has anyone missed their flight home because of security lines?

[judykay53]

I'm legally blind and can't read signs until I get right up on them, unless they are large print. I will have two other adults with me though. Guess we could just follow other families. We're leaving out at 9pm so maybe that will help.

 

[SamSam]

I've not missed a flight at MCO because of screening, but only because we got there very early. Our last flight our of MCO, the screening/security line came to a standstill...for over 30 minutes, I mean literally did not move an inch. Finally they opened some additional lines and things started moving, but it was touch and go for a while. People started out being very layed back, but after 20 minutes there were many vocal complaints.

That has only happened to us once, and I certainly hope it doesn't happen again.

 

[YankeePrincess]

I don't know I view this differently. Although it is a pain to wait in those lines I am just glad they don't push everyone through quickly and are actually taking the time to make sure there is nothing off with passengers and baggage. It makes me feel somewhat safer.

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

I don't know I view this differently. Although it is a pain to wait in those lines I am just glad they don't push everyone through quickly and are actually taking the time to make sure there is nothing off with passengers and baggage. It makes me feel somewhat safer.

LOL!

The TSA makes you feel safer? The folks who when told "there's going to be a test today with a fake bomb and the tester will be dresses as follows" missed the bomb?

(And at LAX the other day my "screener" spent the entire time my luggage was going through talking to his buddy. I am SURE he saw everything in my luggage! )

This has very little to do with safety and a lot to do with "theater"

 

[Uncleromulus]

Never missed a flight.
We're well aware of the chaos that is MCO security and make it a point to arrive hours ahead of our flight. It's not at all suprising the many can get into the "wrong" line when it isn't even clear which lines are which. In fact, it sometimes isn't even clear that there IS a line, not to mention what line belongs to whom.
A real mess to be sure. I dread Security at MCO every trip.

 

[DVC-Don]

Never missed a flight anywhere due to security. Course I'm always at the airport about 2 hours before my flights. The longest I've had to get through at MCO has been 25 minutes. I usually time it as I see a lot of complaints here, but nothing has happened to me yet.

 

[sam_gordon]

We just came through MCO Monday night. Unfortunately I didn't track times through security. We are a family of 5. B side. When we went to security there were two "groups" of security lines... each with about 10-12 "rows". We went to the group on the left and the furthest row on the right... just because no one was there (I checked with a TSA agent that we could use that line).

We get to the agent checking IDs & boarding passes. I hand her my ID, my wife's ID, and all 5 boarding passes. I tell her we were a group of five (wife could easily be seen behind the kids). She gives me everything back saying "pass them out". OK. So I give each kid their boarding pass. No big deal. She turns to the family (either 4 or 5) on the other side of her and that dad hands her 5 boarding passes and 5 passports. She doesn't blink an eye and goes through all five. huh?

We get in line for the actual WTMD and the line moved slow enough that we all took our shoes off as we got to the table and put them in the bins. The only issue we had was when DD(5) held her hands out as she went through the WTMD and it beeped. She had to go back through. We grabbed our stuff on the other side and moved around to the benches to put our shoes back on.

I'm guessing the entire security thing (from when we got in line to when we headed toward the monorail) took ~20 minutes.

I never saw signs indicating "family" or "medicine". I only looked quickly though.

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

We get to the agent checking IDs & boarding passes. I hand her my ID, my wife's ID, and all 5 boarding passes. I tell her we were a group of five (wife could easily be seen behind the kids). She gives me everything back saying "pass them out". OK. So I give each kid their boarding pass. No big deal. She turns to the family (either 4 or 5) on the other side of her and that dad hands her 5 boarding passes and 5 passports. She doesn't blink an eye and goes through all five. huh?

.

This was entitled "I am bored and I get to make up rules as I do my job and I get extra points for being difficult for no good reason"

 

[bumbershoot]

"there were about 30 seats open on our flight and when I checked almost every other day before the flight there were only a couple seats left. So I wonder if people missed their flight."

I'm surprised no one has wondered about this...the Transportation board usually says that we cannot tell how many seats are truly available by looking online before the flight, so I'm surprised that hasn't been brought up here.

I'm sure people have missed their flights. Probably most of the time it was because of their errors. Other times it was probably because of someone else's error.


We went through the family line at MCO and it was quite efficient. We don't *need* to use it, but since I still follow Seatac rules on bin usage, we do take up a bit of room on the conveyor belt, and I figure it would tweak the agents to take up that much room in the non family line.

But we also tend to let people go in front of us if they are getting twitchy (it's funny...3 single people can take up the same amount of room and not get a look, but you turn it into a family unit and suddenly it's sighs and omg what's taking so long...).

 

[sam_gordon]

This was entitled "I am bored and I get to make up rules as I do my job and I get extra points for being difficult for no good reason"

While I thought it was strange, it took me maybe 5 seconds to hand out the boarding passes. I guess waiting for her to examine the other families passports took maybe 30 seconds.

You know, you're right. She WAS being "difficult"! Who do I complain to?

 

[CPT Tripss]

Never missed a flight.
We're well aware of the chaos that is MCO security and make it a point to arrive hours ahead of our flight. It's not at all suprising the many can get into the "wrong" line when it isn't even clear which lines are which. In fact, it sometimes isn't even clear that there IS a line, not to mention what line belongs to whom.
A real mess to be sure. I dread Security at MCO every trip.

MCO lacks security . . . they replaced it with TSA screening.

 

[goofy4tink]

This was entitled "I am bored and I get to make up rules as I do my job and I get extra points for being difficult for no good reason"

We just came through MCO Monday night. Unfortunately I didn't track times through security. We are a family of 5. B side. When we went to security there were two "groups" of security lines... each with about 10-12 "rows". We went to the group on the left and the furthest row on the right... just because no one was there (I checked with a TSA agent that we could use that line).

We get to the agent checking IDs & boarding passes. I hand her my ID, my wife's ID, and all 5 boarding passes. I tell her we were a group of five (wife could easily be seen behind the kids). She gives me everything back saying "pass them out". OK. So I give each kid their boarding pass. No big deal. She turns to the family (either 4 or 5) on the other side of her and that dad hands her 5 boarding passes and 5 passports. She doesn't blink an eye and goes through all five. huh?

We get in line for the actual WTMD and the line moved slow enough that we all took our shoes off as we got to the table and put them in the bins. The only issue we had was when DD(5) held her hands out as she went through the WTMD and it beeped. She had to go back through. We grabbed our stuff on the other side and moved around to the benches to put our shoes back on.

I'm guessing the entire security thing (from when we got in line to when we headed toward the monorail) took ~20 minutes.

I never saw signs indicating "family" or "medicine". I only looked quickly though.

Actually, I don't have an issue with that. I have never seen any TSA person that took an entire families set of IDs and not check them individually. Each person carries their own passport...and they hand it back to me when we get done with security.
It's funny but you all talk about the lack of security there, but then complain that someone was being 'difficult' when they asked for each person to have their own ID?? I don't get it.

 

[maxiesmom]

MCO lacks security . . . they replaced it with TSA screening.

You know, there could be people reading this that have no idea you are being sarcastic. Maybe keep in mind that people are using this site for accurate information, and your comments such as that one could be confusing to them.

 

[judykay53]

Do you put your shoes directly on the belt? A few years ago, one of our group was yelled at for putting her shoes in a bin. She was just doing what every9one before her had done. The TSA agent was walking up and bringing empty bins back. This was only her second time to fly. We have always just put them in a bin along with jewelry, hat , etc. TSA website says to put them on the belt though.

 

[LWQuestie]

According to the TSA website, shoes go in bins. But, like others have pointed out, there is a distinct lack of consistancy from airport to airport and agent to agent.

Speaking of lack of consistency, other locations on the website say to put them on the belt. I've always put my shoes in a bin, generally with other stuff, like the 3-1-1 bag, jacket/sweatshirt and purse.

Shoes: Please remove shoes before entering the screening technology and put them directly on the belt to go through the X-ray machine instead of in a bin with other items. It is safe, easy, and gives officers a better look.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

Shoes: Please remove shoes before entering the screening technology and put them directly on the belt to go through the X-ray machine instead of in a bin with other items. It is safe, easy, and gives officers a better look.

Odd. I have been through security many times at airports all over the world, and at airports where you must remove shoes, everyone always puts them in the plastic bins with no problems.

 

[CPT Tripss]

You know, there could be people reading this that have no idea you are being sarcastic. Maybe keep in mind that people are using this site for accurate information, and your comments such as that one could be confusing to them.

Please do not accuse me of violating board rules.

 

[Brian Noble]

The shoe rules tend to change based on what they are emphasizing on any particular week. Usually, a bin is fine. Every once in a while, the agents will ask (via "broadcast") everyone to put them directly on the belt. YMMV, but I've seen it in several different airports.

 

[maxiesmom]

Please do not accuse me of violating board rules.

Ooops, sorry about that! Anyway there is sarcasm, and then there is sarcasm. I think if your post contained the offensive kind it would have already gone poof! I could just see some newbie reading your post and getting all confused about what MCO doesn't have security. No offense meant!

 

[carolsherman]

I have to say MCO has the worst setup for security. They could make it go alot smoother if they keep the line the same from beginning to end.

Luckily I have not missed any flights thru MCO because of TSA but I try to get to the airport at least 3 hours early knowing the above.