Rapid Travel Chai

The TSA lit up the faces of road warriors in July with the announcement of a fall pilot test of an expedited security screening program (see blog post). It launched yesterday at Atlanta, Detroit, Dallas and Miami for select travelers on American and Delta, as reported on the TSA blog and USA Today.

Photo by toomuchkatherine

The Rapid Traveler had his first crack at it today and was mistakenly disappointed when checking in online to see no information on the program. But he strode into ATL and was ushered by a Delta agent to a new lane marked “Expedited.” Her handheld scanner flashed a big green check mark. No one was ahead and the TSA agent did the typical ID and boarding pass check. He went to the security belt, started to empty his pockets and heard words of ecstasy, “Sir, leave the bin and come right through. Just take out your cell phone.” His overloaded carry-on breezed through as fast as he, heavy watch still on wrist and all. Awesome.

He talked to a supervisor who requested that anyone who likes the program to write the TSA and say so. Whether or not in the pilot, anyone in favor of a pleasant airport experience should send positive feedback. Please consider commenting on the TSA Blog or otherwise contacting them.

For domestic road warriors who have not joined Global Entry or one of the other Trusted Traveler Programs, the offer is now compelling, especially since an increasing number of premium credit cards reimburse the application fee. See this blog post for details on the programs.

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