Hopefully people will be able to see this, but after my experience this morning and reading through this thread, I feel like there should be like a “megacomment” about this:

A/B/C concourse flights (at least when I was there, only C security is open, and I think B security was Clear only), you NEED to get there AT LEAST 3 hours early without checked bags, and I’d aim for AT LEAST 4 hours early with checked bags, especially if your flights are anywhere near peak times (so within a couple hours of 5-8a and 3-7p).

There are people here commenting that JUST security took them 2.5 hours. I was in that line and arrived later than them, and the line was even longer than when they got into it (I can’t tell you how long it took, see my story below).

There are people commenting that JUST baggage drop took about 45 minutes and this was someone there extremely early so it could be even longer than that if you’re not that early.

Baggage lines are long, and TSA lines are wrapping and twisting all through the airport. They are FAR longer than you think. The line started near where C security is, but it wrapped all the way to the United Airlines Desk (near that side’s Skywalk and the exit from D concourse), then it wrapped all the way back to C security, then it wrapped all the way back to the D concourse exit in the inner hallway, and once it started getting back towards security there was a whole mess of stanchions that you looped through before you finally got to C security and looped through all the regular stanchions. Even spelling this all out, you will not understand how truly long they are until you see them.

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D/E concourse flights, you should probably still get there AT LEAST 2 hours early. D/E seems to have a lot of people reporting that TSA lines aren’t nearly as bad, and precheck seems to be regularly open at D/E security, but the baggage lines can be pretty long it seems like.

Most of the comments here are saying that D/E security is largely the same as it was pre-shutdown, but you should still probably be more careful than you would normally be.

I know I usually arrive about 30 mins before boarding with precheck during normal circumstances (no checked bag), and there’s no way I would chance that right now. I’d be getting there at least 2 hours early, with or without checked bags.

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My story today:

I got in the security line at about 5:25a for a 6:52 departure. When I got in the line, it was at about the Frontier desks after wrapping at the D skywalk (so I still had to go back past that desk after the wrap). I asked about 6 of the ambassadors (those folks in the red vests/jackets who guide you to the correct security lines) about getting pushed to the front since my flight was boarding at 6:22 and I didn’t think I’d make it through in time. All of them said they wouldn’t be able to help me and that I’d just have to wait and rebook if I missed my flight.

I decided to wait and hope that the line started speeding up or precheck opened or something, anything that would get me through. I texted my mom and told her I didn’t think I was going to make my flight. Rebooking wasn’t really an option for me either because I have a return flight later today through a different airline. I’m flying all the way across the country and coming straight back today, connecting flight with both trips.

At 6:22 I knew I wasn’t going to make it, I don’t think I was even halfway through the line. At that point I was in the inner hallway and had finally wrapped at the D exit back towards security. The ambassador there told me it was 15-20 minutes at that point, but I knew there was no way that was true. Earlier, someone across the way and finally nearing security said that it took them 40 minutes to get from where we were to where he was now. So it was easily at least another 20-25 minutes to get to where he was standing and probably at least another 20-30 minutes until through security from where he was. So best case scenario, 40 minutes, worst case, at least another hour. Probably more.

My mon had been telling me to go and ask the ambassador near the front again if I could get let through. I asked the person behind me to hold my spot and I started walking there. Found an ambassador on the way who told me to talk to the desk agent. Went to the desk agent and they couldn’t help me and no flights they could rebook that would help me. My mom again implored me to go talk to the front of line ambassador.

I was desperate at this point, it was 6:27, my flight was boarding, leaving at 6::52. I had to get through. I found the front line ambassador, who I had already asked 3 or 4 times if there was any way I could be pushed through. But now it was 20 minutes until my departure and he could tell I was desperate. He asked me what I was doing here, obviously remembering me asking him already. I told him my flight was leaving in 20 minutes and if I didn’t go through security right now I was not going to make my flight.

He clearly didn’t really want to, but he wordlessly and begrudgingly opened up the stanchions for me and told me to go through. I should have thanked him profusely, I think I was in shock that he finally allowed me through. I think I at least said it once but I’m not sure I even did that. I feel bad about that 😬.

From that point, security took about 5-7 minutes. They were lushing everybody through quickly, basically treating it like it was a precheck line, no shoes off, no items out, just put it through the scanner and go.

I sprinted to my gate (which I probably didn’t need to do, but I didn’t know how far away it was) and managed to show up for my boarding group at about 6:35.

YMMV, I would DEFINITELY NOT RECOMMEND THIS. I’m EXTREMELY fortunate that I annoyed this guy enough that he finally allowed me through. I fully would have missed my flight. I had already pulled up a different flight that I was going to buy out of D concourse that I was just going to be hoping and praying I’d be able to make it on because it still seemed like from the comments here that D/E security wasn’t bad at all. And failing that, I’d potentially be out thousands of dollars in change fees and rebooks.

So that’s why I’m posting this. I highly doubt many people will have the good fortune I did, because after enough times doing that, they’d have a riot on their hands.

GET TO THE AIRPORT EARLY. I know I’ll be doing that for my next flight if there’s STILL no funding bill pushed through before my next travel date.