Anyone fly out of MSP recently?

[zulaya]

Just wondering if you have flown out of MSP recently and how the security lines are. If you were stopped for wanding, how long did it take?

More importantly for me, if you were traveling with your kids, were they wanded? If so, were the security people kind to the kids? Mine are younger - will both be 6 on the flight in December - and just wondering what to expect.

I plan to let them know what may happen - hoping to make it a game to them if it does.

Just hoping that security is being professional. My brother flies 2.5 weeks out of the month for work and he's run into a couple of security people who have been very out of line - very belligerent and trying to intimidate people - and while he hasn't had this at MSP, I just am hoping that others here have had been treated respectfully by security.

 

[bbushey]

We recently flew out of MSP for a last minute trip to Orlando. Because our tickets were purchased at the last minute, we (and our 7 and 8 yoa) were picked for the thorough search of our checked luggage, carry on luggage, and our person at every boarding (1 connection each way). All searches were conducted professionally at MSP, ATL, MCO, and CIN. Prepare the kids ahead of time though. Ours were wanded with arms extended, shoes removed... ect.

 

[zulaya]

Why would you be picked if yout tix were purchased last minute? ANd do you know that that is the reason you were searched so extensively at each stop? How did your kids handle it? Did it scare them or did they just go with the flow?

 

[CarolMN]

I've found the security people at MSP professional and pleasant. Was selected for a search on a trip last February. Had to take my shoes off (they were athletic walking shoes). Woman was very nice. She "swabbed" my shoes with some type of pad and then put it on a computer device. I asked her what she was looking for and she very nicely said "explosives" . She also wiped the outside of my carryon bag with the same type of pad but didn't open it. Don't know why I was selected - I don't even smoke! Anyway, I was just asked to sit down at a nearby table to remove my shoes and wait for the computer result. My DH waited nearby. Whole thing took just a few minutes - my shoes are kind of hard to get on, so that probably took more time than the "search", LOL!

On our last trip (late last month - August), I did get selected for a carry on search. But that was because the scanner saw something. I had a very small folding scissors in my carryon. I actually forgot it was in there as I know better. Last time, I had checked the cosmetics bag it was in. Anyway, I had to open the bag, and the screener quickly located the offending item. She said I could check my bag or abandon the item. I "abandoned" it and was on my way within 5 minutes, start to finish. Again, the woman was very professional, pleasant and nice to me. My DH was able to stand near by.


My DH was wanded for some reason on one of the trips (forget whcih) and that didn't take very long, either.

Again, I think the MSP security people are very professional. It's a good idea to prepare your children in case they get selected, but I don't think they will be scared during the experience, especially sicne you and your DH will be able to stand near by.

I was pleasantly surprised at how quickly we were able to get through security. NWA is now recommending that you arrive one hour and fifteen minutes ahead of time and that seems like plenty of time.

Enjoy your trip!

 

[zulaya]

Thanks for the reply Carol! Last we flew was just 3 weeks after 9/11 and I know things have changed since then. I know that NWA recommended 75 minutes and I am so glad they recommend such a small amount of time - at least in my mind. I was fully expecting 2 hours at least. That will make that early AM flight a little more bearable.

When are you going down in December? We have a bright and early 7:24am flight on December 4th.

 

[CarolMN]

We're leaving bright and early on the Friday after Thanksgiving. Found $154/person fare (including all taxes and fees) on Delta so we're not using NWA this time. Least expensive NWA fare for one person was more than twice the fare on Delta. For a "savings" of more than $300, I decided we could put up with a change of planes and a little longer traveling time. Had originally planned to leave 12/1, but the delta airfares were too good to pass up. Going to spend the first two nights offsite - am actually looking forward to seeing what Cypress Gradens does for Christmas.

IIRC, you are spending this trip at the Poly. Have a wonderful time! Are you going to MVMCP? I know you have a CP package - so do we! Early December is such a great time to visit. Can't wait to get there!

 

[zulaya]

Yeah, we are hitting MVMCP on December 8th. CP package we have on the 6th. I know I am showing my abbreviation naivety, but what is "IIRC" standing for?

$154 is a great deal! We had $202 from worryfreevacations, but we got moved over to NWA at no extra cost.

First time at the Polynesian - Grandma is coming with us. But we just bought BCV this year so next year we are DVCing it.

 

[SueM in MN]

We flew in March right before Easter out of MSP and were pleasantly surprised with how short the wait was. We have never had a problem with the screeners at MSP and youngest DD is wanded and patted down each time we fly (at least once a year since 1987) because she uses wheelchair and can't go thru the scanner.

I plan to let them know what may happen - hoping to make it a game to them if it does.

I would let them know what might happen, in very general terms; the screener sometimes has people take off their shoes to look at them or the screener might use a special wand to look at them. I would also let them know that you will be nearby and that you expect they will cooperate with the screener. I suggest you NOT try to make a game of it because that could lead to your kids becoming silly, not co-operative and if you get a screener who doesn't have a good sense of humor, I don't think it would go over very well.