Sky Harbor Airport now posts TSA wait times

Few things set airline travelers off more than seeing a snaking security line as they approach a TSA checkpoint.

"No way I'm going to make my flight,"  the grumblers say. "I told you we should have left earlier,'' the finger-pointers say. "I'm going to try to sneak into the PreCheck line,''' the cheaters say.

Sky Harbor hopes to take out any element of surprise —  and reduce travelers' stress — by posting TSA wait times on its website and flight information monitors at the airport.

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The new service, which is already offered at by many other major airports, began this week online and in Terminal 4 and Terminal 2. It won't be available in Terminal 3 until a new consolidated checkpoint debuts late this year. 

Sky Harbor spokeswoman Julie Rodriguez said the wait times should be especially helpful for passengers traveling out of Terminal 4, the airport's busiest with more than 80 percent of passenger traffic. That's because Terminal 4 has four security checkpoints and passengers can use any of them, even if it's not near their gate.  

Terminal 4 is home to American Airlines and Southwest Airlines, the airport's dominant carriers. The main security checkpoints for American are A and B and Southwest's are C and D. American passengers put off by long wait times at is checkpoints, for example, can check the times at the other checkpoints and head there if they are willing to take a (much) longer walk to their gate.

The TSA offers posts wait times at airports around the country but they depend on passenger reports so are often outdated. The last wait time reported at Sky Harbor was a day ago.

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