Any update on security improvements at MCO?

[safetymom]

50 mins is not enough time if you are checking luggage. I am lucky because I can use a preferred check in line so I don't spend too much time there.

It is amazing though how many people think they can just breeze through any airport these days.

I had several incidents with the TSA this trip. A friend traveling through Fort Lauderdale this weekend had a very nasty TSA agent and has reported them. A Broward county sheriff was called in his case. All because he didn't take his shoes off when it was recommened he do so. I had the same thing happen at one airport this weekend over the same issue where the agent was quite nasty about the shoes. No notice, no warning, no recommendation. I fly with these same shoes all the times with no problems. I received major attitude and I never opened my mouth to the TSA agent.

Do I feel any safer???? NO!!!! I just get to go to the airport and deal with power hungry people that like to harass you because they can.

 

[NotUrsula]

I believe the experiences of posters like Ducklite and Safetymom yet the TSA website is showing maximum wait times of under 30 minutes. It's the ultimate in bureaucratic arrogance to think they can solve a problem by denying it exists. As a start they can change the suggested arrival time at MCO to 2 hours before our flight.

I'm laughing here, Lewis, because I can't help but note the irony: if they can't manage to hire enough screeners to man the checkpoints, what makes you think they are going to hire enough PR staff to keep the website up-to-date? Website maintainance has to be kind of low on their priority list.

I would be really interested to know just how many TSA staff are working down in the bag rooms at MCO, vs. how many are on the checkpoints -- a ratio would do me just fine. I'm betting that a lot of MCO's TSA allotment is where you can't see them, because the airlines have got their knickers in a twist about the cost of baggage delays. It doesn't cost the airline anything if a passenger doesn't make his/her flight due to security delays, but it costs a mint to have to courier a bag to the passenger when the passenger leaves before the bag does.

 

[Lewisc]

At least notify the airlines to change suggested arrival time from 1.5 to 2 hours. That can't take very long.

Get rid of the section of their website that tells us the wait time at different times of the day for a specified day of the week. Either allocate enough staff to keep it reasonably current or get rid of it.

The airlines could just require luggage be checked an hour in advance. Tag the bags to indicate if they're checked late. Late bags that don't make the flight will go on a later flight but the passenger is on his own to get the bags from his home airport.

I believe DME bags checked at the resort are screened in a remote section of the airport. I'm not sure if this helps or hurts the overall productivity.

I'm laughing here, Lewis, because I can't help but note the irony: if they can't manage to hire enough screeners to man the checkpoints, what makes you think they are going to hire enough PR staff to keep the website up-to-date? Website maintainance has to be kind of low on their priority list.

I would be really interested to know just how many TSA staff are working down in the bag rooms at MCO, vs. how many are on the checkpoints -- a ratio would do me just fine. I'm betting that a lot of MCO's TSA allotment is where you can't see them, because the airlines have got their knickers in a twist about the cost of baggage delays. It doesn't cost the airline anything if a passenger doesn't make his/her flight due to security delays, but it costs a mint to have to courier a bag to the passenger when the passenger leaves before the bag does.

 

[Dax]

I have flown out of both MCO and TPA quite frequently, and the longest I have ever waited for security was 20min. Granted they werent the nicest people to deal with, but I have never dealt with long lines. I have dealt with longer lines checking my luggage in with the airline though.

The one airport I have had multiple security issues with is Philadelphia. There is just not enough lines there. I almost missed my flight due to the long lines. I had arrived in plenty of time, but due to a mix up at my rental car return, I almost missed my flight. Luckily they let in bypass a VERY long line. Of course, I got wanded for my effort....

 

[ducklite]

PHL has cleaned up it's act lately. I think they moved all the TSA goons from MCO to PHL. I haven't waited more than about five minutes the last few times I've flown out of there. (I think three or four times this year...)

Anne

 

[CarolA]

Well, WHY does it take longer to clear security at MCO then at MOST major airports in the USA????

That makes NO sense. Anne will argue that it's tourists, but when I flew out of Atlanta over Christmas I saw every rookie misstake in the business (film in checked luggage, failure to remove laptop, wearing enough metal to start thier own steel mill etc.. ) and STILL it took less time....

And if they aren't nice to me.. I find a supervisor and COMPLAIN. Yes, one day I am going to miss my flight, but at some point some of these goons have to learn that "might does not equal right" (I think they missed that class in kindergarden) It's pretty interesting the horrified look you get when you ask for a supervisor to complain to... the reaction pretty much tells met that "I know I am wrong, but no one ever does anything to stop me"

 

[Dax]

Funny thing is, my DH has applied 2x to be a TSA screener. You should see what they have to go through to get the job. The testing, oh the testing...You would think he was applying to be in the FBI or something. His fingerprints are now in that national database of fingerprints AFIS or whatever its called(you know, the one from all the CSI episodes). He had to give hair samples, urine samples, lift stuff, look at stuff in X-rays. He was tested for almost 4hrs.

He was in the testing with about 20 people, mostly those from arabic nationalities. I have nothing against this. This happened both times he took the test. He never heard back. We flew not long after he took the last test. DH recognized at least 2 people from being in the test with him. They recognized him too. They said they had been called back within 2 weeks after the last test and were offered a job. So were 3 others from that group. DH hasnt bothered to apply again. DH knew he had done better, as he had watched them struggle with some of the tests(like the X-ray one). Just discouraged him even more. He figured the government was just trying to fill a specific quota. Who knows.