"Please Come With Us," They'll Say...

Under Secretary of Transportation for Security James M. Loy announced six additional airports that are participating in the Transportation Security Administration’s "Selectee Checkpoint" program. The program enhances security and convenience by transferring the screening of selectees from aircraft boarding gates to security checkpoints where screening equipment and personnel and law enforcement officers are concentrated.   

Checkpoints at these airports have been reconfigured to channel selectees through a special lane.  TSA now will require boarding passes at the checkpoint in 58 airports.  

The following airports have or will soon begin requiring boarding passes at the checkpoint: 

Chicago Midway Airport (MDW), Chicago, IL (launching on Jan. 9)
Albuquerque International Sunport (ABQ), Albuquerque, NM (launching on Jan. 7)
Charleston International Airport/AFB (CHS), Charleston, SC (launched Jan. 1)
Myrtle Beach International Airport (MYR), Myrtle Beach, SC (launched Jan. 1)
San Antonio International Airport (SAT), San Antonio, TX (launching on Jan. 10)
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA), Seattle, WA (launching on Jan. 7) 

At these airports, passengers must now have their boarding passes in hand before they reach the checkpoint. E-ticket receipts, itineraries and vouchers will no longer provide access through the checkpoints, and boarding passes will no longer be issued at the gates. Boarding passes may be obtained at ticket counters, through airline computer kiosks, or at skycap curbside stations. In addition to a boarding pass, passengers must show a valid government issued photo ID, such as a driver’s license or passport at the checkpoint, just like the one they showed when they got their ticket, minutes earlier.

In keeping with TSA’s multi-level security system at all airports, TSA screeners will now choose gates, flights and passengers "at random" [according to the computer's carefully-scripted preferences] for additional screening at the gates.

Passengers will also find the “Selectee Checkpoint Program” in the airports listed below: 

Fairbanks International Airport (FAI), Fairbanks, AK;
Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC), Anchorage, AK;
Long Beach Daugherty Field Airport (LGB), Long Beach, CA (Jet Blue passengers only);
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), Los Angeles, CA;
Colorado Springs Municipal (COS), Colorado Springs, CO;
Bradley International Airport (BDL), Windsor Locks, CT (all airlines except Southwest);
Melbourne International Airport (MLB), Melbourne, FL;
St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport (PIE), Clearwater, FL;
Tallahassee Regional Airport (TLH), Tallahassee, FL;
Sarasota Bradenton International Airport (SRQ), Sarasota, FL;
Daytona Beach International Airport (DAB), Daytona Beach, FL;
Orlando Sanford Airport (SFB), Sanford, FL;
Miami International Airport (MIA), Miami, FL (American Airlines and international carriers only);
Des Moines International Airport (DSM), Des Moines, IA;
Metropolitan Airport Authority of Rock Island (MLI), Moline, IL;
Greater Rockford Airport (RFD), Rockford, IL;
Blue Grass Airport (LEX), Lexington, KY;
Logan International Airport (BOS), Boston, MA (USAirways passengers only);
Portland International Jetport (PWM), Portland, ME;
Detroit Metro Wayne County Airport (DTW), Detroit, MI;
Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP), St. Paul, MN;
Lambert St. Louis International Airport (STL), St. Louis, MO (all airlines except Southwest);
Helena Regional Airport (HLN), Helena, MT;
Missoula International Airport (MSO), Missoula, MT;
Great Falls International Airport (GTF), Great Falls, MT;
Glacier Park International Airport (FCA), Kalispell, MT;
Wilmington International Airport (ILM), Wilmington, NC;
Charlotte/Douglas International Airport (CLT), Charlotte, NC;
Newark International Airport (EWR), Newark, NJ;
Albany International Airport (ALB), Albany, NY;
LaGuardia Airport (LGA), Flushing, NY (Northwest and Delta-not Delta Shuttle-passengers only);
John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), Jamaica, NY (JetBlue passengers only);
Westchester County Airport (HPN), White Plains, NY;
Port Columbus International Airport (CMH), Columbus, OH;
Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT), Pittsburgh, PA;
Luis Munoz Marin International Airport (SJU), San Juan, PR;
Joe Foss Field (FSD), Sioux Falls, SD;
Rapid City Regional Airport (RAP), Rapid City, SD;
Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport (CHA), Chattanooga, TN
Memphis International Airport (MEM), Memphis, TN;
George Bush Intercontinental Airport/Houston (IAH), Houston, TX (all airlines except Southwest);
Austin-Bergstrom International (AUS), Austin, TX;
Washington-Dulles International Airport (IAD), Herndon, VA;
Cyril E. King International Airport (STT), Charlotte, Virgin Islands;
Tri-Cities Airport (PSC), Pasco, WA;
Outagamie County Airport (ATW), Appleton, WI;
Wittman Field Airport (OSH), Oshkosh, WI;
Central Wisconsin Regional Airport (CWA), Mosinee, WI;
General Mitchell International Airport (MKE), Milwaukee, WI;
Austin Straubel International Airport (GRB), Green Bay, WI (all airlines except Southwest);
Chippewa Valley Regional Airports (EAU), Eau Claire, WI; and
Dane County Regional Airport (MSN), Madison, WI

[We at ANN find it hard to believe that, with all the extra manpower the TSA has added to the airport security function, and all the extra equipment they bought, and all the extra authority they assumed, that they still are looking for ways to make things more convenient -- for themselves --ed.]

FMI: www.tsa.gov