WASHINGTON – A project to streamline baggage screening for Royal Caribbean cruise ship passengers catching flights on American Airlines is being studied at the Port of Miami as a way to reduce travel hassles for air/sea travelers, top Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officials said today.
After Royal Caribbean passengers clear Immigration and Customs, the TSA screens their baggage while they check in with American Airlines and get boarding passes. Until reaching their final destination, passengers don’t have to touch their bags again. After screening, their bags are taken by truck from the Port to Miami International Airport, unloaded and transferred to appropriate American Airlines flights.
Steve Rybicki, Director of Passenger Security for TSA’s Maritime and Land division, said during a press conference, “We are making the travelers’ experience both secure and more enjoyable by reducing the hassle of having to take the baggage to the airport.”
Other project partners include the Miami-Dade Police Department, U.S. Customs, U.S. Coast Guard, and other Department of Homeland Security agencies.
Ed Guevara, Federal Security Director at Miami International, noted that during peak season, up to 15,000 passengers disembark from cruise ships at the Port of Miami in a two-hour period. Their arrival just adds to the normal rush when they get to the airport. “Issuing boarding passes and doing security screening at the port are just smart business practices,” said Guevara. “This project is a win-win on every front.”
Already, other airlines and cruise lines have approached TSA about forming similar partnerships.
Guevara said the process eventually could be reversed. Bags could be checked to Miami International from another airport, transported by truck to the port terminal, turned over to the cruise line to be screened and then delivered to their owners as they board the ship. In addition, partnerships could eventually involve hotels, Amtrak and bus lines. (nw)
