In the event 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 least briefly — for sure flights.
In some instances, the TSA has rechecked vacationers’ IDs proper on the gate. For different departing flights, brokers have performed secondary bag searches on the jet bridge.
Whereas the TSA has lengthy had such ways in its safety arsenal, the additional screenings look like taking place extra ceaselessly this month. And so they’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 secure.
However an aviation trade supply tells TPG the “enhanced measures” skilled lately are because of the ongoing United Nations Basic Meeting in New York — and a “widespread apply” carried out at airports forward of main high-security occasions.
What to find out about TSA secondary screening
What must you anticipate if you happen to’re on one in every of these flights?
In all chance, you may want to drag out your ID once more. It is also attainable brokers will wish to briefly sift by 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 cross 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 Motels Reporter Tanner Saunders’ flight from Dallas Fort Price Worldwide Airport (DFW) to New York’s LaGuardia Airport (LGA).
“TSA brokers had been stopping individuals and looking out their baggage,” Saunders stated.
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 performed secondary screening of vacationers even after they cross by 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 guaranteeing the safety of our nation’s transportation methods and holding the touring public secure,” a TSA spokesperson stated 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 methods safe.”
A myriad of TSA adjustments in 2025
2025 has introduced quite a lot of adjustments 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 meant to create a extra unified customary 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 by the tip of this month.
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