1. Wear slip-on shoes. I cannot stress this enough. Lace-up boots are the enemy. In Anchorage, where everyone wears Xtratufs or hiking boots, the slowest part of the line is the shoe removal. Slip-ons are a power move. You’ll be through in half the time.
2. Empty your pockets into your bag before the line. Not inside the bin. Do it while you’re waiting. This reduces your "bin time" from 45 seconds to a breezy 10. Bonus: you won’t drop a handful of loose change and watch it roll toward the X-ray machine.
When will TSA be back to normal? TSA wait times may improve soon
3. Have a backup for your ID. Forgot your physical driver’s license? Anchorage TSA now accepts digital IDs from select states. But don’t gamble on your phone battery dying. Keep a physical ID somewhere secure, like the liner of your carry-on. Yes, that’s a very specific tip from personal experience.
Fun Fact: The Line is the Least of Your Worries
Did you know Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport has a gym and a sauna? Fact. It’s tucked away in the ticketing level. If your wait time is genuinely brutal (think 30+ minutes), you can literally work out a bit of pre-flight anxiety. Or just grab a coffee from the Kaladi Brothers stand—they serve the best espresso in the building. Waiting never tasted so good.
And here’s a weird one: Anchorage TSA has one of the lowest complaint rates among medium-sized U.S. airports. Why? Because people here are generally happy to be flying somewhere, unbothered by a 15-minute delay. It’s a chill of a different kind—the kind that comes from knowing you’re about to leave the Last Frontier, even for just a weekend.
