HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — With the government shutdown continuing, travel experts said it’s possible that TSA wait times of more than three hours could persist.
On Monday morning, passengers at Bush Intercontinental Airport encountered long TSA wait lines. The airport said the lines were three hours long due to the ongoing government shutdown.
One of those passengers faced with the long line was Tracy McGee. He’s a former federal employee who knows what it’s like to not get paid during a government shutdown.
“That sort of puts stress on your family,” McGee explained. “I had a spouse who said, ‘What are we going to do?’ We had young kids at the time.”
McGee wasn’t the only passenger faced with anxiety. On Monday, the airport’s website showed a nearly three-hour TSA wait.
On Monday morning, long lines wrapped beyond the TSA checkpoint. By early afternoon, the long lines were gone.
ABC13 asked the airport why it still showed a 180-minute wait. Turns out, a spokesperson told us they locked the wait time because the lines were moved beyond their sensors.
Minutes after we reached out, the website showed a 15-minute wait. It was too late for some who arrived hours early.
“I’m going to go and find a bar and sit there for the next eight hours and drink maybe more than one beer,” passenger Eric Ung said.
The TSA wait time may no longer be three hours, but travel blogger Gary Leff, who runs the website, view from the wing, said it’s possible they return.
“In this particular situation, there is no typical because we haven’t seen anything like this in the last six years, and we don’t know when the shutdown is going to resolve itself,” Leff said.
Leff said normally, airlines aren’t willing to make changes if you miss your flight due to TSA issues. This time, he says it could be different.
“Asking for a little bit of grace from the carrier is something that can go a long way,” Leff explained. “They may have other passengers who they’re trying to get onto these flights who missed earlier flights. It works both ways.”
Leff said if you’re looking to cut down on the wait time, you may want to avoid TSA Pre-Check because it requires a background check, takes time to be cleared, and costs around $80. He said if you’re willing to spend more money, about $200, Leff said CLEAR could be an option, and you can sign up at the airport.
Even if you don’t fly, travel experts say the images coming out of Houston’s airports could impact you. They say the coverage of long lines, not just here, but also at other airports, could make an impact in getting the government to reopen.
Leff said the long lines may not just bring a short-term change with the government reopening, but it could cause lawmakers to look at the TSA process.
“I do think that this underscores how cumbersome we have made the process of getting to and through getting out of the airport,” Leff said.
To find out why TSA had such long times on Monday morning, ABC13 reached out to TSA to ask about staffing. We did not receive a response.
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Niko Travis is a dedicated health writer with a passion for providing clear, reliable, and research-backed information about medications and mental health. As the author behind TrazodoneSUC, Niko simplifies complex medical topics to help readers understand the benefits, uses, and potential risks of Trazodone. With a commitment to accuracy and well-being, Niko ensures that every article empowers readers to make informed decisions about their health.
