The airport experience keeps getting less stressful for passengers flying to the U.S. from abroad — especially for travelers hurrying to catch a connecting flight.
In recent months, we’ve seen the U.S. relax some security protocols for passengers after a long intercontinental flight. This specifically applies to flights from the U.K. and Australia.
Up next are flights from South Korea.
Delta Air Lines announced on Wednesday that passengers flying into Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) from Seoul’s Incheon International Airport (ICN) no longer have to wait (and then recheck) their luggage before heading to their connecting flight.
Those passengers’ bags will now transfer right to their next plane, just like they would on a domestic connection.
That may sound like a fairly small change, but Delta estimates that this shift could save travelers an average of 25 minutes. That’s precious time during a layover.
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Simplifying security rules after an international flight
Normally, travelers flying inbound to the U.S. have to go through an arduous series of steps before reaching their connecting gate. They have to clear passport control, wait for their bag, recheck it and then go back through security.
Over the last few months, airlines (alongside the Transportation Security Administration) have started reducing some of those requirements for travelers flying into the U.S. from certain countries with similar security protocols.
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In fact, just two weeks ago, Delta (and Virgin Atlantic) removed the bag and security recheck requirements for passengers connecting in ATL after an inbound flight from London’s Heathrow Airport (LHR).
American Airlines recently launched a similar “one-stop security” trial for its passengers connecting at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) after a flight from LHR.
Seoul-Atlanta connections get simplified
Now, that concept is expanding (though in a more limited capacity) for Delta passengers flying from Seoul to Atlanta and then connecting to another flight.
Those travelers still have to reclear security, but their bags will transfer right over.
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Why the TSA says this is safe
Through the partnership, South Korean security officials send the TSA X-ray images of passengers’ bags taken on the ground at checkpoints at ICN.
TSA agents can examine those images while passengers are flying, eliminating the need for a recheck after the flight.
“By leveraging advanced technology and enhancing our processes, we are driving innovation in air travel that adds an extra layer of security while streamlining the entry process for international travel,” Diane Sabatino, U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s acting executive assistant commissioner of operations, said in a statement Wednesday.
The new one-stop protocols also extend to passengers flying Korean Air, Delta’s SkyTeam alliance partner, which also operates flights between Seoul and Atlanta.
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Which airports have one-stop security?
While many passengers will cheer the less cumbersome security rules, this does mean the postflight protocols are less consistent from one airport to another.
Here’s a quick rundown of all the one-stop programs now in place, as of Aug. 13:
- If you’re flying from London to Atlanta or Dallas, you can skip the bag and security recheck and head right to your connecting flight.
- If you’re flying from Seoul to Atlanta on Delta, your baggage will transfer right to your connecting flight, but you’ll still need to reclear security.
- If you’re flying from Sydney to Los Angeles on American Airlines, your bag will transfer right to your connecting flight, but you’ll still need to reclear security.
Additionally, if you’re flying from Atlanta or Dallas to London and connecting at LHR, you can skip the security recheck there (bags already transfer right to connections).
Bottom line
The U.S. government has said that it hopes to add partnerships with more countries to these streamlined security protocols. That should help save passengers time in the U.S. and at airports overseas.
Delta, for one, told TPG that it hopes to eliminate the security recheck requirement for passengers coming from Seoul and connecting in Atlanta in the near future.
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