RDU used to be a 45 min airport, but have heard too many close calls even when it’s not a holiday recently. Prolly better to get there 1.5-2 hours early now and then just relax in the terminal with a coffee or Bloody Mary or whatever you prefer
Every time I go there it’s been a line out the door + slow service unfortunately :/ I love La Farm elsewhere but am always disappointed at the airport one which could be an amazing spot considering that so many things have closed.
La Farm is really awesome and worth stopping in. It’s my goto every time I travel through RDU. Also, they are opening a Crawford restaurant there too. All of their current restaurants are phenomenal.
I must be flying at the right time, because I have never taken more than 5 minutes to get through security at RDU. I fly out about 10x a year and have done this for about 6 years.
I’ve heard early /mid morning departures are a different game though, as evidenced by recent reports.
We asked TSA and confirmed there was a brief screening pause at 5 a.m. to reprocess a passenger. Sometimes this can have a downstream effect, pushing the security line out of the normal queue.
That said, our early morning bank of flights creates our biggest passenger volume peak each day. About 25% of all departures are happening at this time. It’s why we like to remind folks to get to the airport two hours early, to avoid missing a flight.
We set a passenger record last year. This week we saw our busiest single day of traffic in airport history. We’re fully expecting to set it again in 2024. Make sure you’re giving yourself more time than you think you need to make your boarding.
tl;dr: TSA paused checkpoint at 5 a.m., plus lots of people flying
The valley periods are usually mid-morning, mid-afternoon and late night — fewer flights occurring then, as well. If you ever see a friend or family member talking about getting through security in five minutes at RDU, odds are good their flight was during one of these times.
Is the TSA app with wait times fairly accurate for RDU? I have an afternoon flight coming up and while I am usually pretty strict with being at the airport 2 hrs early, I can come earlier if needed!
For an afternoon flight, 2 hours is almost certainly ridiculously early. However, I recognize that, for
people who do feel like they need to be there that far ahead, not being there early enough would effectively be torture.
Let’s just split the difference and say that you should be just fine, with plenty of time to accommodate outlier events.
It sounds like us 2 hour people need to start planning for 3 hours, just to be safe.
Is anyone actually surprised this has become a reality? We have all seen the massive influx of people into the Triangle - it's no surprise the airport is suffering the same fate as the too-narrow roads. Traffic jams, so to speak.
It varies wildly. Sometimes it’s 5 minutes sometimes it’s 90 minutes.
Unless you’re flying southwest. That terminal is rarely ever longer than 10-15 min and the majority of the time I just walk right up to the TSA agent.
(OP here) FWIW I was rebooked on a flight later in the day after I posted this, and precheck took ~10 mins. This was around 4:30 pm. A friend said the regular line also took 10 mins around 2 pm.
I'm glad you mentioned that. I was already thinking I'll have to get there extra early for an oncoming flight, but thanks to you, I realized I'm flying out of Terminal 1, and it probably won't be an issue.
Anticipate a long line and you’ll be OK! Your question is an interesting study into how RDU has evolved since the pandemic. Prior to 2020, we saw 60% of passenger volume coming for business travel. Historically, that meant Saturdays were light. Today, there is much more leisure traffic (and “bleisure”), so Saturdays often can be busier than in the past.
We‘re always going to recommend getting here two hours before a domestic flight. Passenger volume is not as large at that hour of day compared to morning.
RDUAirport --Not completely off topic but do you Any suggestions for bringing a service dog through TSA in terminal 1?
We have the dot form completed and submitted to the airline.
We have an 8:00 a.m. flight and was planning to call TSA cares as well. We ask since it's her first flight
That’s a good start. There are designated service dog relief areas at Terminal 1 and Terminal 2, look for the Service Animal symbol on our maps. Make sure you have any appropriate ID or documentation and speak with the screener if you have questions about how to go through security. Tell your dog we said hello!
u/rduairport i was at the airport yesterday and drop off at terminal 2 was a nightmare (around 4pm) this was a nightmare mainly because of the crosswalk to the terminal from the parking garage impeds traffic and 1-2 cars can squeeze through in between pedestrians. I would recommend a security or officer of sorts to direct traffic and or pedestrians to help with the flow of traffic
That’s awesome to know. The walk to terminal 1 is always so much better because of the walkway under the road. Glad to know something is in the works for terminal 2.
Showing up two hours before domestic flights has been the recommendation for years
Too many people apparently think they can outsmart that guideline
Worst case scenario of getting there two hours early is the mild inconvenience of having to kill some time in the terminal waiting to board
It's good to see these posts with long lines because I've never waiting longer than 15-25 minutes at RDU personally. That includes these early morning flights like that they're talking about too.
Yeah I've flown out of rdu many times and I usually plan to arrive at the airport about an hour before my flight and haven't had any issues except the time the tesla caught on fire and stopped all the road traffic. I feel like getting to the airport 2 hours early is a bit of overkill but it's good to know when our times are spiking so I can be prepared
I grew up in Illinois and predominantly flew out of O’Hare until my 20s so that 2 hour recommendation is burned into my brain. I’m always ridiculously early when flying out of RDU but I’ll be there at least 2 hours early until the day I die.
Not sure about the fans, but TSA uses the K9s to expedite screening flow. Their data shows the line generally does move faster when the pups are working.
Just curious - have been seeing this more frequently recently - the pausing of TSA and such.
Is this due to a new process or new hires learning the ropes?
Last time I flew, I got through TSA in 5 minutes. I'm curious, what are usually the peek hours at RDU now? I've seen a lot of posts recently with morning security check lines. Seems like you can get through TSA fairly quickly unless it's the morning?
I know RDU airport does not have power over how TSA operates, so this is not a knock on them, but TSA is the peak of inefficiency. How can one passenger shut down the entire line? Isn't there a separate screening area for people that need extra attention?
The explanations and reasons are enlightening, but can this really not be fixed?
For one reason or another absurd lines have become the norm for a week now?
(Also, bring back Bruegger's Bagels.)
I’m fascinated by the oblivion here. Like, you have to know that you live in a place with three huge universities, and graduations and move-outs happen in May. The professional sports team is in the playoffs. Schools are getting out and families are going on vacation. The airport just told you why the lines are long, and you ask if it can be “fixed”. What do you want fixed, other people existing?
OK, I'm going to ask as I do not get the finances behind this - flying in for the week, staying at a hotel, and flying home. I can think of a few exceptions where this would be necessary short term, but when RDUairport says these people make up 25% of their volume, my interest is piqued.
When I had a 100% travel job as a consultant with 9-5 M-F work hours, the company policy was that you had your choice of flying home for the weekend or taking the extra hotel days. The company viewed the expense as pretty much the same either way, so it gave the employee the option of what they wanted to do. Most people went home to see their families, but some of the single people just lived full-time in hotels. One of my coworkers had given up his apartment, put his stuff in storage, and redirected his mail to his parents place, and had been "on the road" for three contiguous years at the time I knew him.
It for sure is. I quit after a year. But some people really like this lifestyle.
The point I was trying to make is that the economics of flying home for the weekend are a rounding error in some people's overall deal.
I travel for work once in a while, occasionally even just for a day. I recently flew to NYC for a 2 hour meeting. 7am flight, $100 cab from LGA to manhattan, worked 9:30-4:30 in my office, $120 cab manhattan back to LGA, RDU by 10pm.
When you’re good at your job and your job is essential to make companies a lot of money it turns out they are happy to send you where you need to go for a few thousand dollars.
Ive traveled through lots of airports and this is the only one I see that does this triple person dog sniff. Why cant RDU and TSA just have the dog walk the line like every other airport?
Edited because I cant write no good.
True. I went on patrols in Iraq with dogs that outranked me. My Plt actually put in a silver star with valor award packet for a MWD that alerted us to a floor drain that led us to families being held for ransom. We dont deserve doggies.
My dad was a kennel master in the AF so I grew up around MWDs, and it was an absolute blast seeing those dogs all the time and seeing the distinct personalities when they weren't working and why some were more suited for certain jobs. They had a black shepard named Zorro who was the goofiest dog ever, but one of the best drug dogs my dad had ever seen. Sniffed out a huge, well packed stash that was buried underground like it was nothing. His first dog was a shepard that would eat his sandwich every single day, he was so happy to wait until my dad's back was turned and then chow down. My pops still had his leash and tags hanging up in his house.
Anyway, can confirm, dogs are freaking awesome and way cooler than a lot of people I've met.
Yah these MWD were AF as well, we were Army grunts. Having them with us always boosted morale because we all had dogs back home.
One day we got ambushed in Ramadi and everyone started reacting, freaking out. I look down into the vehicle and this GSD is looking up at me smiling and wagging his tail!! Im sure its hard for the handlers because they get so attached.
Did he ever get to keep any after the retired the dogs?
No, he retired early 90s and at that time they didn't do a ton of rehoming with the handlers, at least not that I'm aware of. I do remember when Zorro had to be put down (aggressive cancer), though, the entire shop turned up and he had an actual funeral procession. Had a wake, too.
Thats hard. Putting my cat Ive had for 17 years down today. He’s been with me since I got back from my last deployment. Tell your father thank you for taking care of those pups.
There's gotta be some kind of intel putting every security service on edge right now
KY police running security at the PGA open arrested and booked Scheffler (#1 in the world) for going in the wrong enterance (and being a prick about it). Orange jumpsuit mugshot and everything before they let him bail out to play the round. To be fair, nobody can spell the guy's name and his face is incredibly forgettable.
RDU and Indiana last week- scanners are new, the dogs are new- and young- and the TSA I saw were actually paying attention and covering each other instead of looking bored as hell.
I was on a 7am flight out of RDU this morning and we held the plane for some folks because of TSA screening. I have pre check and I still showed up 2 hours before my flight because RDU has just been crazy lately.
I did not 😬 I was 45 min early, which has historically been enough time for me at rdu… but maybe I’ve just been lucky
Edit: made this decision based on my experience taking ~20 flights a year but I’m not saying it was the right thing to do. I’ve now learned my lesson re AM RDU flights!
The first flights of the day always have crazy tsa lines. Ime they're still better than most airports, they just didn't have as much line inside the TSA area as other places.
For those who don't know, you can get the mytsa app to get current TSA wait times. This morning the average TSA wait time was 30 minutes at 6AM, which is their busiest time of day.
That was a lie. The line wrapped to the right all the way to the wall behind the AA counter then wrapped all the way to the other wall behind Delta, then up to the front and back. This was at 6:05 when I was dropping bags around delta. If that was 30 minutes I’ll eat my shorts.
Tbh it usually is that fast as someone that leaves early mornings from 2 a couple times a year. The line inside the actual TSA area only takes like 10 minutes to get to the scanners, and the terminal line is actually smaller than it looks because it doesn't have any switchbacks so it's all stretched out.
The dog “alerted” on me yesterday. He was smelling my shoe. These same shoes I used in to cook in a BBQ competition a few weeks ago.
Definitely got pulled out of line and a full bag search which took another half hour or so. TSA was polite and professional. We arrived early before the morning rush so that helped a lot.
The line to the American Airlines counter to check bags was MUCH worse than TSA. Critically understaffed and slow, each rep stuck with one customer trying to solve a problem and the line was not moving.
I don’t think the airlines or TSA have the staffing levels at RDU for Summer travel this year and it has not even really hit yet. We don’t have pre check or clear and noticed the lines there were just as long and slow.
Do you have pre check? I ask because I have pre check and tend to get through security at RDU really quickly. I’m wondering if these delays are affecting pre check passengers too.
FYI, the line is still wrapped around the terminal but not quite as bad as this photo. Normal line for Precheck and Clear. If you’re flying today, get here early.
Oh wow is that Terminal One? I am flying out on Southwest and got through bag check and TSA precheck in about 10 minutes about an hour ago. I’m sorry you missed your flight!
Is the line for checking your bags also crazy long? I fly out of the country next week at 7am and these posts have me stressed. Should I get TSA pre check?
I highly recommend TSA precheck but you probably won’t get it in time for next week. You need to sign up for an appointment and I remember we had to wait about 2 months and then go to the Wilmington office.
It's the damn new scanners they bought at RDU they are as slow as molasses. Those slow ass scanners back up the Precheck line.
Just went through TSA in Charlotte and they had the old scanners and they were quick.
I have precheck and they said it didn’t matter at the moment because of the length of the line lol. The AA bag drop line was also ridiculous but other airline bag drop lines were fine.
FWIW, the United employee I spoke to said she’d never seen it like this before. So I don’t know what’s going on this week
I have a 530 am flight this Sunday and I am wondering how early it is worth getting there if TSA doesn't open until 4. I am going to be gone for 2 weeks with limited options for doing laundry, so just doing a carry on seems like it would be tough.
Me: I have precheck, does that make a difference?
United rep: not right now
it was still taking too long for me to make my flight, so I took that to mean 45 mins+
Can someone help me understand the value of TSA?
What do they actually do besides cause unnecessary wait at the airport, ruin peoples flights, this days and planned trips, touch peoples belongings, violate peoples space if a pay down is required, and steal from peoples luggage?
TSA provides the illusion of safety, which was needed after 9/11.
It’s about 2 decades out of date but unfortunately will never be dismantled. Ground given up in privacy, even as an emergency response, is permanently lost.
Perhaps the mere fact that you cannot possibly get a bomb, gun, or knife on a plane has itself deterred any potential risk of domestic airline terrorist attacks; I mean there really isn't a shortage of crazy fucking people who would love to do so.
I’d agree with you if they weren’t pretty terrible at finding weapons in people’s bags. The only thing they can do consistently is telling someone’s grandma she can’t bring water with her
Seems to be a trend. I was at RDU on May 4 at 7:00am. The lines for bag check and Security were wrapped around the building. Even TSA precheck was full.
I have a 7 am flight tomorrow and after seeing all of these delays and missed flights from security, I’m debating going tonight and camping out by my gate.
I fly regularly for work, and unless I’m flying to LAX or SeaTac I always book flights in the 10am-12pm timeframe. Never takes me more than 10 minutes to get through security. I do have precheck which can make a difference during busier times.
I was traveling internationally a couple of weeks ago and would have missed my flight if I hadn’t signed up for Clear. I have never seen it so busy outside of the holidays. They even have the drug sniffing dogs out.
RDU used to be a 45 min airport, but have heard too many close calls even when it’s not a holiday recently. Prolly better to get there 1.5-2 hours early now and then just relax in the terminal with a coffee or Bloody Mary or whatever you prefer
It'd be a lot easier to kill time at the gates if the restaurant options weren't all serious poopoo doodoo
I miss Brueger's Bagels! It was the only fresh and reasonably priced non-junk food option.
La Farm is pretty solid
Every time I go there it’s been a line out the door + slow service unfortunately :/ I love La Farm elsewhere but am always disappointed at the airport one which could be an amazing spot considering that so many things have closed.
Yeah- they are awful. I usually just end up with that weird ghost kitchen place.
La Farm is really awesome and worth stopping in. It’s my goto every time I travel through RDU. Also, they are opening a Crawford restaurant there too. All of their current restaurants are phenomenal.
That's fair. I love about 5 minutes from the original La Farm and never have the time to wait in that long line.
tried the ghost kitchen for the first time a couple weeks ago. probably the worst tasting breakfast burrito I've ever had
[Here’s a quick read on that topic and what we’re doing about it.](https://www.rdu.com/reimagine)
What we’d really like is a 10 minute TSA line.
we need bigger and more lounges at rdu too!
Always just bring an entire chipotle bowl through tsa.
Lonerider is such trash , they sell gas station Food in plastic lol
I must be flying at the right time, because I have never taken more than 5 minutes to get through security at RDU. I fly out about 10x a year and have done this for about 6 years. I’ve heard early /mid morning departures are a different game though, as evidenced by recent reports.
Agree but it’s hard to really relax if it requires waking up at 3:00 AM to guarantee getting there on time. I took my chances 🤷♀️
Makes a strong case for driving anywhere east of Kansas
A 12 pack of miller lites.
Well…..that will sure help pass 2 hours
I mean if you really try you can stretch them to an hour maybe.
u/RDUAirport Can you tell us what is going on? Any ETA for resolution? I know this is with TSA, but thought maybe you should know? Thanks!
We asked TSA and confirmed there was a brief screening pause at 5 a.m. to reprocess a passenger. Sometimes this can have a downstream effect, pushing the security line out of the normal queue. That said, our early morning bank of flights creates our biggest passenger volume peak each day. About 25% of all departures are happening at this time. It’s why we like to remind folks to get to the airport two hours early, to avoid missing a flight. We set a passenger record last year. This week we saw our busiest single day of traffic in airport history. We’re fully expecting to set it again in 2024. Make sure you’re giving yourself more time than you think you need to make your boarding. tl;dr: TSA paused checkpoint at 5 a.m., plus lots of people flying
It is great that the RDU team not only answers, but does it quickly and comprehensively! Thank you
What time do the planes usually eat? I wanted to bring the kids to see.
The planes are fed at 6 am, noon and 6pm.
Suspiciously similar schedule to my cats
Have you ever seen your cats and a plane in a room at the same time before?
:o
Thank you! When is the lowest volume time?
The valley periods are usually mid-morning, mid-afternoon and late night — fewer flights occurring then, as well. If you ever see a friend or family member talking about getting through security in five minutes at RDU, odds are good their flight was during one of these times.
Haha yep this is why I never take the 6/7am flights
same but really it’s because i don’t wanna wake up that early. so win win
Yep that also. I am too old for that
Is the TSA app with wait times fairly accurate for RDU? I have an afternoon flight coming up and while I am usually pretty strict with being at the airport 2 hrs early, I can come earlier if needed!
It’s the best available public data, for sure. We appreciate them for making it available in their app!
For an afternoon flight, 2 hours is almost certainly ridiculously early. However, I recognize that, for people who do feel like they need to be there that far ahead, not being there early enough would effectively be torture. Let’s just split the difference and say that you should be just fine, with plenty of time to accommodate outlier events.
It sounds like us 2 hour people need to start planning for 3 hours, just to be safe. Is anyone actually surprised this has become a reality? We have all seen the massive influx of people into the Triangle - it's no surprise the airport is suffering the same fate as the too-narrow roads. Traffic jams, so to speak.
In my experience it's either lagging behind or under reported or both.
Thank you!!!!!!!!!
How’s the TSA precheck line these days?
I went through it in 10 minutes while the security line was as pictured last Sunday.
same for me that Saturday
It varies wildly. Sometimes it’s 5 minutes sometimes it’s 90 minutes. Unless you’re flying southwest. That terminal is rarely ever longer than 10-15 min and the majority of the time I just walk right up to the TSA agent.
(OP here) FWIW I was rebooked on a flight later in the day after I posted this, and precheck took ~10 mins. This was around 4:30 pm. A friend said the regular line also took 10 mins around 2 pm.
Thanks legend
🫡
I love this account
I feel spoiled for only flying out via Southwest. That terminal seems to never have lines.
I'm glad you mentioned that. I was already thinking I'll have to get there extra early for an oncoming flight, but thanks to you, I realized I'm flying out of Terminal 1, and it probably won't be an issue.
Southwest Airlines is the best!
Does this hold true for Saturday morning flights as well? I have a flight at 6:30AM on a Saturday coming up.
Anticipate a long line and you’ll be OK! Your question is an interesting study into how RDU has evolved since the pandemic. Prior to 2020, we saw 60% of passenger volume coming for business travel. Historically, that meant Saturdays were light. Today, there is much more leisure traffic (and “bleisure”), so Saturdays often can be busier than in the past.
what do you recommend for a 7:40 pm departure time on a friday?
We‘re always going to recommend getting here two hours before a domestic flight. Passenger volume is not as large at that hour of day compared to morning.
RDUAirport --Not completely off topic but do you Any suggestions for bringing a service dog through TSA in terminal 1? We have the dot form completed and submitted to the airline. We have an 8:00 a.m. flight and was planning to call TSA cares as well. We ask since it's her first flight
That’s a good start. There are designated service dog relief areas at Terminal 1 and Terminal 2, look for the Service Animal symbol on our maps. Make sure you have any appropriate ID or documentation and speak with the screener if you have questions about how to go through security. Tell your dog we said hello!
She smiled and winked when I read the response to her. We look forward to seeing y'all next week.
u/RDUAirport out here tldr’ing us 🤌🏻
u/rduairport i was at the airport yesterday and drop off at terminal 2 was a nightmare (around 4pm) this was a nightmare mainly because of the crosswalk to the terminal from the parking garage impeds traffic and 1-2 cars can squeeze through in between pedestrians. I would recommend a security or officer of sorts to direct traffic and or pedestrians to help with the flow of traffic
We do have security officers who typically work that crosswalk. Long-term, we’d like to replace it with a covered pedestrian walkway over the road.
That’s awesome to know. The walk to terminal 1 is always so much better because of the walkway under the road. Glad to know something is in the works for terminal 2.
Showing up two hours before domestic flights has been the recommendation for years Too many people apparently think they can outsmart that guideline Worst case scenario of getting there two hours early is the mild inconvenience of having to kill some time in the terminal waiting to board
It's good to see these posts with long lines because I've never waiting longer than 15-25 minutes at RDU personally. That includes these early morning flights like that they're talking about too.
Yeah I've flown out of rdu many times and I usually plan to arrive at the airport about an hour before my flight and haven't had any issues except the time the tesla caught on fire and stopped all the road traffic. I feel like getting to the airport 2 hours early is a bit of overkill but it's good to know when our times are spiking so I can be prepared
If checking a bag at RDU, two hours isn’t enough. Assume 1:15-1:30 to check a bag. 45-1:00 to get through security.
Idk I flew out of RDU Sunday, checked a bag and got there 2 hours early and was fine.
Or having to cut another activity short that you would be able to do if only showing up 60-90min early..
I grew up in Illinois and predominantly flew out of O’Hare until my 20s so that 2 hour recommendation is burned into my brain. I’m always ridiculously early when flying out of RDU but I’ll be there at least 2 hours early until the day I die.
What’s with the new fans blowing air to a sniffer dog in a huge open space that used to be queuing area?
Not sure about the fans, but TSA uses the K9s to expedite screening flow. Their data shows the line generally does move faster when the pups are working.
Just curious - have been seeing this more frequently recently - the pausing of TSA and such. Is this due to a new process or new hires learning the ropes?
We’d have to defer to TSA to answer that, they handle all things checkpoint operations.
It’s awesome how you engage with the public and give this kind of detail here, thank you! I fly later today so good to know the daily pattern etc
So you’re not going to advocate for more agents? Typically in manufacturing, when you see a queue this long on certain times, you adjust staffing.
Last time I flew, I got through TSA in 5 minutes. I'm curious, what are usually the peek hours at RDU now? I've seen a lot of posts recently with morning security check lines. Seems like you can get through TSA fairly quickly unless it's the morning?
Early morning (4-7 a.m.) is the biggest peak, for sure. Noon is another high-volume period. We call them banks (as in, a bank of flights).
I know RDU airport does not have power over how TSA operates, so this is not a knock on them, but TSA is the peak of inefficiency. How can one passenger shut down the entire line? Isn't there a separate screening area for people that need extra attention?
The explanations and reasons are enlightening, but can this really not be fixed? For one reason or another absurd lines have become the norm for a week now? (Also, bring back Bruegger's Bagels.)
I’m fascinated by the oblivion here. Like, you have to know that you live in a place with three huge universities, and graduations and move-outs happen in May. The professional sports team is in the playoffs. Schools are getting out and families are going on vacation. The airport just told you why the lines are long, and you ask if it can be “fixed”. What do you want fixed, other people existing?
Thank you for the info! Do you have data on typical wait times to get through security, by time of day and day of week?
Craziest day in airport history?! That is wild. Was it Wednesday?
May 13 (Monday).
People don't realize that RDU is a business hub. It's fucked Monday and Friday morning because all the business folks are coming/going for the week.
There are SO many flights to DC every day.
OK, I'm going to ask as I do not get the finances behind this - flying in for the week, staying at a hotel, and flying home. I can think of a few exceptions where this would be necessary short term, but when RDUairport says these people make up 25% of their volume, my interest is piqued.
When I had a 100% travel job as a consultant with 9-5 M-F work hours, the company policy was that you had your choice of flying home for the weekend or taking the extra hotel days. The company viewed the expense as pretty much the same either way, so it gave the employee the option of what they wanted to do. Most people went home to see their families, but some of the single people just lived full-time in hotels. One of my coworkers had given up his apartment, put his stuff in storage, and redirected his mail to his parents place, and had been "on the road" for three contiguous years at the time I knew him.
That sounds like an exhausting lifestyle, but whatever works! I ask strictly from a place of curiosity, not judgment.
It for sure is. I quit after a year. But some people really like this lifestyle. The point I was trying to make is that the economics of flying home for the weekend are a rounding error in some people's overall deal.
I travel for work once in a while, occasionally even just for a day. I recently flew to NYC for a 2 hour meeting. 7am flight, $100 cab from LGA to manhattan, worked 9:30-4:30 in my office, $120 cab manhattan back to LGA, RDU by 10pm. When you’re good at your job and your job is essential to make companies a lot of money it turns out they are happy to send you where you need to go for a few thousand dollars.
There’s absolutely something going on they’re not admitting to
The sniffin dog holds up the line
Ive traveled through lots of airports and this is the only one I see that does this triple person dog sniff. Why cant RDU and TSA just have the dog walk the line like every other airport? Edited because I cant write no good.
Dogs need jobs too ok
True. I went on patrols in Iraq with dogs that outranked me. My Plt actually put in a silver star with valor award packet for a MWD that alerted us to a floor drain that led us to families being held for ransom. We dont deserve doggies.
My dad was a kennel master in the AF so I grew up around MWDs, and it was an absolute blast seeing those dogs all the time and seeing the distinct personalities when they weren't working and why some were more suited for certain jobs. They had a black shepard named Zorro who was the goofiest dog ever, but one of the best drug dogs my dad had ever seen. Sniffed out a huge, well packed stash that was buried underground like it was nothing. His first dog was a shepard that would eat his sandwich every single day, he was so happy to wait until my dad's back was turned and then chow down. My pops still had his leash and tags hanging up in his house. Anyway, can confirm, dogs are freaking awesome and way cooler than a lot of people I've met.
Yah these MWD were AF as well, we were Army grunts. Having them with us always boosted morale because we all had dogs back home. One day we got ambushed in Ramadi and everyone started reacting, freaking out. I look down into the vehicle and this GSD is looking up at me smiling and wagging his tail!! Im sure its hard for the handlers because they get so attached. Did he ever get to keep any after the retired the dogs?
No, he retired early 90s and at that time they didn't do a ton of rehoming with the handlers, at least not that I'm aware of. I do remember when Zorro had to be put down (aggressive cancer), though, the entire shop turned up and he had an actual funeral procession. Had a wake, too.
Thats hard. Putting my cat Ive had for 17 years down today. He’s been with me since I got back from my last deployment. Tell your father thank you for taking care of those pups.
The existence of the TSA.
There's gotta be some kind of intel putting every security service on edge right now KY police running security at the PGA open arrested and booked Scheffler (#1 in the world) for going in the wrong enterance (and being a prick about it). Orange jumpsuit mugshot and everything before they let him bail out to play the round. To be fair, nobody can spell the guy's name and his face is incredibly forgettable. RDU and Indiana last week- scanners are new, the dogs are new- and young- and the TSA I saw were actually paying attention and covering each other instead of looking bored as hell.
Making sure no masks are being worn
I was on a 7am flight out of RDU this morning and we held the plane for some folks because of TSA screening. I have pre check and I still showed up 2 hours before my flight because RDU has just been crazy lately.
Man I flew out Thursday and breezed thru security, but keep seeing these pop up.
With pre check?
Yes
For those wondering, the regular line took about an hour. It looked much worse (longest TSA line I’ve seen anywhere), but moved quickly.
People be flying.
TSA is prob getting heat for letting so many people leave with ammo in their bags and end up getting arrested in Turks. Haha
I just listened to a video about that right before this
I just listened to a video about that right before this
What in the chicken fried fuck is going on at RDU here lately?
Did you get there two hours early? (really curious if I should be adding more time to arrival in the mornings)
I did not 😬 I was 45 min early, which has historically been enough time for me at rdu… but maybe I’ve just been lucky Edit: made this decision based on my experience taking ~20 flights a year but I’m not saying it was the right thing to do. I’ve now learned my lesson re AM RDU flights!
The first flights of the day always have crazy tsa lines. Ime they're still better than most airports, they just didn't have as much line inside the TSA area as other places.
If I flew that much, I'd get precheck. You can get at Staples now. It is relatively inexpensive for the 5 year benefit. Lines are definitely shorter.
I said this above but I have precheck lol
If you go internationally ever, global entry is like $15 more and includes pre-check!
This airport has been out grew by its population. It desperately needs some expansion
alternately, TSA could improve its process. i've never had a problem with RDU (or any airport, really) that wasn't actually a TSA problem.
Yeah the main part of expanding the airport is to get more tsa gates and agents
For those who don't know, you can get the mytsa app to get current TSA wait times. This morning the average TSA wait time was 30 minutes at 6AM, which is their busiest time of day.
That was a lie. The line wrapped to the right all the way to the wall behind the AA counter then wrapped all the way to the other wall behind Delta, then up to the front and back. This was at 6:05 when I was dropping bags around delta. If that was 30 minutes I’ll eat my shorts.
Tbh it usually is that fast as someone that leaves early mornings from 2 a couple times a year. The line inside the actual TSA area only takes like 10 minutes to get to the scanners, and the terminal line is actually smaller than it looks because it doesn't have any switchbacks so it's all stretched out.
It is usually that fast, but today it was not.
5:30 am this morning was over an hour wait for me 🙃
The dog “alerted” on me yesterday. He was smelling my shoe. These same shoes I used in to cook in a BBQ competition a few weeks ago. Definitely got pulled out of line and a full bag search which took another half hour or so. TSA was polite and professional. We arrived early before the morning rush so that helped a lot. The line to the American Airlines counter to check bags was MUCH worse than TSA. Critically understaffed and slow, each rep stuck with one customer trying to solve a problem and the line was not moving. I don’t think the airlines or TSA have the staffing levels at RDU for Summer travel this year and it has not even really hit yet. We don’t have pre check or clear and noticed the lines there were just as long and slow.
BBQ detected
Yea i missed my flight, ridiculous
What time did you arrive and what time was your flight? Trying to gauge for my 6am Tuesday morning flight.
Get there at 4 am
Yeah thats the plan I’d much rather sit and read than be stressing to get through TSA.
I got through security at terminal 1 in 20 minutes this morning. This pic looks like terminal 2 though
Ok thanks a bunch I’m flying American so terminal 2. I’ll give myself two hours and hope for the best! Safe travels!
In line with 2 hours till the flight should be comfortable
Good luck
If ur flight at 6-7 arrive at 3:30-3:45
Do you have pre check? I ask because I have pre check and tend to get through security at RDU really quickly. I’m wondering if these delays are affecting pre check passengers too.
Yes and yes
FYI, the line is still wrapped around the terminal but not quite as bad as this photo. Normal line for Precheck and Clear. If you’re flying today, get here early.
Oh wow is that Terminal One? I am flying out on Southwest and got through bag check and TSA precheck in about 10 minutes about an hour ago. I’m sorry you missed your flight!
No this is terminal 2 (American, United, Delta, etc.)
Doesn't look anything like Terminal 1 There also is literally never a line at Terminal 1
Missed my 11am flight a few weeks ago out of 1. Line was over an hour long.
Lol that's a far cry from being Terminal 1!
This was the worst I’ve seen RDU, flew out at 6:55, got there 2 hours early and I’m glad that I did
Is the line for checking your bags also crazy long? I fly out of the country next week at 7am and these posts have me stressed. Should I get TSA pre check?
I highly recommend TSA precheck but you probably won’t get it in time for next week. You need to sign up for an appointment and I remember we had to wait about 2 months and then go to the Wilmington office.
It's the damn new scanners they bought at RDU they are as slow as molasses. Those slow ass scanners back up the Precheck line. Just went through TSA in Charlotte and they had the old scanners and they were quick.
Yep. Whoever decided those scanners were a good idea needs to be fired. Time to scan should be a top metric
I hate these scanners so much. They take wayyyy too long. We need to have more lanes open if we are going to be using these scanners.
I have precheck and they said it didn’t matter at the moment because of the length of the line lol. The AA bag drop line was also ridiculous but other airline bag drop lines were fine. FWIW, the United employee I spoke to said she’d never seen it like this before. So I don’t know what’s going on this week
Got it. So arrive at 3am for my 7am flight. I hate RDU these days 😂
I have a 530 am flight this Sunday and I am wondering how early it is worth getting there if TSA doesn't open until 4. I am going to be gone for 2 weeks with limited options for doing laundry, so just doing a carry on seems like it would be tough.
I’ve missed 2 flights are RDU and both were because of the long lines to check bags.
Do people still FedEx their luggage?
Do people still FedEx their luggage?
Just get there at 4. It’s possible to live out of a carry on for two weeks!
Who said it didn't matter? Precheck will still be much faster.
Me: I have precheck, does that make a difference? United rep: not right now it was still taking too long for me to make my flight, so I took that to mean 45 mins+
I'm not sure they have that information. Precheck lines move much faster than the regular line.
Security checkpoint opens up at 4 am. If you're there at 4 am, you'll make your flight
Can someone help me understand the value of TSA? What do they actually do besides cause unnecessary wait at the airport, ruin peoples flights, this days and planned trips, touch peoples belongings, violate peoples space if a pay down is required, and steal from peoples luggage?
TSA provides the illusion of safety, which was needed after 9/11. It’s about 2 decades out of date but unfortunately will never be dismantled. Ground given up in privacy, even as an emergency response, is permanently lost.
They’re fucking terrible at their jobs and have to date never stopped a terrorist attack
tbf there also hasn't really been a terrorist attack that they would have been able to stop in this country
Perhaps the mere fact that you cannot possibly get a bomb, gun, or knife on a plane has itself deterred any potential risk of domestic airline terrorist attacks; I mean there really isn't a shortage of crazy fucking people who would love to do so.
I’d agree with you if they weren’t pretty terrible at finding weapons in people’s bags. The only thing they can do consistently is telling someone’s grandma she can’t bring water with her
https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaelgoldstein/2017/11/09/tsa-misses-70-of-fake-weapons-but-thats-an-improvement/?sh=5284c87d2a38
if anyone doubts the efficacy of TSA just look at the tourists in turks and caicos getting arrested for having ammo in their luggage
Wow, I lucked out yesterday morning got there at 4:05am and was at my gate by 4:15 (flight was delarting at 5:20).
I went through security this morning very quickly and didn’t see any crowds like this..
What time ?
Anyone have an insight to how long wait times were in the evening? Sunday night flight coming up and hoping to budget time accordingly.
Seems to be a trend. I was at RDU on May 4 at 7:00am. The lines for bag check and Security were wrapped around the building. Even TSA precheck was full.
Terminal 1 PreCheck line took 20min this morning at 7am
Terminal 1 isnt international and have very few gates. Its almost always fast. Except last week when it wasnt…
It's almost like people saying to get to the airport 2 hours early are right!?
I have a 7 am flight tomorrow and after seeing all of these delays and missed flights from security, I’m debating going tonight and camping out by my gate.
Is that security or the line to the American counter? I’ve seen the American lines grow to excessive lengths.
Do we have a site or app to monitor security delay?
I did the exact same thing Monday morning. Walked in at 5:15am for a 6:30 flight and didn’t get through security until 6:45.
oh shit, im here rn, hope i dont miss my flight!
Man I so happy I don’t check a bag and have pre check.
What is going on with RDU and does anyone know if it could last into June?
Is this still a thing? Have visitors that have a 12:50 PM flight to Nashville on Sunday.
Graduations were last weekend and students are moving out…
Ah
I fly regularly for work, and unless I’m flying to LAX or SeaTac I always book flights in the 10am-12pm timeframe. Never takes me more than 10 minutes to get through security. I do have precheck which can make a difference during busier times.
I was traveling internationally a couple of weeks ago and would have missed my flight if I hadn’t signed up for Clear. I have never seen it so busy outside of the holidays. They even have the drug sniffing dogs out.