CES attendees find clear sailing at airport

Eric Leake

Monday, Jan. 10, 2005 | 11:04 a.m.

People expecting long lines for flights out of Las Vegas and away from the Consumer Electronics Show found none Sunday.

Steve Thinnes was as surprised as the rest. Departing from McCarran International Airport after last year's convention was terrible, he said.

"The lines were horrendous, all the way down the lane here. It took well over an hour getting through security," Thinnes said.

What he saw Sunday afternoon as he approached the D gates bore little resemblance to the scene a year before.

"It looks very good. It should be an easy process," Thinnes said, surveying the empty lanes ahead. "Now it seems like what it should be, what I expect from Las Vegas."

About 129,000 people attended this year's convention, and most of whom were from out of town. Those who flew home this year were greeted by seven new security checkpoints for the C and D gates on an enlarged concourse over baggage claim. The new gates opened at the end of August.

The airport's new video program with tips to speed up security screening played on monitors overhead where lines would have been.

"Things went really well today. The wait times were for the most part under 10 minutes all day long," said airport spokesman Glenn Gardner.

He said that all 19 of the security check lanes for the C and D gates -- the airport's busiest -- were open. The Transportation Security Administration brought in an extra 30 screeners to staff the lanes, Gardner said.

"That was a preemptive thing," he said. "They knew we were going to have huge crowds."

Gardner estimated the close of the convention increased McCarran's usual busy Sunday traffic by 25 percent. He attributed some of the improved passenger flow to new self-check terminals in ticketing.

Some travelers anticipating delays found themselves with some unexpected free time.

"I almost missed my flight last year," said Jong Park, who attended the convention with Samsung's cell phone division. "This year I'm very much surprised. There's no line at all and I'm three hours early."

Simon Hossell, with the Gracenote music database company, used the time to surf McCarran's new free wireless Internet network.

"I knew if I did have time on my hands, like I do now, I'd be able to use the wi-fi network," Hossell said.

From Hossell's bench he could keep an eye on the very short lines as he surfed, and he was in no hurry. "It looks fine," he said.