Headaches, Long Lines Over Remodeling At MSP's Terminal 1
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Changes to security lines at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport Monday caused congestion, confusion and long lines.
TSA Pre-check travelers have to use the south security line at Terminal 1 and all other passengers are using the north checkpoint. The changes are due to remodeling work, which is cutting down on the amount of space for security lanes.
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Airport officials say travelers should arrive two hours before a flight. They plan to monitor lines and make adjustments as needed.
Many travelers WCCO's Marielle Mohs talked with a number of travelers who weren't happy about the longer lines, which at some points stretched nearly as long as the entire ticketing row.
Airport spokesperson John Welbes said the physical length of the line can sometimes be deceptive.
"The wait time never got much over half an hour so that's a goal we like to have," Welbes said. "Some people probably didn't have a good experience this morning, but we're looking to improve that and continue to look for ways to make improvements."
A half hour average wait time seemed to be pretty accurate, or even above average. WCCO followed Lynn Uhler from the beginning of the checkpoint line until she reached security and it was a 12 minute wait.
"I got in line at 10:19 a.m. and it is now 10:31 a.m.," said Uhler, "I think it went faster than I thought. And I just want to put a kudos out to the TSA because all these people do a good job with all the stress they have to deal with."
Kyle Potter, with Thrifty Traveler, says these backups are mostly to blame on the day of the week.
"Monday is probably the single worst time and that's probably why things were so ugly at MSP today," Potter said.
Even if you're on Clear check, Sky Priority or First Class, you still have to go through the same checkpoint as everyone else. Your lines are a little shorter, but you still have to wait, which is why TSA recommends showing up two hours before your flight and three hours before international flights.
The construction work won't be done until mid-December.
