GoKawiilTransportation Security Administration employees haven't been paid since the partial government shutdown began on Feb. 14, and staffing shortages are starting to add up.
The TSA crunch and spring break travel are now throttling some airport security lines across the US. At least one airport, Houston's Hobby -- which experienced extreme security line waits last weekend -- is now telling fliers they need to arrive three hours early for domestic flights or four hours early for international flights.
Don't be surprised when you get to the airport and see the security line trailing out into the parking lot. It's easy to check security wait lines before you leave for the airport, so you know how long it will take you to get from check-in to your gate.
If you have spring break or other planned air travel coming soon, learn how you can check security line wait times so you can better plan your trip to the airport.
Check the official TSA app
The TSA maintains an app for mobile devices called MyTSA (iOS and Android) that lists security line wait times for airports around the US. The app is fairly basic and now includes a warning that "this website is not actively managed" due to the pause in federal funding, but it does include plenty of official TSA information about airline travel.
To check the wait times for specific US airports, tap the My Airports tab at the bottom of the app, then tap "Search Airports." You can scroll through the alphabetical list of airports or type in an airport name or code in the search bar at the top.
The TSA app will give you a 15-minute time range for security lines. Screenshot by CNET
Tap through to the airport of your choice, and you'll see the current estimated security wait time at the top of the screen.
And when I checked some of the major airports Friday morning -- Los Angeles (LAX), Chicago O'Hare (ORD), Hartsfield-Jackson in Atlanta (ATL), JFK in New York (JFK) and Ronald Reagan in DC (DCA) -- all had estimated relatively low wait times of 0 to 15 or 15 to 30 minutes. A far cry from the two to four hours that airports are advising travelers to allow, but admittedly, wait times shift constantly.
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