Several months back we learned about how President Trump planned to privatize airport security as much as possible, and that included cutting funding for the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). The concept of privatized airport security in the United States isn’t completely new, as we already have the Screening Partnership Program (SPP), which is currently used at around 20 airports.
However, since that announcement several months back, we’ve learned about TSA Gold+. No, it’s not a healthcare plan, just as Allegris isn’t an allergy or ED medication. Instead, it’s how the latest privatized airport security concept is being branded.
But what’s actually different about this program compared to “regular” TSA? How will passengers be impacted?
In this post:
The basics of the mysterious TSA Gold+ program
In the Ask the Community section of OMAAT, member Mattt poses the following question about TSA Gold+:
Anyone familiar with the TSA Gold+ program beyond the ambiguous AI-generated website? Is this a way for the department to offload responsibility, redistribute the department’s budget, leverage the infrastructure bill, and/or kind of admit they aren’t great at security as currently conceived so it needs to be done radically differently?
For a bit of background, TSA Gold+ is the name of the concept of private contractors increasingly handling TSA duties at airports. In 2027, we’re expected to see TSA Gold+ go live in Tampa (TPA), Charleston (CHS), and Des Moines (DSM), so those are the first airports to get the new program.
I have to agree with Mattt about the webpage dedicated to TSA Gold+. It contains lots of buzzwords and looks flashy, but it almost seems like a school project that a student completed while relying heavily on AI. It’s almost like a webpage for a fake airline startup.
The website talks about how this is “the future of aviation security,” claiming that “through strong public-private partnerships, TSA Gold+ will unlock innovation, expand screening capacity, and achieve world-class security and customer experience.”
The website goes on to describe TSA Gold+ as follows:
TSA Gold+ is a new public-private partnership aimed at modernizing aviation security at select airports across the United States. TSA Gold+ will pair the Screening Partnership Program with TSA’s innovation authorities to enable cutting-edge aviation security solutions.
Under TSA Gold+, TSA will continue to set the standards for aviation security using outcome-based measures that both drive performance and security. Long-term Screening Partnership Program (currently a TSA private screener contract model) contracts will redirect funds into the investable partnerships where leading industry operators can manage both technology and screening workforce.
Then there’s a quote that’s not actually attributed to anyone (which isn’t usually how quotes work, but…).
Okay, so far there’s not actually much substance as to what the benefits of TSA Gold+ are, but fortunately there’s a section for that. The claim is that “as TSA approaches its 25th anniversary, rising travel volumes, evolving threats, and funding challenges present an opportunity to re-imagine aviation security.” So, what are the benefits of privatizing airport security? Well, I’ll let you see for yourself below, as it includes things like “premier customer experience.”
The claim is also that there’s a benefit for travelers, allowing them to “experience faster, easier screening,” with “security and enhanced convenience,” and giving them “access to cutting-edge technology.”
Can anyone plainly explain how we benefit from this?
I think most of us can agree that the TSA Gold+ website has a lot of fluff, and doesn’t actually concretely tell us how we’re better off because of it. Like, why does privatizing security make for a “premier customer experience,” and why do TSA Gold+ airports get “access to cutting-edge technology,” while others don’t?
Can anyone actually make sense of how privatizing airport security improves things, without accusing people of having TDS? On the surface, I actually don’t have strong opinions on this. I mean, San Francisco (SFO) has privatized airport security, and I can’t say that I find to be a worse experience than a standard TSA checkpoint?
For that matter, it’s not like the TSA actually has a great track record with stopping all prohibited items from getting through security, so it would be hard to argue that this will have an impact on safety.
I guess my confusion originates from my belief that simply adding “middlemen” to a process doesn’t make things more efficient, and that there’s also efficiency to a more scaled operation.
Presumably the private partners getting involved here are doing so because there’s some margin for them, so how does this improve efficiency? The TSA still has to oversee all of this, so how do taxpayers and travelers benefit?
Is the program somehow lower cost because the contractors are paid less than TSA agents? Why do the private contractors get access to cutting edge technology, while existing checkpoints don’t? Aren’t all taxpayers and air travels funding that either way?
Does this simply come down to the government not being able to do anything efficiently?
Bottom line
The Trump administration is working on increasingly privatizing airport security, and this is being done under the TSA Gold+ program. The idea is to work with contractors to outsource security, while the TSA still has oversight of the program.
All kinds of claims are made about TSA Gold+, about how it will lead to cutting edge technology, exceptional customer service, etc. However, I can’t actually make sense of the “how” and “why,” because typically simply adding a middleman doesn’t improve things. It’s possible that I’m missing something, but the sales pitch for the concept seems like fluff, so I’m just confused…
Can anyone plainly explain where the upside with TSA Gold+ comes from?
I have a better idea. As the TSA process has proven to be time consuming and worthless (check the number of banned objects making it through security every year), let's just scrap the concept and go back to the 80's and 90's where family could just escort the loved ones to the gate and useless security be dam*ed.
Sounds like yet another way for Trump to bilk the government for more money.
Private contractors should mean that when there is avgovernment shutdown, the airports with private contractor security will not be closed or have a staff shortages.
Plenty of fancy buzz words that amount to nothing the way this administration runs. This will return us back to pre 9-11 days of poor screening and minimum wage employees with administration buddies making more corrupt monies
It's really pretty simple. This allows essential government functions to be awarded to politically connected contractors. Lower wages will be paid to the people actually doing the work, and go into the pockets of executives and shareholders. Everybody wins, right?
Also - this isn't partisan. If it becomes OK to do this sort of thing, Democratic politicians are a lot more competent at insider trading than Republicans. The numbers don't lie. For some reason, the...
It's really pretty simple. This allows essential government functions to be awarded to politically connected contractors. Lower wages will be paid to the people actually doing the work, and go into the pockets of executives and shareholders. Everybody wins, right?
Also - this isn't partisan. If it becomes OK to do this sort of thing, Democratic politicians are a lot more competent at insider trading than Republicans. The numbers don't lie. For some reason, the current crop of geniuses in charge don't seem to think that anyone else will do the same stuff back to them.
Ah, so that's why folks voted for the guy... price of eggs, no new wars, build the... TSA Gold+
Doesn't SFO have their own security partnered with TSA? I believe that they faired better on penetration tests and satisfaction than regular TSA.
Yup that's why sfo had little impact during govt shutdowns.
Yes, SFO and MCI are probably the largest SPP airports, and a decent number of smaller airports have it too.
https://www.tsa.gov/for-industry/screening-partnerships
I travel through MCI regularly and find the agents are generally a bit more pleasant than TSA, but not by a huge margin. They seem to have far fewer people standing around.
"why does privatizing security make for a “premier customer experience"?
It opens up yet another opportunity for corruption and grift. Ignore all the meaningless buzzwords and Follow The Money.
Eh. I want to hear more about the Trump golden shower pass plans.
lol they're just letting anyone friendly with the white nationalist movement loot the federal government for parts, hopefully president AOC imprisons a whollllee lot of people
As long as there's actual due process, and the accused have committed real crimes, sure, please do prosecute them all, and let's allow our criminal justice system to do it's job, properly.
I swear the name makes it sound like a fast-track security subscription and reminds me too much of Star Alliance Gold Track.
Ben: ‘Can anyone actually make sense of how privatizing airport security improves things, without accusing people of having TDS?’
What does it have to with the Tim Dunn Syndrome?
Because private equity makes everything better!
I think that the question is whether it is worth the taxpayer's money to employ directly those people or not.
I think it's a question for a lot of countries, but in the end to get good services comes down not to the people and who employs them but more so on how the flow is organized and the hardware that is used...
What I find fascinating is that France who is not known...
I think that the question is whether it is worth the taxpayer's money to employ directly those people or not.
I think it's a question for a lot of countries, but in the end to get good services comes down not to the people and who employs them but more so on how the flow is organized and the hardware that is used...
What I find fascinating is that France who is not known to be scared of hiring public agents has oustourced this work to the private sector. While the US, a much more liberal country has not really made a choice. I just find that fascinating (without meaning that France has the right answer, cf. my first point)
The US is more "liberal" than France? lol
The only benefit is probably to the bank accounts of Trump, his family, and his cronies.
It will involve no bid contracts to companies controlled by insiders and family members.
We benefit from this because there is the valuable metal of Gold that displayed in a golden hue, plus there is a plus which is displayed with a + sign. Combine the two and airport security is automatically enhanced without any further action required.
Yup. 2nd Gilded Age. Have you been to DC since... well... these re-gilded 'golden' freaking horse statues... it's a bit on-the-nose.
You mean DCGold+ horses I presume. But no, too many other places without DCGold+ horses to visit.
This is the problem with this administration. I voted for Trump because I think he's right about a lot of things. But his polices and their implementation have been God awful, especially this term. Details be damned. He thinks his personality will carry the day. Not anymore. And he's bypassed congress on many things only to get slapped down later in court, leaving his policy in a shambles. It's too bad because he's really left...
This is the problem with this administration. I voted for Trump because I think he's right about a lot of things. But his polices and their implementation have been God awful, especially this term. Details be damned. He thinks his personality will carry the day. Not anymore. And he's bypassed congress on many things only to get slapped down later in court, leaving his policy in a shambles. It's too bad because he's really left his party a big steaming mess, which is likely to cost them in upcoming elections.
It took you beyond his first term to realize that?
You would have sounded smarter if you said you voted that way because Biden sucks or Kamala was being stabbed in the back by a sleepy grandpa.
Trump named the manager of a golf course to do a civil engineering project. That guy went to a concrete convention in Vegas and hired a guy who had neither done such a project nor contracted with the government. The contractor used a supplier that ginned up a new and never tested sealant. After which Trump and his retinue (in their armored SUVs) drive on the sealant causing damage. Embarrassed to admit the boner he...
Trump named the manager of a golf course to do a civil engineering project. That guy went to a concrete convention in Vegas and hired a guy who had neither done such a project nor contracted with the government. The contractor used a supplier that ginned up a new and never tested sealant. After which Trump and his retinue (in their armored SUVs) drive on the sealant causing damage. Embarrassed to admit the boner he pulled, his administration indicts a bystander for vandalism.
"I voted for Trump because I think he's right about a lot of things." Welp, that could be your problem right there...
David hope that leopard doesn’t eat your face
The biggest benefit would be that, during government shutdowns, the employees would continue to get paid. During the last shutdown, SFO didn't have the issues that the rest of the country had with long checkpoint lines.
I agree 100% and and wondering why the author cannot see this as a genuine benefit to air travelers.
igraf
If you think that the private sector wouldn't find a way to not pay their employees during a government shutdown while providing a public service, I have a golden cell phone made in America to sell you.
The reason why I love Changi Airport so much is that it’s so convenient that I don’t even feel the need to take advantage of VIP facilities for anything. Point being: Make it convenient for *everyone*, not just those who can pay extra
Just my two cents. Or, as you Americans say, 50,000 SkyPesos
This helps alleviate the democrat government shutdowns that result in unpaid tsa workers and 3 hour wait times.
Democrat government shutdowns? Someone is drinking the koolaid…
He can test the concept at his playground sandbox at PBI. Or as the the lickers renamed it.
But naming places after a living person just to get canceled a decade later is a topic for another day.
Who owns the contractors?
One of the oligarchs, indubitably.