Airlines From America - #IHateTheWait

Airlines From America - #IHateTheWait

A combination of fewer security screeners, more rigorous checks and increased airline passenger loads has recently resulted in very long TSA wait times (sometimes topping 90 minutes and causing missed flights) across the United States.

As the summer travel season kicks into gear these wait times are not projected to get better – and airlines operating in the US have had enough. For years, airline members of Airlines for America (A4A), an advocacy group acting to shape policies for a healthy US airline industry, have lobbied on a regulatory level for change in this area.

Now in a digital call to action, A4A has taken its TSA battle to the masses by encouraging travellers to share their security wait line stories with the world via Twitter , Instagram and other social media, using the hashtag #ihatethewait.

This campaign, seen by many as a hard jab at the TSA, has undoubtedly kicked up a storm of debate about the topic – while eliciting an overwhelming response from the travelling public (who love using social media to lodge complaints) and media.

Popular publications such as The Consumerist and The BBC have since reported on the woes of TSA screening waits, and Conde Nast Traveller has even published an article featuring some of the most nightmarish images posted under the hashtag.

For its part, the TSA has been using Twitter to respond to the outcry, regularly posting explanatory tweets linking followers to information on the situation and encouraging TSA Pre-Check enrolment.