It's a nightmare scenario for any flyer: You arrive at the airport for your flight, only to find a TSA checkpoint line that snakes down a hallway — and even onto the sidewalk. What if you don't make it to your gate in time?
For thousands of flyers, it's not a hypothetical scenario, as the ongoing partial government shutdown is leading to work outages and the longest security lines ever — with waits of more than four hours in some cases, according to the Transportation Security Administration.
"We are hearing airlines are trying to work with passengers as best they can," says Sean Cudahy, an aviation reporter at The Points Guy travel website. But it's certainly not guaranteed. They are not required to accommodate you."
In recent days, some airlines have rolled out more lenient rebooking policies.
The government is trying to sort out a way to pay TSA workers or end the shutdown. But for now, the lines persist.
So what can travelers do when they miss a flight due to long TSA lines? Here are some tips to navigating the airport — and potentially missing your flight.
Know what you're getting into
Check your airport's TSA wait time well before you head out. Some facilities, such as Charlotte's Douglas International Airport, list TSA times on their websites; for others, you may need to check social media to get an idea. The MyTSA app normally lists wait times, but it's suspended during the shutdown.
Wait times can vary wildly, depending on how many unpaid federal workers are calling out.
For instance, at midday on Friday, the TSA wait time at Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport was 90 minutes to 2.5 hours. Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson airport told passengers to allow at least four hours to get through TSA screening. But at Los Angeles International Airport, the wait time was about five minutes. And Dulles International reported normal wait times.
You're at the airport, and the line is huge
If you arrive to find a really long TSA line, Cudahy says, "the first thing that I would do is go up to one of the airport employees and ask them if they know of another line that you might be able to go to."
You might have to walk a bit, he says, but it can be worth it to avoid a longer wait.
You're in line, and panicking
If you're stuck in a long, slow-moving line, it's time to look for options in case you miss your boarding time.
Cudahy suggests using your airline's app to see what other flight options are available. He notes that it's easier to change a ticket if you didn't book basic economy —- a fare category that is usually nonchangeable — and you might even be able to rebook yourself in the app rather than through an agent.
If you find a good replacement flight, grab it before your original flight leaves. Otherwise, you might be labeled a no-show (and the airline could cancel your entire itinerary).
Try to remain calm and remember that airports and airlines want to get you where you want to go — and it's best not to vent your frustration at the person trying to help you. Cudahy says that at some big airports, "we have heard of airlines holding some flights back a little bit" to give passengers more time to reach their gate due to TSA delays.
You're definitely missing your flight — now what?
Your first move is to contact the airline, either online, over the phone or at a service desk.
"I do think calling tends to be better," Cudahy says, but he encourages using every method you can. If English-language phone lines are busy and you speak another language, it's worth trying a different number, according to NPR's Life Kit.
Use any affiliation you have with the airline. A frequent flyer account can make it easier for agents to pull up your travel plans, for instance. And if you have an airline lounge membership, try there: Lines to talk to customer service tend to be shorter than elsewhere in the airport.
TSA delays aren't the only potential snag. If you get through security and find an airline has delayed or canceled your flight, check out your options at the U.S. Department of Transportation's Cancellation and Delay Dashboard. There are big differences in how airlines compensate passengers.
What are airlines doing?
Security delays aren't under airlines' control, but several carriers say they're trying to work with passengers who miss flights — with the caveat that, in the spring break season, many flights are at or near capacity.
Delta issued a waiver specific to the Atlanta airport, for instance, "which allows customers to adjust their flight while in line without speaking to an agent," an airline spokesperson tells NPR. United has a similar policy for the Houston airport. The companies are waiving fees and fare differences, as long as the new ticket is for the same cabin level.
Other airlines, such as Southwest and Allegiant, say they're also helping customers who miss a flight rebook with no added charges. Sonya Padgett, Allegiant's corporate communications director, says the policy will remain in place until the partial government shutdown ends.
Weigh your options
If there's no room on other flights — or the price to rebook is too high — you might consider driving to your destination, even if it means renting a car, or taking a train.
But if you can rebook and your plans are flexible, avoiding airports' peak times can help make your new flight go more smoothly. At the Atlanta airport, for instance, "TSA wait times in the afternoons this week have been shorter than wait times in the morning," a Delta spokesperson told NPR.
Traditional advice holds that morning flights are less likely to be delayed. But if security delays are the main problem, Cudahy says he would consider a lunchtime flight — and he would look at traveling on Tuesday, Wednesday or Saturday, rather than peak days such as Friday, Sunday or Thursday.
If your plans are severely disrupted, ask your airline for a refund or travel voucher, and look at what travel insurance options you have. If you paid with a credit card, it might offer some coverage. But some travel insurance policies won't cover a flight missed due to TSA delays.
"Missing a flight due to a long TSA line would not typically be included as a covered reason for reimbursement under standard travel insurance products," said Daniel Durazo, director of external communications at Allianz, a large travel insurance firm.
The details might depend on when you bought your ticket: Durazo added that most travel insurance policies "only cover situations that are unknown and unforeseen at the time the policy is purchased."
NPR's Tovia Smith contributed reporting to this story.
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