Travel
This app could help reduce your wait time at customs as TSA experiences record travel
As airports prepare for the highest passenger volumes this summer, the Transportation Security Administration is bracing for the travel crush and sharing what passengers need to know to get through crowded airports with some ease.
TSA already announced it’s second busiest day in history over the weekend as summer travel is just heating up at its peak season.
Last weekend, the TSA reported that more than 2.9 million people were screened across the country and in the last 30 days alone, the agency recorded 7 of the top 10 busiest travel days in TSA history.
This summer, the agency predicts it will see 3 million travelers in a single day for the first time ever.
For travelers planning to take an international trip, there’s a tool that can potentially help shorten wait times in line at U.S. Customs and Border Protection when you’re returning to the country.
The Mobile Passport Control, which has a free app for travelers, is run by the border control agency and allows eligible U.S. travelers to submit travel documents, a photo, and customs declaration information before they get to the line or an agent.
Once the traveler inputs their information it can help cut down the time it takes speaking with a customs officer and can send you to a separate line that’s usually much shorter than the standard U.S. passport holder lane.
MPC works when coming back to the U.S. in many major airports, as well as 14 airports overseas.