Courtesy of TSA

Venturing to a major airport on the day that is known to be the busiest travel day of the year is always an adventure. My long habit of flying early in the morning lessens the craziness and the mobs of people, but flying from a busy airport often means long lines.

My flight? From Philadelphia, a crazy airport - to Manchester, NH, a very reasonable airport. I've grown to expect long lines to get through security in Philadelphia, and this morning fit that pattern perfectly. Until...

I was flying on Southwest Airlines, which has a ticketing presence in Terminal E, but flys out of both D and E. Those concourses are not connected inside of security. I started at E, found that my flight would be leaving from gate D4, and headed to D. There was no line for security at terminal E, but the lines at D extending well across the walkway to baggage claim and the parking garage. I started the trek to the end of the line, walking alongside of a TSA representative. Walking, walking, looking at the line...

Just as I got close to the end of the line, my TSA shadow stopped to make an announcement. He informed us that there was no wait to get through security in terminal C, and that C and D are connected after security.

To C! I headed down the stairs to cut across the train platform, and back up to C. No line meant a quick waltz through security. And then... a quick stop to pick up a cup of coffee, and a walk back to terminal D and my gate. In spite of the extra walking and the coffee stop, I believe I was at the gate much sooner than I would have been if I'd stayed in that long line. That was easy!