VIP Lines at Airports Are Canceled, Then Restored
The major airlines’ VIP lines were briefly thrown into disarray late last month after the new Transportation Security Administration took over airport security checkpoints. The lines typically let first- and business-class passengers and some frequent fliers end-run the crowds to reach the checkpoints.
After reports circulated that the federal agency had banned the lines, some airlines stopped operating them for a few days, then mostly restored them. In the interim, the Air Transport Assn. asked the TSA for clarification, and it now understands that “we [the airlines] are in charge of the queues. The government is in charge of the checkpoints,” said spokesman Michael Wascom.
A senior TSA spokesman last week confirmed that policy. He added, however, that screening passengers at airport clubs, practiced by some airlines, is now banned.
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