New RAL ID works well at GSP and elsewhere

The first day of REAL ID was as smooth as silk at GSP and elsewhere

The new ID system at GSP turns smooth criminals green with envy. There were minimal issues and delays with the new ID system on its maiden voyage. Even passengers with no real ID could enter with an alternate ID, like a passport.

Air travelers were finally asked for the first time on May 7 to present a REAL ID.

The REAL ID program has been in the works for two decades as part of the national response to the terror attacks on September 11, 2001.

Despite concerns about confusion, delays, or travelers not allowed on flights, things at Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport went smoothly throughout the morning and early afternoon, according to communications manager Tiffany Cherry.

At about 5:30 p.m., travelers coming into GSP from other airports said they had encountered few problems.

Francis Stockwell and his wife, Susan, flew out of Washington Dulles International Airport earlier in the day.

They had their REAL IDs already, so they weren’t too worried. But he said other travelers didn’t appear to encounter problems, either.

“We didn’t see long lines,” Stockwell said. “It was a walk in the park.”

Shaquana Ortega didn’t have a REAL ID when she arrived at LaGuardia Airport in New York this morning – but she was carrying her passport, which was an accepted alternative form of identification.

“Everything went fine,” she said.

The Transportation Security Administration rules surrounding REAL ID weren’t as stringent as some Americans were expecting.

 As Cherry explained earlier in the week, “Passengers without a REAL ID or another accepted form of ID will still be allowed to travel but may be subject to random additional screening at the TSA security checkpoint.”

At the Southeast’s largest airport – Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport – travelers got through checkpoint lines relatively efficiently, according to a USA Today report.

“It’s been very smooth,” said Alexis Pickeral, TSA lead transportation security officer in Atlanta. “We haven’t had any operational hiccups or any delays of excessive wait times for both REAL ID compliant passengers and non-compliant REAL ID passengers.”

At GSP, a line of about 20 travelers appeared to move at a normal pace through the TSA checkpoint.

Lindsay Bowman was heading home to Philadelphia. She’d been visiting a friend in the Upstate.

She was all set with her REAL ID. And she had a generally favorable impression coming in and out of GSP. “It’s a lot better than Philly.”