Airports have a new plea for anxious travelers: Stop camping out at security four hours before your flight. With TSA lines stabilizing after weeks of shutdown-fueled chaos, airports across the US are telling passengers that showing up too early is now part of the problem, reports the Washington Post. John Glenn Columbus International Airport in Ohio says getting there 90 minutes beforehand is the "sweet spot," while Texas' Austin-Bergstrom warns there's "no need" to queue up more than four hours ahead, as it clogs lines for those departing sooner.
Travel experts say the horror stories of four-hour lines have nudged people into a "rush-hour traffic" trap: Arrive extremely early to get a jump on things, then become part of the traffic. TSA callouts do remain elevated in several major hubs, though an executive order to pay officers has eased the worst of the backups. CNN notes that on Monday afternoon, wait times at most major airports were clocking in at 30 minutes or less. Atlanta's airport reported waits under five minutes on Tuesday, while Houston's Bush Airport topped out at about 15, per the Post.
Early birds can also hit a wall if airline counters or TSA lanes aren't open yet. The smart move, experts say: Follow your airport's specific guidance, watch real-time wait trackers, and resist the urge to join a security line at dawn for a midmorning flight. And if you do still end up hitting a long security line? Maybe you'll be lucky and run into this guy.
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