NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
American travelers across the nation are facing hours-long security lines as TSA workers continue to receive empty paychecks.
LaGuardia Airport in New York City, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, William P. Hobby Airport in Houston and many other airports have had wait times of over 2.5 hours.
Now, some domestic passengers are “hacking the system” by going through international TSA lines, while others are taking advantage of touchless ID.
The Hartsfield-Jackson airport in Atlanta on Tuesday cautioned travelers about delays in an X-post — and called out passengers for attempting to hack the system.
“We are seeing increased congestion at the International Terminal Checkpoint caused by domestic travelers attempting to bypass lines in the Domestic Terminal,” wrote airport officials.
Some passengers are skipping long lines by using PreCheck’s touchless ID or hopping onto international TSA security lines. (Elijah Nouvelage/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
“If you are flying domestically, please use the Domestic Security Checkpoints. At this time, wait times at the International Checkpoint are longer than those at the Domestic Terminal.”
A TSA worker and union representative in Oakland, California, Joseph Cerletti, told Fox News Digital in an interview that it’s “very unfortunate that people are trying to hack the system.”
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER
He added, “It shouldn’t be like this. I feel really bad for the traveling public. TSA funding needs to be prioritized immediately as [it’s] a national security issue.”
Many travelers who have TSA PreCheck are taking advantage of the touchless ID program, which “enhances the security screening process with facial comparison technology for faster, more efficient identity verification,” according to TSA’s website.
“TSA funding needs to be prioritized immediately as [it’s] a national security issue,” said a TSA union representative to Fox News Digital. (Elijah Nouvelage/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Participants must opt in by creating a profile through their airline by uploading their valid passport information.
“Follow airport signs to the dedicated TSA PreCheck Touchless ID queue,” reads the TSA website.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
“When your face is all you need to verify your identity, there’s no fumbling with physical documents.”
Photo and personal data are deleted within 24 hours of passengers’ scheduled flight departures.
“The longer this goes [on], the worse the situation is gonna get on a day-by-day basis,” said one TSA worker. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
“I think Touchless ID is the best idea for people who want to skip the line,” said Cerletti.
“The longer this goes, the worse the situation is gonna get on a day by day basis,” he added.
TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ
TSA PreCheck Touchless ID will be at 65 airports by spring 2026, according to the TSA.
Cerletti said some officers are having very tough conversations with their landlords or with their banks.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE LIFESTYLE STORIES
“You have cell phone bills, you have gas, you have groceries, you have car insurance. That [list] doesn’t even account for rent or mortgage,” he said.
“We deal with millions of people every day,” he added, “and TSA [agents] have to make millions of right decisions every day. We have nearly 25 years in protecting this country. And funding TSA immediately would be good for the country. And again, the Democrats are nowhere near making a deal right now.”
Discount Applied Successfully!
Your savings have been added to the cart.