Note: This article pertaining to 13 Tips to Get Through Airport Security Checkpoints Faster was originally published on Friday, June 17, 2016 at 10:59 in the evening and has been updated.
Queues were substantially long at security checkpoints at airports during the most recent partial shutdown of the federal government of the United States, which was the longest in history — but whether the federal government is shut down, the last thing you want to do is spend more time at the security checkpoint than necessary…
13 Tips to Get Through Airport Security Checkpoints Faster
…and even though much of the advice that is imparted in the article is considered to be logical common sense — you probably already know about much of the advice that is given — this article contains thirteen tips that will help you get through airport security checkpoints faster.
Anyway, let us get started without further ado on the advice, which is in no particular order:
1. Have Your Boarding Pass and Official Identification Ready to Present Before You Approach the Security Checkpoint.
My identification — whether it is my driver’s license or my passport — is always in my front left pocket of the jeans or slacks which I wear whenever I travel; and I have easy access to my official identification at all times.
These days, boarding passes are rarely physically printed on paper anymore, as most of the time, you can show your boarding pass on your portable electronic device — so ensure that it is charged and that its screen is bright enough to be able to scan it without issues.
In the rare event that I have a physical boarding pass that was printed, I keep it with my official identification until I am aboard the airplane, where I will place it into a side pocket in my bag which I carry aboard the airplane. This way, it does not crumple in my pocket — although I fail to avoid the said crumpling anyway — and on the rare occasion when I may need to retrieve it, it is still easily accessible.
Somehow, I wonder if the people who do not have their boarding pass and identification ready when they approach the security checkpoint at the airport are the same people who wait in line at the checkout lane at the supermarket and wait only until the total is finally announced by the cashier to first fish for a check to pay for the groceries — and the check must be sloooooowly filled out in its entirety, which means they must fish for a pen as well…
2. Examine the Queues Before Choosing Which One to Enter.
Large groups who are together could cause a line , extra supplies (instruments, child carriers, sports equipment), and travelers with large carry-on bags and loads of extra items like jackets, toiletry bags, laptops, etc.” advises White. “People with extra items or those who aren’t very savvy about the security process will slow you down. Try getting in a line with a solo traveler or someone who seems to know the process pretty well already.”
Perhaps; but this is similar to choosing the fastest lane in either the supermarket when checking out or on a highway in heavy traffic — and believe me, the lines are not always as predictable as you might think.
3. Pack As Few Items As Possible.
This is advice which I have given in numerous articles over the years; and this article is no exception.
4. Empty Your Pockets and Remove Certain Wearable Items.
I usually put whatever is in my pockets — aside from my official identification and boarding pass — in that aforementioned convenient side pocket in the bag I carry aboard the airplane with me prior to even entering the line at the airport security checkpoint.
Temporarily removing such items as belts or jewelry and placing them in a bag is also a good idea.
Once I successfully pass through the security checkpoint, I reach into that side pocket and place all of my items back in my pockets. This is so simple and takes a negligible amount of time.
5. Drink Your Beverage — Or Get Rid Of It.
I never have a drink with me for which I paid. If I have anything with me to drink, it is usually a bottle of water I received free of charge from either an airline, hotel property, or other source. Although I usually do finish it by the time I am at the airport security checkpoint, on the rare occurrence that I indeed have a full bottle of water, it is no major loss to surrender it, as I did not pay for it.
If you must purchase a beverage, wait until after you pass through the security checkpoint.
6. Remove Your Laptop Computer Before Loading Your Baggage On the Conveyor Belt.
Start preparing your belongings to go through the security check while you are in the queue to be screened. Organize everything in groups. Keep your laptop computer separate from everything else, as large portable electronic devices must be placed in a different bin than other items — such as belts, wallets, or jewelry as three of many examples.
When I carry a laptop computer with me, it is always easily accessible to me for more reasons than to take it out at the airport security checkpoint — so it is easy for me to remove it from its bag prior to being scanned and then place it back in the bag after passing through the security checkpoint.
7. Place Items You Absolutely Not Need For the Flight In Your Checked Baggage.
I rarely check baggage; so this bit of advice does not particularly pertain to me — but if you are already checking at least one bag, place items that you absolutely do not need for the flight in it.
Do not pack items such as electronics, certain toiletries, medication, or cash in a checked bag. In case the bag gets lost or stolen, you will lose your expensive electronic devices and cash; and you will first need to purchase new toiletries and medications to replace the ones in the missing bag. Always carry your necessities and expensive items with you aboard the airplane if at all possible.
If you absolutely do not need a belt to hold up your pants, skip wearing one so you do not have to deal with taking it on and off. When I am not wearing a belt, I roll it up tightly and place it inside one of my shoes in my bag, if I am carrying an extra pair of shoes.
Taking a belt off in public feels weird. I feel like I am undressing whenever I do that. The funny thing is that if I did that before Tuesday, September 11, 2001, people would probably look at me strangely — and they do that anyway…
8. Be Polite.
Be polite to everyone throughout your experience at the security checkpoint at the airport, as being rude or exhibiting an attitude will usually get you nowhere regarding passing through the security checkpoint as quickly as possible.
Enough said.
9. Choose Your Flight Times Wisely.
I really dislike waking up at an ungodly hour in the morning — think when the sky is still dark and the alarm on your portable electronic device awakens you at 3:00 in the morning — to get to the airport…
…but while arriving on time at an airport for a flight scheduled to depart at 6:00 in the morning on a Saturday is not exactly a delightful experience, breezing through the airport security checkpoint is definitely a benefit…
…as well as knowing there will be no traffic getting to the airport; and a possible rare upgrade opportunity prior to boarding the airplane.
If you have access to a lounge at the airport, it will likely be relatively empty, with its offerings freshly available and not sitting out for hours.
10. Know Where an Alternate Security Checkpoint That is Less Crowded Is Located.
Many — but not all — airports have multiple security checkpoints; and the less popular ones are often the least crowded.
Passengers typically crowd around the security checkpoint that is the most convenient — usually the one that is closest to where they checked in for their flights — but the little bit of a longer walk to a less crowded security checkpoint could also mean shorter lines, and less time to wait, which could ultimately save you time and trouble overall.
Be advised that some airports — especially ones in smaller cities and towns — have only one security checkpoint…
…and even when multiple security checkpoints are available, all you need is one person to hold up the line for not following any of the aforementioned ten pieces of advice.
11. Upgrade Your Flight.
Yes, getting an upgrade — whether paid or complimentary — can get you to bypass the regular line at an airport security checkpoint; but that does not automatically mean that the alternative line is faster, shorter, or better. I have seen lines reserved for passengers with elite level status that were significantly longer and had more of a wait time than the regular lines — especially at the “hub” airports of airlines — as they usually have fewer staff members manning those lines.
The same can be true at lines at the ticketing counter of an airline.
12. Wear Shoes That are Easy to Remove and Put Back On.
The one thing I have liked about airport security checkpoints outside of the United States is that I do not have to remove my shoes at most of them; and shoes thankfully are currently not required to be removed from your feet when passing through a security checkpoint at an airport…
…so this tip is therefore obsolete?
Actually, not quite.
Every airport security checkpoint through which I traveled in Vietnam earlier this year — yes, in 2026 — required that all passengers remove shoes from their feet. The process was quite annoying — but what could I do?!?
Whenever I was required to remove my shoes, I did it just as I approached the checkpoint and several people were still ahead of me. I then put on booties so that my feet did not have to touch the floor, as I do not want what was on the floor to be in my shoes when I put them back on my feet. By the time the booties were on, I was usually next in line to get through the scanning device; so I never held up the line.
Once I had passed through the airport security checkpoint, a few minutes was all I needed to remove the booties from my feet and put my shoes back on. No fuss; no muss, as they say — whoever they are.
Not only should you wear shoes which are easy to remove and put back on your feet — but more importantly, ensure that they are comfortable to you.
By the way, shoes were supposed to go on the belt itself. They were not to be placed in a bin.
13. Enroll in a Trusted Traveler Program.
Paying for a trusted traveler program does not automatically assure you expedited service at every airport at all times — nor does it always mean that the queue will be faster, shorter, or better. In fact, not only could this line be closed at the airport which you plan on using depending on the time of day; but not all airports even have a special line available for members of trusted traveler programs.
Still, the full cost of such trusted traveler programs as TSA Pre✓ and Global Entry is refunded to you if you happen to hold a credit card that includes this benefit — so if you already have a credit card that includes this benefit, it is like joining a trusted traveler program free of charge.
Final Boarding Call
As I already said, much of the advice imparted in the article is considered logical common sense; and you probably already know about most — if not all — of the advice given anyway.
Do you have any additional tips and tricks which you could add to assist fellow readers of The Gate to pass though airport security checkpoints that much faster? If so, please post them in the Comments section below.
Thank you in advance.
Photograph ©2025 by Brian Cohen.
