When you’ve needed to pull out your ID on the airport gate for a safety recheck, you are not alone.
In current weeks, it seems the Transportation Safety Administration has upped its screening protocols — at the very least briefly — for sure flights.
In some instances, the TSA has rechecked vacationers’ IDs proper on the gate. For different departing flights, brokers have carried out secondary bag searches on the jet bridge.
Whereas the TSA has lengthy had such techniques in its safety arsenal, the additional screenings look like taking place extra steadily this month. They usually’ve occurred most frequently on flights to the New York Metropolis space, primarily based on anecdotal experiences shared by a slew of TPG staffers, readers and frequent flyers we have spoken with over the previous few weeks.
Precisely what’s going on?
Thus far, the TSA hasn’t particularly commented on the heightened protocols, as an alternative referring broadly to its “a number of layers” of safety to maintain vacationers protected.
However an aviation business supply tells TPG the “enhanced measures” skilled lately are as a result of ongoing United Nations Basic Meeting in New York — and a “widespread apply” applied at airports forward of main high-security occasions.
What to find out about TSA secondary screening
What must you count on should you’re on certainly one of these flights?
In all probability, you will want to tug out your ID once more. It is also potential brokers will wish to briefly sift via your carry-on bag.
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I encountered secondary screening on a Sept. 8 flight from Raleigh-Durham Worldwide Airport (RDU) to John F. Kennedy Worldwide Airport (JFK). As I ready to board, the gate agent introduced that the TSA can be rechecking each flyer’s identification as they proceeded to have their boarding go scanned.
That very same day, Senior Editorial Director Nick Ewen and Senior Credit score Playing cards Editor Giselle Gomez had related experiences on New York-bound flights from different U.S. cities.
So did TPG’s Clint Henderson, twice this month — together with one encounter at Chicago’s O’Hare Worldwide Airport (ORD) he captured, beneath, on digicam.
And Tuesday night, some vacationers confronted additional bag checks on the jet bridge on Senior Resorts Reporter Tanner Saunders’ flight from Dallas Fort Value Worldwide Airport (DFW) to New York’s LaGuardia Airport (LGA).
“TSA brokers had been stopping individuals and looking their baggage,” Saunders mentioned.
Why is the TSA rechecking some vacationers’ IDs?
Secondary TSA checks aren’t unprecedented.
Since its founding within the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror assaults, the TSA has periodically carried out secondary screening of vacationers even after they go via checkpoints — together with on the gate.
However most vacationers seldom encounter such further screenings — although added safety checks can occur when there is a main occasion (just like the U.N. Basic Meeting) happening.
“Nothing is extra vital to TSA than making certain the safety of our nation’s transportation programs and protecting the touring public protected,” a TSA spokesperson mentioned in its solely assertion addressing our questions. “TSA’s a number of layers of safety are each seen and unseen to maintain threats at bay and our transportation programs safe.”
A myriad of TSA modifications in 2025
2025 has introduced a wide range of modifications to the TSA’s screening protocols.
In July, the company ditched its long-standing requirement that vacationers in the usual safety lanes take away their sneakers.
And that got here two months after the launch of Actual ID necessities, which had been supposed to create a extra unified normal for verifying passengers’ identification at airports.
As for the continuing safety checks on New York-bound flights, the U.N. Basic Meeting is scheduled to run via the tip of this month.
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