The partial government shutdown has caused lengthy wait times for travelers at some airport security checkpoints where the Transportation Security Administration is short-staffed.
Amid the backlog, experts are recommending travelers enroll in programs like TSA PreCheck or CLEAR to keep things moving as quickly as possible before your next departure.
“I want to warn people it’s not every airport is horrible, but some are worse than others,” The Points Guy founder Brian Kelly told ABC’s Good Morning America on Tuesday, referring to the current state of travel.
Kelly said he recently witnessed a 90-minute wait arriving to New York from Morocco at John F. Kennedy International Airport, which he described as “a disaster” with “huge lines” due to the Global Entry program — a Trusted Traveler program like PreCheck for those who travel internationally — being suspended for the time being.
For domestic travel, Kelly said some of the nation’s busiest airports can have TSA PreCheck wait times of around 10 to 15 minutes, so he encouraged people to “not wait to sign up” for the Trusted Traveler program.
“It is well worth the investment, and your kids can go through,” Kelly said.
Travelers can also get TSA PreCheck free when they join CLEAR+, an expedited security lane service that uses biometrics to help travelers speed through security to get to their gate.
Customers can purchase CLEAR+ for $209 per year, and kids 17 and under can be added to a user’s account for free. There’s also a discounted rate for military service members and government employees for $125 per year.
“If the CLEAR line, which almost always moves quicker, is available, you can sign up for that program at the airport,” Kelly said.