Airport security wait times are creeping up across the country as Transportation Security Administration officers go without pay during the partial government shutdown.
Denver International Airport recently asked the public to help pay airport security workers by donating grocery store and gas gift cards. It’s the airport’s second public appeal for help in five months, after a separate 43-day shutdown last fall left federal employees without pay through mid-November.
Security wait times have remained relatively low at DIA, despite other airports across the country seeing hours-long lines, because of a recent $2.1 billion overhaul of the airport’s security screening checkpoints. Still, with no concrete end in sight for the partial shutdown, which only affects the Department of Homeland Security, here’s how Colorado travelers can keep an eye on the security line at DIA and save themselves a headache by reserving a screening spot ahead of their trip.
How DIA keeps TSA security lines at 12 minutes as other airports see hours-long wait times
Denver International Airport TSA wait times
Denver International Airport shares at both East and West Security, along with TSA PreCheck, at .
Both checkpoints are open to all passengers from 3 a.m. to 1 a.m. the next morning. TSA PreCheck lanes are open from 4 a.m. to 8:45 p.m. at East Security, from 4 a.m. to 7:45 a.m. at West Security between Monday and Thursday and from 4 a.m. to 8:45 a.m. at West Security between Friday and Sunday. Clear is available at both checkpoints.
Airport officials declined to specify how the real-time wait times are measured.
How to reserve a security time slot (for free) with DEN Reserve
Travelers can fast-track airport security with a , according to airport officials.
The reservation system provides travelers -- regardless of PreCheck or Clear status -- access to a dedicated security lane, cutting down their wait time at the TSA checkpoint. Appointments are available daily from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. for flights departing between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m., according to the reservation website.
Travelers select their date, destination, flight details and party size on the website before choosing a 15-minute reservation window. Reservations can be scheduled one to four hours ahead of the scheduled flight, but DIA officials recommend arriving two hours before departure.
National Airspace System Status
Not all airports have websites dedicated to TSA wait times, but travelers departing from an airport outside of Denver can check the for updates on airports across the country.
The FAA site details any airport closures or traffic management programs -- like ground delays or ground stops -- alongside the cause, which can vary from weather to airport volume to equipment failure.
Travelers can also view the number of flights delayed across the country or by airport on flight-tracking websites, . Flight trackers don't list the cause of major delays or cancellations, but can help travelers visualize which airports are struggling on a particular day and adjust their plans accordingly.
