Miles, money separate elite travelers

Harvey Koshik is not an “elite” airline traveler. He learned this 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,” Koshik says. “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 has irked travelers who say that the airlines’ class system should not extend to airport security, which is paid for by all taxpayers. But 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.”

The Registered Traveler program, which allows handpicked frequent fliers to register a fingerprint and iris scan at some airports in exchange for a pass to the front of the line, has been stalled at the agency for more than a year. Airports, airlines and the TSA have been unable to agree on a way to expand the program.

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, straight 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.

Airlines say their privileged customers love the perk, but they admit that others aren’t so thrilled.

“We hear equal sentiments from both sides” about the special lines, said US Airways spokesman David Castelveter. But the airline still thinks it’s worth offering, he said.

Passengers on some airlines never get to use the fast lanes. Road warriors who travel on Northwest, Continental and United can speed through the special security line at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport, but the same travelers on Independence Air – which does not offer first-class service – get stuck in the slow lane.

At Baltimore-Washington International Airport, Southwest Airlines passengers at the new terminal must all funnel through the same checkpoint, but first-class travelers on Delta and American get to skip to the front at another terminal.

The privilege, for those who get it, is incredibly valuable. Wait times in the standard security lines at Reagan National Airport in Washington can be as long as 50 minutes, according to the TSA’s Web site. On average, getting through security around the country takes less than 12 minutes, but the lines can be unpredictable.

Inside the exclusive American Airlines Admirals Club at Los Angeles International Airport, Mike Shires relaxed on a leather chair, enjoying a few moments of peace before his flight back home to Chicago. He flies 200,000 miles a year on business and he enjoys the perks that come with being a frequent flier.

“I’d have to put 30 minutes back into my schedule” without the special security line, Shires said. “There’s a perk that comes with all the miles we travel.”

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.

But some passengers got irked by the setup recently at O’Hare’s Terminal 2, where one security line designated for Northwest and Continental first-class passengers was separated by a rope and funneled to a single magnetometer and X-ray machine. Meanwhile, two lines of other travelers had to merge into one long line for a second metal detector.

“What’s the deal here?” asked Jill Horist, as she and her 11-year-old son waited in the slow lane.

“It’s this kind of thing that’s annoying. If you pay a couple extra bucks, you get a shorter line? Everyone pays for security.”