in a cellphone call after passing through the checkpoint. "We ended up merging in line with the same people we passed on our way to the new area."