United Airlines is escorting top-tier MileagePlus elites through a private security checkpoint at Houston Bush Intercontinental Airport while “regular” travelers wait hours to clear TSA lines. In an era in which elite status is increasingly diluted, this strikes me as exactly the kind of benefit that still recognizes loyalty.
United Escorting Top Elites Through Private TSA Checkpoint In Houston…And That’s A Good Thing
My colleague Kyle Potter, who curates the Thrifty Traveler blog, is outraged that United Airlines is ushering Premier 1K and Global Services passengers through a special TSA checkpoint in Houston reserved for passengers with disabilities and family travelers.
There’s no doubt that Houston is a mess right now, with some of the worst TSA lines in the country. There’s also no dispute that the situation is miserable for most travelers, with waits stretching for hours.
But I’m struggling to understand the outrage here.
Potter is perfectly fine with TSA PreCheck and CLEAR, both of which effectively allow certain travelers to skip the regular line (and both of which are currently suspended at IAH). But when United steps in to help its most valuable customers during a crisis, suddenly that’s a problem?
If anything, this is exactly when loyalty should matter.
Why shouldn’t an airline use whatever influence it has to take care of its best customers during a breakdown that is entirely outside of their control?
We are long past the golden age of airline elite status. Upgrades are scarce, change fees are gone for everyone, and the United app has largely eliminated the need for human assistance. The incremental value of status has eroded, which is one of the reasons I ultimately chose to become a “free agent” myself.
And that’s precisely why this stands out.
Escorting top-tier elites through a private checkpoint at a fortress hub during a period of government-induced chaos is exactly the sort of differentiated treatment that should exist. It’s not about optics. It’s about loyalty actually meaning something again.
The real scandal here is not that a handful of frequent flyers are being helped. It’s that the system has deteriorated to the point where such measures are even necessary.
This prolonged dysfunction is not the fault of a road warrior who flies every week. Expecting them to simply endure hours-long lines in the name of “fairness” misses the point entirely.
And for what it’s worth, this isn’t self-serving. I’ve dropped to Premier Gold on United, so I wouldn’t benefit from this even if I were flying through Houston today.
But I still think United got this one right.
Sorry but I have to disagree. TSA screening is a GOVERNMENT function, not an airline function. If the airline was providing security they could move whoever they want to the front of the line (just like elite checkin, boaring, etc). But United is NOT paying for the security. My tax dollars are. So I should have equal access to the security checkpoint.
Definitely off base on this one….
So you are 100% against Clear?
I’m with pmv on this and yes, also 100% against Clear. I think Clear is obsolete and TSA can easily beat them out with some upgrades like the current Touchless Precheck (which I’m sure they can bring to non-precheck) and electronic ticket gates like Europe and Asia already have.
But on the note of the line, it is a government function TSA allowing the airline to pick and choose which customers get to bypass the line is showing preference by the government which, as pms points out, is supposed to be equal access
Hello Matt. I’m all for Clear because it’s a private security service that pays the airport extra for access for its members. I don’t understand what authority United has to reprioritize a TSA line meant for families and disabled members for elites but that’s something to take up with the TSA.
I thought I should let you know my father-in-law in Odessa, Ukraine recently passed away of a heart attack at the hale age of 91. He was quite fit and energetic up to the end, so we have few regrets. My wife is wrapping up his estate and will rent out the family apartment to some nice county folks who are helping to fix it up. The United MleagePlus miles we’ve been hoarding during the war were useful for getting her back and forth to KRK on short notice. She’s doing well and engaging in medical tourism and visiting relatives.
To paraphrase Andy Dufraine, How can you be so obtuse?
Fun how they ditched Silver, started helping Gold.
Meanwhile, Delta be like… nah, F-Congress, in-particular.
DL better start payin’ up (more) to play … To paraphrase ‘there’s no free brown-nosing” ! … And they’re recalling tempting fate by suspending ‘specialty services’ for the Washington elite …..Or, maybe it’s because DL has absolutely no further plans or trix up it’s sleeve that need the King’s & his court’s blessing….
Airlines already did this prior. There are separate security lanes for Elite status members at a lot of airports. This just is where they are allowing their Elite members an elite awards. Airlines aren’t doing the security, it just allows access to a less congested security location. I don’t see anything wrong with this if I were Premier 1K or Global Services.
Yup, super common. Privium at AMS, Virgin Atlantic Wing at LHR T3, BA First Wing at LHR T5. And those are only the ones I’ve used. Of course, some argue airlines shouldn’t be allowed to have business or first class at all.
On the other hand, let’s admit that this issue wouldn’t arise if the U.S. had an efficient high-speed passenger rail network, as is the case in other developped countries.
Not sure I agree. I would like to see it, especially between some of the nearby metro regions (e.g., Houston to Dallas and Austin) but the US is an extremely large country; it’s a nearly 2000 mile (~3100 km) drive from, say, Houston to San Francisco.
Ultimately, this is a national transportation policy. China, a very large country, has succeeded and continues to succeed in developing HST services. Had action been taken earlier, perhaps the U.S. could have succeeded as well.
I wanted to go from Paris to Rome. Trains are not really practical. I flew. Besides, Italy is a decaying country full of graffiti showing that people don’t care about others’ property. This shows moral decay.
Despite the nationwide success of Spain, France, and Germany, the passenger high-speed rail network between countries in the Old Continent is not yet at a perfect level.
Like it or not, that’s how things work, money talks!
In the end, you (usually) get what you pay for.
Are people unaware that this has been a GS perk at certain airports for years? At ORD, for example, the private GS entry gives direct access to the front of the TSA line.
I wholeheartedly agree with you Matt.
Kudos to United!
Of Course United is right to do this. Anyone who complains its not doesn’t understand how to run a company.
At the end of a trip to Europe we were flying back from Paris (CDG) and I had heard issues about flying out of CDG although we had done it once before but that was quite some time ago. I saw Air France had some VIP service but I think it was $500+ for the 2 of us (we were flying Air France business class).
I did some more research and found another company where the cost was closer to $300 for the two of us and decided to splurge (for me anyhow) and it worked great. She met us at the hotel and had us at the lounge/gate area within an hour (our hotel was next to the airport). We bypassed most all lines and only had to show ID.
If I had more money I would utilize services that would save me time and stress.
Great job by United for doing this. Finally an actual valuable benefit for their top customers, even if most of us that fly often disagree with how status is now determined.
This makes sense but go against tax policy. The miles poor people should have priority over the road warriors, who have plenty of miles. By that logic, 1st priority to the non-elite, then to the elite, then to those not MileagePlus members because we don’t know how much they actually fly.
Matthew, I’m a bit surprised to find you supporting this idea…and practice!
I’m curious if the machines and operators at IAH using the TSA machines are being privately subsidized by UA or the US government? The travelers using the “special service” MIGHT be high Elite members on United but that shouldn’t carry any weight with who gets special service from the Feds.
I’m not sure about 1K, they’re a dime a dozen, but it makes sense to keep the GS customers on-side. As you point out, the TSA’s job is to screen everyone, so they couldn’t care less who goes first & who comes last. The airlines decide which customers get to jump the queue & use fast-track security, not the TSA. It’s a business, money talks.
I have no problem with the best customer getting a better TSA line.
Doesn’t United offer Polaris passengers and premium passengers at O’hare a Premier Access security screening line?
Yes, most airlines routinely offer expedited security to their premium passengers.
Does that mean if I am on Polaris and arrive at ORD from Europe United can get me through expedited re-screening for access back to the air side for my connecting flight?
Here’s my problem. I paid gor F/J. I should always bet treated better thsn some coach every week guy.
I get why this is happening, but a *G should be treated as a top-tier elite, and there’s also an argument for that to apply to business class pax. What’s the point of marketing ‘gold track’ as a premium product with global reach if those eligible for it have to wait for hours only because they’re not affiliated with the ‘home’ airline at that airport? There’ll always be a bottleneck somewhere because of a strike, some construction delays or whatever, so the ‘extraordinary circumstances’ excuse is rather inadequate when one looks at it from a distance.
Is anyone else shocked that 1990 took a pass on standing up for the common man / air traveler, and gave a free pass to the privileged elites flexing their United status to bypass the queue? Dare I say, abandoning his fellow comrades. That tells me he is looking to exploit this same loophole for his own advantage (and much talked about United elite status). Shame, shame, sir.
You bought a ticket. They bought a ticket. That’s it. Get over yourself.
I see nothing wrong with what they are doing but,
“The real scandal here is not that a handful of frequent flyers are being helped”
Only a handful of 1k/GS fly through IAH?
Handful means around 5, right?
Last flight I boarded at a hub, there were 20 1Ks just in that flight
A great benefit! Status flyers often have dedicated security lanes in Europe and Asia. There should be more of those in the US. (I think EWR has a dedicated security lane for status flyers, but is not TSA Pre.)
Which elite paid you to write this piece?
No one…you wanna pay me to re-write it and oppose this?
Just calling it like I see it.
Hey look at the bright side, although you may have to wait in a 4 hour line to fly and see your mom in Boise, The US hit a children’s hospital in Tehran with a missile today. Good job trump, you sure are making America great again!
“United Airlines is ushering Premier 1K and Global Services passengers through a special TSA checkpoint in Houston reserved for passengers with disabilities and family travelers.”
The TSA shouldn’t be allowing these folks through a checkpoint reserved for passengers with disabilities and family travelers, if they’re not passengers with disabilities of family travelers.
And United shouldn’t be trying it to to begin with.
It’s a government function, but some are more equal than others? I don’t get it. Till it is equal I will continue to take collateral such as smoke detectors. Oh good. Now we are equal.