Starting today, all checkpoints at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport have added “family lanes.”
They accommodate slow or novice travelers, or those with children who need more time to pass through security checks without holding up impatient frequent fliers who arrive at the checkpoint with shoes in hand and liquids in proper quantities and packaging.
The family lanes are an abbreviated version of the Transportation Security Administration’s so-called diamond system, which allows travelers to select three lines based on travel expertise, similar to the skiers’ beginner, intermediate and expert trail-marking system.
The TSA already piloted the complete diamond system at Checkpoint D in Terminal 4, but not all airport checkpoint areas have enough space for all three lane options, said Nico Melendez, TSA spokesman.
The TSA rushed the family lanes into operation nationwide before the big Thanksgiving travel weekend, Melendez said, but they will be permanent.
