Airport Wait Times Set to Soar

Get ready for even longer lines at airport security checkpoints this summer.

Airports and airlines are already warning travelers to arrive at least two hours early or risk missing their flight.

Although overall traveler volume has risen, the number of TSA screeners nationwide has dropped according to Jeffrey Hamiel, CEO of Metropolitan Airports Commission.

“Those diverging trend lines — increasing passenger levels and declining numbers of federal screeners — are a recipe for unacceptable customer service," Hamiel wrote in a letter to TSA Administrator Peter Neffenger.

A TSA spokeswoman told AP they are doing the best they can with the resources they have.  But with Congress capping the number of screeners for budgetary reasons, it’s unclear if this is a seasonal issue or the new norm for air travel.

Either way, you’ll need to pack your patience.