Some airports expedite first class ticket holders with their own line, speeding them to their gate while the hoi polloi stew in endless, Disney-esque snake lines.
Which is what I was confronted with earlier this week checking into PIT.
My own internal estimate on clearing security: at LEAST 45 minutes. And, then a guy walked up and suggested to those of us in the back of the line that there was an "Alternate Security Checkpoint"...up the escalator, outside to the right and across the street.
The girl next to me was skeptical. The guy wasn't TSA...but his workshirt did say he was with maintenance. She opted to stay. I went for it...
And cleared security in less than 10. I'm guessing, four days later, she's still in line :)
Now, the gate agents tell me that this doesn't always work (and told me it would work less if word got out on this blog, even though the alternate checkpoint was apparently opened a year and a half ago)...but if you're going through PIT and facing a line of over 1000 in front of you?
Go fer it...
Aw man,you just blew one of our best kept secrets. As a frequent business traveler in Pittsburgh, I loved that no one else seemed to know about this security checkpoint. Thanks Bill :-(.
Posted by: Jennifer Reichenbach | May 31, 2007 at 11:52
Hey Jennifer...
Just tryin' to help out my buds for the DMAI convention in PIT in July :)
Hope to see you there!
Posted by: Bill Geist | May 31, 2007 at 18:52