BDL Security Checkpoints: PreCheck, CLEAR and When to Arrive

We found no official BDL page that shows live security waits. The airport's contact page says that for security information you should go to tsa.gov or ask your airline.

We don't print wait times here on purpose, because they change all day. The airport says its busiest hours are typically 4 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., so plan extra time if your flight falls in those windows.

BDL has two TSA checkpoints, both in Terminal A:

• Main checkpoint: in the lobby of the departures level.
• Second checkpoint: between the United Airlines ticket counter and the hallway to the Sheraton Hotel.

The main checkpoint expansion is now fully operational. It added two TSA lanes, more screening locations and more queuing space. To make room, the old center exit lane that arriving passengers used is now permanently closed. Arriving passengers use new exit corridors on the east and west sides of the terminal.

We did not find published opening hours for either checkpoint. The terminal is open 24 hours a day, and most airline ticket counters open between 4 a.m. and 5 a.m. Ask your airline when security opens for your flight.

Terminal B on the airport's international page is listed for arrivals only (Cancun and international charters), so you depart from Terminal A.

The airport says new signage steers you to these lanes at the main checkpoint:

• Standard Screening, for passengers who are not in an expedited program.
• TSA PreCheck (enrollment required).
• TSA PreCheck Touchless ID (enrollment required).
• CLEAR (enrollment required).
• Priority, for premium cabin tickets, frequent flyer status or other qualifying benefits.
• Wheelchair Access, for passengers who use wheelchairs or have mobility limitations.

CLEAR lists its CLEAR+ lane hours in Terminal A as 4 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Sunday to Friday and 4 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday. We found no published hours for the other lanes, so ask your airline or check tsa.gov.

The airport's pages disagree on where PreCheck is. A newer airport article says PreCheck is once again available at the main checkpoint. An older airport page says PreCheck lanes moved to the second checkpoint, and that the second checkpoint is for passengers with PreCheck, or with both PreCheck and CLEAR. Follow the signs on the day, and check the airport's security screening page before you go.

The airport says the second checkpoint, closer to the Sheraton, is still open for passengers with TSA PreCheck or CLEAR Plus with TSA PreCheck.

Touchless ID lets PreCheck members confirm who they are with facial recognition instead of showing a physical ID. You log in to your airline's frequent flyer account, opt in, and enter your Known Traveler Number and passport information. Not all airlines are connected. At BDL, qualifying passengers flying American, Delta, United and Southwest can use this lane.

We did not find the PreCheck enrollment fee in the airport's pages. Check tsa.gov before you apply.

BDL offers CLEAR. Members verify their identity with their eyes or fingers in dedicated lanes, then a CLEAR Ambassador escorts them directly to TSA physical screening.

The airport pages differ on the second checkpoint. The older page says CLEAR remains available at both checkpoints. The newer article says the second checkpoint screens passengers with PreCheck or CLEAR Plus with PreCheck. If you have CLEAR without PreCheck, head to the main checkpoint to be safe.

You can enroll online or in person at any CLEAR airport location. If you start online, you finish at the airport the next time you fly. CLEAR+ lanes in Terminal A are open 4 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Sunday to Friday and 4 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, per CLEAR. Before and after those hours, use another lane.

CLEAR's enrollment spot is across from the security checkpoint entrance on the departures level, by Door 3. CLEAR also lists TSA PreCheck enrollment there from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. We did not find a published CLEAR membership price, so check clearme.com.

The airport suggests arriving at the ticket counter at least 90 minutes before a domestic flight and 3 hours before an international departure. Call your airline to confirm, because the recommendation can change during heavy travel periods.

The airport's peak hours are typically 4 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Early flights are the tightest, since most airline counters open between 4 a.m. and 5 a.m.

You will also need to park and walk. If you drive, remember the airport parking shuttles run every ten minutes, 24 hours a day.

An e-ticket or itinerary will not get you through the checkpoint. TSA requires a boarding pass or digital boarding pass when you arrive at security, so allow extra time to check in if you need to print one.

BDL does not list ID rules itself. The airport sends you to the TSA website for the latest requirements. We did not find REAL ID details in the airport's pages, so check tsa.gov before you fly.

For the current list of permitted and prohibited items, use the TSA website. For a question about one item, contact TSA directly.

If you bring a prohibited item by mistake, BDL has a mail-back program run by Flippit. Use the Flippit drop box near the main TSA checkpoint and follow the instructions. The fee is $29 per transaction, shipping is available anywhere in the US with delivery in seven to ten days, and some items may not qualify. For support, call 1-877-FLIPPIT. Fees can change, so check the airport's TSA screening page.

Lost something in the screening area? TSA handles items lost in the inspection lanes through an online form on tsa.gov. Items found elsewhere on airport grounds go to State Police at (860) 292-7400.

Wheelchair service is handled by your airline, so request it with them. Departing passengers can also ask the skycap podium or the ticket counter agent.

BDL's Concierge Service, run with Travelers Aid International, can take you through the TSA checkpoint via priority access, plus help with check-in, bags and getting to your gate. You book through a form on the airport's site.

The Sunflower lanyard is free at the information center and signals a hidden disability to airport staff. It does not guarantee fast tracking through security or any priority access. You still arrange special assistance with TSA Cares and your airline.

Customs depends on where you fly in from. The airport says its Aer Lingus (Dublin) and Air Canada routes pre-clear customs at the origin airport and arrive at Terminal A, so you go straight to baggage claim. Other international flights arrive and clear U.S. Customs at Terminal B. The airport lists Cancun and international charter flights as Terminal B arrivals.

BDL has a Global Entry enrollment center inside Terminal B, the International Arrivals Building. CBP says to park in the surface lot next to Terminal B, and that the center is not taking walk-ins at this time. Book on the CBP Trusted Traveler Programs site, bring your passport, or call (860) 627-8767.