How To Navigate Through The New TSA Security Setup At Denver International Airport
DENVER (CBS4) - Denver International Airport has made changes to address long security lines. The airport worked with the Transportation Security Administration to make screening more efficient by moving different types of travelers through different parts of the terminal.
The airport has three security screening areas. One is at the south end of Jeppesen Terminal (the side that faces the Westin Hotel). One is located at the north end (the side that faces the concourses). And one is located on the bridge connecting the terminal to the A concourse.
In the map below, the yellow areas are places in the terminal where construction is taking place as part of the ongoing Great Hall Project. (Click on the map for the larger view.)
If you are flying out of Denver International Airport between 9 p.m. and 4 a.m., the South checkpoint is the only one of those three that is open.
The South Security screening area will focus primarily on processing standard travelers without any qualifications for those special programs. There is a Clear lane at the checkpoint but there is not a TSA PreCheck lane.
The North Security area now offers specialized screenings for more experienced travelers. It is the only one where those with TSA PreCheck can be screened. TSA PreCheck is a program offered by the federal government where flyers enroll in the program with a known traveler number. It means flyers do not have to remove shoes, belts and light jackets while going through security lines, and laptops and liquids don't need to be removed from the bags they may be in. There is a cost associated with applying for TSA PreCheck, as well as a required background check and interview. Some credit cards will reimburse travelers for the fee if you use the card to pay for it. Occasionally TSA PreCheck will show up on a boarding pass for someone not enrolled in the program as a marketing tool. Those lucky travelers should head to the North Security area.
If you are a Clear customer with TSA PreCheck, you'll also have to use the North checkpoint. The Clear program allows travelers to use a line to scan their fingerprint or iris rather than having an agent manually check your identification. Those Clear lines are typically shorter and once through one, the traveler moves to the security screening lines, either the regular or PreCheck if they are also enrolled in that program. As with PreCheck, some credit cards will cover the cost of Clear as long as you pay for it with the card.
The North Screening also has something called the Travel-Lite Lane. You can only use it if you are carrying on a single item like a purse, backpack or briefcase. North Screening is also the place to find a Premium/Premier Traveler lane offered by airlines. It is on the west side of the North Security checkpoint.
North Screening will have a limited number of standard security screening lanes but it should not be the first choice for the casual flyer.
The final security checkpoint is on the bridge on the way to the A gates. It is primarily dedicated to standard screening of travelers. While you have walk farther than with the other two screening areas, you can go through security on that bridge and then head to the underground train to catch a ride to the other gates.
Airport officials say standard travelers should be in the airport 2 hours before your boarding time.