Jeff Graveline was flying out of O'Hare International Airport on Friday, May 13, and he said he waited in the security line for 80 minutes. He had to sprint to his gate, but he made his flight.
Jeff Graveline was flying out of O'Hare International Airport on Friday, May 13, and he said he waited in the security line for 80 minutes. He had to sprint to his gate, but he made his flight.
Jeff Graveline/CNN iReport
It took Erin Fooch two hours to get through security at O'Hare on Friday morning. She just made her flight, but her boss wasn't so fortunate.
It took Erin Fooch two hours to get through security at O'Hare on Friday morning. She just made her flight, but her boss wasn't so fortunate.
Erin Fooch/CNN iReport
Jeff Dashley missed his flight on Friday because of long lines at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport.
Jeff Dashley missed his flight on Friday because of long lines at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport.
Jeff Dashley/CNN iReport
Lisa Akey said she waited in line for 35 minutes Friday morning at LaGuardia Airport. She said the Transportation Safety Administration let people who had earlier flights go through lines faster.
Lisa Akey said she waited in line for 35 minutes Friday morning at LaGuardia Airport. She said the Transportation Safety Administration let people who had earlier flights go through lines faster.
Lisa Akey
Kym Jones waited in line for two hours at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport on Friday.
Kym Jones waited in line for two hours at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport on Friday.
Kym Jones/CNN iReport
Siobhan O'Neill said the line at Chicago Midway International Airport looked really long on Thursday, but she was able to get through security in 40 minutes.
Siobhan O'Neill said the line at Chicago Midway International Airport looked really long on Thursday, but she was able to get through security in 40 minutes.
Siobhan O'Neill
John Ronshausen said it took him about 35 minutes to clear security Friday at Denver International Airport.
John Ronshausen said it took him about 35 minutes to clear security Friday at Denver International Airport.
John Ronshausen/CNN iReport
Dan Morrison said the Denver airport was much more crowded than normal on Friday. He has TSA Precheck and was able to clear security in 10 minutes, but he said it usually only takes a minute.
Dan Morrison said the Denver airport was much more crowded than normal on Friday. He has TSA Precheck and was able to clear security in 10 minutes, but he said it usually only takes a minute.
Dan Morrison/CNN iReport
Travelers face long waits for security at U.S. airports

Story highlights

Perfect storm: Higher demand, drop in front-line TSA staff

Thousands have already missed their flights

Long lines make consumers consider Pre-Check

CNN  — 

Think U.S. security lines are bad now?

Wait until everyone starts taking summer vacations.

More than 231 million passengers are expected to fly on U.S. airlines this summer, including more than 30 million travelers on international flights, according to a report from Airlines for America, a U.S. airline trade group, released Wednesday.

That’s a 4% increase from last summer’s all-time high of 222 million passengers.

That could translate into hours-long security wait times getting even longer at the nation’s airports, and even more travelers missing their scheduled flights.

Thousands have already missed their flights.

“Due to the length of the lines, tens of thousands of customers have missed their flights and thousands of checked bags have been delayed in TSA resolutions rooms due to low staffing,” American Airlines spokesman Ross Feinstein said.

American airports and airlines have been predicting this perfect storm due to increased passenger volume, decreased TSA screener staffing and a TSA security system that slows down every time a screening machine shows potentially prohibited items.

“It has been a challenging spring with fliers waiting in lines that take more than 60 to 90 minutes to get through security,” said Sharon Pinkerton, Airlines for America’s senior vice president of legislative and regulatory affairs, in a statement.

“We encourage TSA to quickly hire and train new staff to help alleviate this problem, and we also encourage more travelers to enroll in TSA PreCheck as we move into another record-setting travel season.”

The TSA has 42,525 front-line staffers this year, a 10% drop since fiscal year 2013, according to the agency.

The staffing numbers are what the TSA says it can afford based on congressional appropriations.

Congress has allowed the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees the TSA, to shift funds to pay existing TSA officers overtime and hire new security officers.

The TSA hopes to have 768 new security officers in place as early as mid-June, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said last week.

In a Wednesday conference call, Airlines for America’s Pinkerton also urged Congress to redirect increased September 11 passenger security fees to pay for air travel security, which was the fee’s original intent. A December 2013 budget deal increased the fee but directed most of the new revenue to pay down the federal deficit.

Airlines for America launched the hashtag #ihatethewait for travelers to share their security wait times.

The group also encouraged travelers to sign up for TSA Pre-Check or Customs and Border Protection’s Global Entry – which includes Pre-Check – to get expedited screening at the airport.

Some 2.5 million travelers have signed up for the TSA program, far short of the 25 million the TSA would like to enroll, according to The New York Times.

Reports of long lines at many of the nation’s airports seem to have inspired more people to consider the program.

Pre-Check applications increased from 8,400 per day in April to more than 11,000 per day in May, according to the TSA.