Category Archives for Airports.
President Trump says he will sign an emergency order to pay TSA screeners immediately during the shutdown, after weeks of insisting Congress had to solve the problem while airport security lines spiraled out of control. The move may ease some of the pressure on travelers, but the legal authority is shaky at best — and may survive less because it is clearly lawful than because almost no one has standing, or the appetite, to sue to stop TSA workers from being paid.
he U.S. government is warning travelers that Hong Kong has changed its national security rules so that even people merely transiting the airport can be compelled to unlock phones, laptops, and other devices — and refusing can now be a criminal offense. That makes Hong Kong International Airport a much riskier connection point for anyone carrying sensitive personal or business data. Beware flying Cathay Pacific.
A drunk driver crashed through a locked gate at Daytona Beach International Airport, got onto the airfield, nearly hit a training aircraft, and then tried more than once to climb into planes before finally being stopped.
United Airlines is quietly routing its top customers around Houston’s four hour TSA lines through a hidden checkpoint, even as the airport tells passengers there is no screening in Terminal C. The lane is normally used for disabled passengers and special assistance.
ICE agents deployed to airports during the government shutdown are now expected to get access behind checkpoints without the SIDA badges normally required for unescorted entry into secure areas. That means bypassing the fingerprinting, background checks, and training airport workers usually need — a move that could weaken the challenge-and-report culture airports rely on to keep secure areas secure.
President Trump has rejected Elon Musk’s offer to cover TSA screener pay during the partial government shutdown, even after the administration reportedly considered the idea. That leaves travelers facing the same worsening airport security lines, with no outside fix coming as absenteeism and political leverage keep the pressure on.
As long airport security lines continue to frustrate travelers, one man has turned the chaos into a business by standing in line for you and selling the spot. His asking price runs from $600 to $1,200, essentially creating a black-market version of paid airport fast-track services.
ICE agents are now at 13 airports, but the deployment looks far more symbolic than operational: they cannot legally perform screening, and in many cases they appear to be standing near checkpoints while TSA lines still run for hours.
A woman was detained by immigration authorities at San Francisco International Airport late Sunday night, and video of the scene is now being widely miscast as part of the new ICE deployment to airport checkpoints. It was not
ICE agents are now showing up at airport checkpoints, but they are not the same as TSA screeners — ICE agents are law enforcement officers, while TSA checkpoint staff generally are not. That changes your rights.
Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel -- a topic he has covered since 2002.
Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »
