Shoes Off, Laptop Out: In Dulles's Fast Lane
|
TOOLBOX
   Resize
COMMENT
 Discussion Policy
 CLOSE
Comments that include profanity or personal attacks or other inappropriate comments or material will be removed from the site. Additionally, entries that are unsigned or contain "signatures" by someone other than the actual author will be removed. Finally, we will take steps to block users who violate any of our posting standards, terms of use or privacy policies or any other policies governing this site. Please review the full rules governing commentaries and discussions. You are fully responsible for the content that you post.
Who's Blogging  |
Dulles International Airport is trying to speed things up for the single, experienced traveler who knows her way around a security checkpoint.
The airport has introduced "Dulles Diamond," a two-lane security checkpoint next to Baggage Claim 7 for passengers who travel at least twice a month, have their shoes off, their liquids and gels properly packaged and their laptops out of the case.
There is no room for families, large groups and the inexperienced on the fast lanes, which debuted this month, said Rob Yingling, a spokesman for the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority. The regular, 20-lane checkpoints are still available for the slower crowd upstairs, though the "Diamond" service is intended to reduce wait times all around, Yingling added. He said the system has been working well.
There is one hitch. There is no way for the person manning the new lines to know whether you have traveled twice in the past month. Yingling said that the criteria is confirmed "visually." Signs laying out the criteria for those who qualify are meant to stop less-frequent travelers from sneaking in.
"These signs make it evident who the lanes are intended for," he said.
The faster lines are being adopted at other airports, Yingling said. In the Washington area, they are available only at Dulles for now. Cheryl Stewart, a spokeswoman for the Maryland Aviation Administration, said that Baltimore-Washington International Marshall Airport is considering the lanes but has not yet worked out the details.
-- Alejandro Lazo
