AUSTIN, Texas — An issue at an airline ticket counter caused long lines at the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) Friday morning.
At around 5:30 a.m. Friday, airport security lines wrapped around the outside of the building. But AUS officials told KVUE that contrary to claims on social media that the wait was hours long, wait times were around 45 minutes to an hour.
AUS said the long lines were due in part to a technology issue at the ticket counter of one of its airlines. The issue started at around 5 a.m. and caused lines to be backed up for three hours. The issue, which Southwest Airlines confirmed was at its counter, has since been resolved.
Southwest Airlines sent the following statement:
"Our Austin operations have normalized after our Ground Operations Team worked through some minor challenges which affected Customers checking in this morning. Additionally, a technical issue affected the airport’s bag belt system and our Team’s ability to assist Customers in quickly checking their bags. We apologize to Customers for the inconvenience and appreciate their patience as we worked to get them to their destinations as quickly as possible.
For background:
- The baggage handling system is maintained by the airport. Please contact the airport for additional information.
- There were also lengthy lines at the TSA checkpoint. Please contact the airport or the TSA for additional information."
Photos and videos shared by travelers at the airport Friday morning showed the long lines:
AUS said that any travelers who missed their flights due to the security checkpoint backup Friday morning should contact their airline directly for information about rebooking.
Beyond Friday morning's incident, AUS said long lines are to be expected this time of year, as we're at the beginning of a busy travel season. Last summer, the airport had over 7 million passengers. It expects to exceed that number this year.
AUS said Thursdays and Fridays are some of the busiest travel days.
"Summer Fridays are going to be extraordinarily busy, above normal than anything we normally see on Fridays," said Elizabeth Ferrer, a public information specialist for the airport.
Airport officials said travelers should make sure they have packed everything correctly and know what they can and can't bring in carry-ons because that sort of thing can back up security lines even more. They also said passengers should get to the airport at least two and a half hours before a domestic flight and three hours before an international flight.