Navigating the Nightmare: The 9 Worst US Airports for TSA Wait Times
We give you the worst US airports for TSA wait times in October.
No one wants to kickstart their journey with a long, tedious wait at the TSA checkpoint. Yet, for many travelers, this is a reality hard to escape. Today, we list down the nine US airports notorious for their long TSA wait times, and provide a glimpse into the best and worst times to breeze through or brace yourself for a wait.
1. Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR)
Average Wait Time: 22.12 minutes
Peak Time: 9:00 PM when the wait time is 36.57 minutes
Best Times to Travel: 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Worst Times to Travel: 7:00 AM, 3:00 PM, 9:00 PM
2. Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX)
Average Wait Time: 19.47 minutes
Peak Time: 7:00 AM when the wait time is 29.43 minutes
Best Times to Travel: 8:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Worst Times to Travel: 7:00 AM, 6:00 PM
3. John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)
Average Wait Time: 18.5 minutes
Peak Time: 4:00 PM when the wait time is 25.29 minutes
Best Times to Travel: 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM
Worst Times to Travel: 2:00 PM, 3:00 PM, 4:00 PM
4. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL)
Average Wait Time: 17.42 minutes
Peak Time: 6:00 AM when the wait time is 27.86 minutes
Best Times to Travel: 8:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Worst Times to Travel: 6:00 AM, 7:00 AM, 9:00 AM
5. Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA)
Average Wait Time: 17.07 minutes
Peak Time: 11:00 AM when the wait time is 33.86 minutes
Best Times to Travel: 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM
Worst Times to Travel: 6:00 AM, 10:00 AM, 11:00 AM
6. Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD)
Average Wait Time: 16.26 minutes
Peak Time: 1:00 PM when the wait time is 26.71 minutes
Best Times to Travel: 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM
Worst Times to Travel: 1:00 PM, 2:00 PM, 6:00 PM
7. Orlando International Airport (MCO)
Average Wait Time: 16.13 minutes
Peak Time: 1:00 PM when the wait time is 23.57 minutes
Best Times to Travel: 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM
Worst Times to Travel: 1:00 PM, 3:00 PM, 5:00 PM
8. Denver International Airport (DEN)
Average Wait Time: 15.46 minutes
Peak Time: 9:00 AM when the wait time is 33.29 minutes
Best Times to Travel: 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM
Worst Times to Travel: 9:00 AM, 10:00 AM, 3:00 PM
9. Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL)
Average Wait Time: 15.33 minutes
Peak Time: 6:00 AM when the wait time is 27.71 minutes
Best Times to Travel: 8:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Worst Times to Travel: 5:00 AM, 6:00 AM, 7:00 AM
Some tips for beating the lines:
Qsensor consistently observes the highest wait times at most airports between 5 AM and 10 AM. Mornings do improve your chances of not having a delayed flight but at the expense of standing in a long line. The second highest peak, is typically during the late afternoons/early evenings - also worth avoiding, if possible.
Take advantage of pre-booking security services such as fast track, TSA PreCheck or CLEAR.
We will return with another edition next month. If you are interested in accessing live and historical TSA, CATSA, and worldwide airport security wait times, you can find them at Qsensor.co.
Safe travels!
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List of airports we analyzed:
Atlanta, Dallas FW, Denver, Chicago, LAX, Charlotte, Orlando, Vegas, Phoenix, Miami, Seattle, Houston, JFK, Newark, Fort Lauderdale, Minneapolis, SFO, Detroit, Boston, SLC, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Tampa, San Diego, LaGuardia, Midway, Nashville, Washington Dulles, Washington National, Honolulu, Portland.