:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/TAL-header-delta-customer-DLTA1STPSECURTY1025-a053ecbe062743ef942a4efd7eb485b7.jpg "I tried the new ‘One Stop Security’ program at the airport – this is how much time it saved me")
A new airport security initiative being piloted in the United States (One Stop Security) could soon change the way international travelers handle layovers in the United States.
The program aims to eliminate redundant security checks for passengers arriving from select foreign airports, allowing them to connect to domestic flights seamlessly as they would on an itinerary across the United States. Instead of collecting and re-checking luggage or going through TSA screening again, travelers can head straight to the next gate.
The pilot launched earlier this year with two routes, both departing from London Heathrow International Airport (LHR): American Airlines to Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) and Delta Air Lines to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL).
According to officials, the streamlined process can save travelers up to 45 minutes, but is that really the case? I decided to find out.
putting it to the test
My trip was from LHR to ATL, connecting to St. Louis. To compare experiences, I recruited my husband as a control subject: he would go the traditional route through customs and security, while I would try One Stop Security.
The moment I stepped off the skybridge in Atlanta, a representative met me and walked me to the dedicated One Stop Security lane. Then I presented my passport, confirmed that I had nothing to declare and…So—I was authorized to continue with my connecting flight. Total time: one minute.
Normally, I would have had to go through customs, claim my checked baggage, check it in again, and then get back in line for TSA screening. Not this time, not with One Stop Security.
Meanwhile, my husband began the family routine. After disembarking, he joined the line at US Customs; At that point, I was already on my way to the new Delta Sky Club in Atlanta. After a 20-minute wait at customs, he headed to the baggage claim area to retrieve his suitcase. From there, he checked his luggage again for the next leg, a process that took another 15 minutes. Finally, he joined the standard TSA line and waited an additional 20 minutes to re-enter the terminal. Time control: You were in line for 35 minutes.
When he finished, almost an hour later, he met me at our gate and I was already relaxing in the Delta Sky Club, enjoying dinner and decompressing after my nine and a half hour transatlantic flight.
The verdict
For now, One Stop Security is limited to a few routes, but if its rollout expands, it could dramatically reshape the U.S. arrival experience for international travelers. For frequent travelers, saving an hour (and avoiding the chaos of baggage claim) seems nothing short of revolutionary.
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