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Just imagine having the option of reserving check point slots at the airport. TSA is considering a reservation system that would reduce checkpoint lines at airports during the busiest times of the days.

From: USATODAY
Travelers reserving checkpoint slots probably would have to arrive earlier than usual, perhaps by as little as 20 to 30 minutes, Hawley said. They also would probably have to pay ??� either a fee for each reservation or an annual subscription for unlimited reservations at participating airports.

Frequent business travelers would happily show up earlier if they “had a specific time at the checkpoint and weren’t going to have to waste time standing in line,” Hawley said.

A steady stream of travelers at checkpoints throughout a day also would ease scheduling problems for security screeners caused by the large rushes of people followed by long lulls.

Aviation groups and consultants are reserving optimism for a concept they say would add little convenience and lots of hassle to travelers already struggling to reserve flights, cars and hotels.

“This has no appeal to me,” said Gloria Bender, managing principal of transportation consultants TransSolutions and an expert on airport lines. “I don’t exactly understand the value of offering somebody the opportunity to arrive off-peak.”

Hawley acknowledged that airports and airlines he spoke to about running a system were “not interested.”

“The TSA would do well to stop diverting its limited resources away from programs that could more efficiently screen all passengers,” said David Castelveter of the Air Transport Association, an airline trade group.

Computers that help set flight schedules could be used to give travelers five- to 10-minute windows for arriving at checkpoints. “There certainly is a chance that we can make this work,” said Charles Chambers, security chief for the Airports Council International, an airport trade group.

Reggie Baumgardner, security manager at Indianapolis International Airport, doubts there’s much demand. “Business travelers don’t want to be pinned down to a reservation time,” he said.

Many business travelers already have a faster trip through security because they belong to airline clubs that provide reserved lines at checkpoints. Other travelers have an incentive to fly at times when security lines are shorter “because you can usually get a cheaper airfare off peak,” Bender said.

Caleb Tiller of the National Business Travel Association said, “It’s not entirely clear why we need a reservation system to deal with peak times rather than adding TSA staff and (checkpoint) lanes.”

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