TSA Watch: CLT

The most recent TSA alert for CLT shows 48-minute average wait times across all security lines (Mon Mar 23, 8:19 PM), well above the typical 12-minute average. However, this conflicts sharply with numerous traveler reports from the same day showing minimal or no waits. By Tuesday morning (Tue Mar 24, 8:22 AM), reports indicate CLT security wait times dropped to 5 minutes for both regular and PreCheck lines, suggesting conditions improved overnight or the Monday spike was isolated.

Traveler experiences at CLT over the past week have been mixed but mostly positive. Early morning departures reported particularly fast processing: one traveler cleared security in under 4 minutes (Mon Mar 23, 11:35 AM), another in under 3 minutes (Mon Mar 23, 2:54 PM), and PreCheck users reported times as low as 60 seconds (Mon Mar 23, 12:22 PM). One traveler transiting through CLT on a connection moved from deplaning to TSA to the lounge in just 30 minutes total (Mon Mar 23, 4:02 PM). Weekend traffic also stayed light: CLT showed no waits on Sunday afternoon and 5-minute times each way (Thu and Sun, exact times not specified).

If you're traveling through CLT soon, plan to arrive 90 minutes before a domestic flight if you don't have PreCheck, or 60 minutes if you do. While the Monday evening alert suggests occasional congestion, the overwhelming majority of recent reports—especially from early morning and midday departures—show wait times well under 15 minutes. Monitor the Charlotte airport website for real-time updates, as conditions appear to fluctuate significantly.