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Airlines Revert to the Class System on Lines

Posted on: Tuesday, 9 August 2005, 15:00 CDT

Harvey Koshik is not an "elite" airline traveler. He learned this recently when he was turned away from a security line at Denver International Airport. A guard checking identification and boarding passes informed him that the line was only for first-class travelers.

"We knew something was up because the line was so short," said Koshik, who was flying coach. He and his five traveling companions went to the end of the other security line, which snaked back and forth nine times before it reached the checkpoint. "I don't like it. I think everybody should be treated the same."

Across the country, "elite" lines are making a comeback at U.S. airports. The lines, which deliver high-paying travelers right to the checkpoint without waiting, were common before the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, but the federal government eliminated them when it took over security from the airlines.

In allowing the lines to return, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has irked travelers who say that the airlines' class system should not extend to airport security, which is paid for by all taxpayers.

The lines are operated by the airlines, not the government, which is responsible only for the actual screening process. "The physical rope and stanchions and the real estate they occupy is the responsibility of the airlines or, in some cases, the airports," said TSA spokesman Mark Hatfield.

"The TSA area begins just past the ticket checkers. From that point forward, we treat them all the same."

Airline and airport executives said they have been able to set up the new lines, in some cases, by working with airports and the federal government to expand security checkpoints.

In Los Angeles, for example, American Airlines spent $1 million to reconfigure the terminal it leases so the TSA could add a few more security lanes. The extra lanes afforded the airline some extra space for its new line for first-class travelers.

A first-class line works like this: Off to the side of the long, zigzag line for most travelers is a shorter line that zips to the checkpoint, often accompanied by a sign indicating that the line is only for "premier" or "gold club" travelers.

Sometimes the special lines are only for airlines' exclusive club members who fly a certain number of miles each year or pay several hundred dollars a year to use posh airport lounges.

Other times, the signs indicate the line is only for first- or business-class travelers.

Airport and airline officials said they persuaded the TSA that creating special lines speeds all travelers through.

By separating seasoned passengers who are familiar with security rules from vacationers who don't know they have to remove their shoes, the officials say, everyone moves through security more quickly.

Source: Record, The; Bergen County, N.J.

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