Spring break is here, and the savviest travelers are already a step ahead. TSA wait times are stretching two to five hours at major hubs right now — Atlanta, Houston, Fort Lauderdale — and the lines are only getting longer. But with a little planning, most of that is entirely avoidable.

Here’s how the pros do it.

How to Avoid Long TSA Lines in 2026

1. Book Early and Midweek

First flights of the day see shorter lines. Tuesday and Wednesday run lighter than the weekend bookends. If you have flexibility, use it.

2. Sign Up for CLEAR

CLEAR uses a biometric scan to verify your identity in seconds, skipping the ID check line and walking you straight to the screening belt. Right now, when every manual checkpoint is slower than usual, that shortcut is worth a lot. Sign up at clearme.com.

Better yet: CLEAR+ Members get 50% off their first round-trip shipment with Ship&Play when you sign up at shipplay.com/clear. TSA PreCheck is also included free with CLEAR+ enrollment, so one sign-up covers both. More on shipping your bags in the next tip.

3. Ship Your Bags Ahead

This is the move that changes your whole travel day: Ship your luggage, golf clubs, ski gear, or sports equipment directly to your hotel, resort, or cruise terminal before you leave. You arrive at the airport with nothing to check, move through security in a fraction of the time, and find your bags already waiting when you get there. No bag drop. No baggage claim. No long waits on the arrival side.

4. Try a Smaller Airport

The longest lines are concentrated at the biggest hubs. (Atlanta, JFK, Houston, and New Orleans have seen the worst of it this spring.) If a regional airport is within reasonable distance, it’s worth a look.

5. Pack for the Belt

Liquids accessible. Laptop easy to pull. Shoes you can slip off. When the line behind you is an hour long, thirty extra seconds at the conveyor matters.

6. Check Wait Times Before You Leave

The MyTSA app and most major airport websites publish live security wait times. A quick check before you head out can tell you whether to leave earlier, try a different terminal, or brace yourself.

7. Arrive Earlier Than You Think You Need To

Ninety minutes is not enough at major airports right now. Three hours is a safer bet, and some hubs have been asking travelers to arrive even earlier during peak periods. Check your airport’s current guidance the night before.

The bottom line: Most travelers will get to the airport and deal with whatever they find. A smaller group will have already sent their bags ahead, have CLEAR on their phone, and be at the gate with a coffee before the line has barely moved.