TSA Checkpoint Terminal B – San Jose International Airport

They made me throw my necklace in the trash because they were scared of the STONE that was inside a clearly EMPTY SHELL CASING, which I will add, have worn EVERY SINGLE TIME. I couldn’t check it in because I was out for a day trip for work… meaning no luggage to check in. I fly 1 – 2 times a month and have never had a problem going through security with it. Their reply? «Well, there’s a problem today.» If you guys would be more consistent with what goes through, we wouldn’t have a problem because I would have known from the first time. NOT how I want to start a 12 hour work day…
Also, beware of the food they serve here!!! I got food poisoning previously and couldn’t enjoy my trip because of it.

The line was long but it moved faster then I would have believed, The staff were professional and seemed ready to help people that needed it. I was however getting tired of hearing the same message over the load speaker… I can’t imagine what the staff must think of it. At the end there isn’t enough seating for everyone to put on their shoes, so I just went across a hall to the gate there. Much better!

Horrible! My 18 year old daughter waited an hour this afternoon and almost missed her flight! Only one line on a busy Saturday!

If u have flight early am make sure u give yourself sufficient checkin time with TSA. They did not have enough lines open and long waiting. Slowest I have seen in a long time.

Worthless pseudo security theatre once again. Those who wish not to be irradiated are subjected to undue delays. All the while the laSt time aTSA employee wants to loudly wonder why people are so scared of the millimeter wave body scanner. After trying to loudly shame me, he announced with no uncertainty that the body scanner subjected a person to less radiation than the magnetometer!!! Obviously, the TSA hasn’t provided training in either manners or basic scientific principles. It’s outrageous that the public is subjected to his kind of rude treatment and untruthful stupidity.

Poorly trained TSA agents stopped my eighteen year old daughter tonight because she has two last names and only one of the names was on her ticket. She flies often and has never had a problem before. Everyone, especially in San Jose, understands that Mexicans often have multiple last names. Not tonight. They held her up, then finally let her through with an extra screening check but by then she had missed her flight. The best part: her luggage was allowed on the flight. Apparently a sobbing eighteen year old girl with two last names is a security risk but letting her bags go without her, no problem! What a night mare!
UPDATE: we arrived at terminal A at 3:45am for her rescheduled flight and she got the exact same hassle. Had we not been there MORE THAN two hours early she would have missed the second flight. This time she’s being routed through Salt Lake City so the planned 2 hour trip is taking about 24 hours. And the only other people pulled out of line to get hassled: all Mexicans. Maybe they don’t believe Mexicans go to college?
TSA did reply quickly to my complaint from last night. They never apologized and basically said it was our own fault for not knowing the id rules. Thanks for that TSA. I feel safer now that I know people with Mexican long last names will not be allowed to travel.
I wonder if her unaccompanied suitcase will be there when she arrives or if it’ll be hauled away and destroyed by Homeland Security?

The older gentleman (forget his name!) working was a total gem. He was light hearted, warm, and joked around with me and all the customers behind me, while still getting down to business. I appreciate you!

Rule #1: Get TSA pre-​check for this.
Rule #2: Print out your boarding pass instead of using cell phone. Their scanner sucks.
Rule #3: Avoid rush hours if you can.
Anyway, this is a much more humane check point, probably the second-​world, compared to third-​world LAX …

For an international airport, I find their staff to be quite friendly and the line move very quickly. They are thorough and well staffed.

Arrived at the TSA line ~5:15am. Long line. Even though I have TSA Pre Check but the line was not open. Several agents standing around talking. Nothing was posted when the Pre Check line was to open. At around 5:25am, somebody decided to open the line.
Disorganized and don’t care attitude sucks. Social security and post office agents are much better.

not bad. Even saw a TSA agent smile this time!

line is too long. they should improve their throughput.

It seems like the TSA Precheck line is always roped off when I’m there. Last Friday evening, the line looped back to the escalator, and the Clear staff kept advertising their service to avoid the long line. Meanwhile, the television sets advertised the benefits of the TSA Precheck service, including avoiding the long line. This time the TSA agent handed me a slip when I reached the point where they check IDs. The slip let me keep my shoes and belt on, but those are only minor benefits of the TSA Precheck program. Friday evenings are frequently busy, so the line should be open! I can only imagine that they’re purposefully trying to steer people to pay for the much more expensive Clear service.

With the caveat that still security theater, the resources are sufficient and the staff efficient so that the process is neither interminable nor frustrating. Given the constraints of the system, this is probably about as good as it gets with TSA.

TSA Pre-​check was amazing,
We were able to skip the lines, not take off our shoes, leave laptops in the bags, and just proceed through security with no issues.
It enables you to sleep in a little more in the AM, or get more done at home before your flight. The people who work at SJ Airport are also super nice.
TSA Pre-​check all the way!

Takes long to go through security checks. I know sometimes it just does at any airport but this security check is not as organized as other ones. There’s also a lady who shouts at everyone in line «no waiting if you sign up for precheck. Free for two months.» It’s sad because I feel like the long waits are maybe done on purpose to get people to buy into the prechecks and the fees associated.

I got picked to go to the magnetic scanner line so it was so much quicker! Remember to take off your shoes, laptop, and anything metal on your body if you go through the big xray scanner. If you go through the magnet detector you don’t need to take off your shoes. Get there early cause the line gets long

I arrived at the TSA checkpoint 50 minutes before my flight was scheduled to depart. I have never had to wait more than 20 minutes in the security line at SJC before. Getting through the line took 45 minutes and as a result I missed my flight.
My bigger complaint was that the line was completely disorganized and some people were allowed through if you could find the right person to talk to.
This occurred about 2 weeks after the news that TSA failed 95% of spot checks from the IG.
More frustrating was the lack of agents and poor service and closes lines. The TSA needs an overhaul because it is a frustrating and difficult process and there is no customer service or accountability.

Weekday morning 10am flight out of San Jose. Line as long as Disneyland’s Matterhorn at the terminal for a TSA check down. Special speeded up line for those prescreened flyers.
First is the driver license check. I always show them my driver license through my crystal clear Coach wallet envelope. Not good enough. The agent is courteous, but is firm that I remove the license from the wallet for inspection even though it is clear as day. Part of the TSA protocol, due to flyers with old yellowed wallet pictures holders. Not that easy to do, as the wallet is brand new, and the license litterly glued inside, and requires me to drop all my other luggage, and free both hands, to find the opening to remove the document.
All they are doing is seeing that the picture matches the name with the flight. The agent looks at the 12 year old picture, and then me, probably wondering if that 49 year old is really me at 61! Yeah, we have all aged –ask my ex-​wife who says I don’t have white hair because I gave it all to her!
Second is the luggage check. No liquids in containers larger than 2.5 ounces, and all must be in a separate clear bag on top of the luggage for visual inspection. Toothpaste, lube, sun screen, empty water bottle. Note that the container cannot be larger than 2.5 ounces, not the amount of liquid. You can have 2.5 ounces of water in an 8 ounce water bottle, and it would be confiscated. Once I drank an unopened 20 ounce of grapefruit drink at check-​in –not a good thing before a long flight, using the hold your nose airline potty!
I have an 11″ notebook that sometimes is required to be in a separate inspection tray, apart from the regular luggage, so that it can be scanned on the luggage scanner. Sometimes even my electric razor has been individually inspected.
Third is the body check. Remove belt with cowboy buckle, and pack it with the luggage. Remove watch, wallet, keys, coins and pack it with the hiking pack I wear around the waist. Remove shoes, and put in separate tray. I now wear slip on sandals, without shoelaces, as it is a pain to bend down and lace them up when you’re 61 !
Go through the full body scan, turning with arms up for the unseen x ray technician. Hopefully they have an unseen male technician checking the male x rays, and a female technician checking the female x rays, but I see males and females in the same line, so I guess not. Someone is having fun, and it’s not us. I heard that this particular job is in demand at TSA, especially when young attractive females go through! Can I have that job? I can imagine somebody behind the machine laughing uncontrollably as I go through! The machine gives a green signal, meaning I have passed.
I’ve failed the test before, and had a pat down, with some male agent touching my groin, and I doing my best not to giggle. Fail the test a couple of times and you have to go through the body cavity check! Someone is really going to have fun. I’m anticipating reading the details on that Unilocal review!
It takes 25 minutes to go through the TSA check during peak hours at San Jose. I know because I have timed it, more than once, and now have to arrive at least 90 minutes before my flight.

Not sure how I qualified for pre-​check out. But man, wow.
The TSA was quick, efficient, and polite. I’ve heard horror stories about how bad they are and while the Vegas airport location was a bit more brusque and less on the ball, the SJ airport had me through within literally 5 minutes.
My flying experience now, as opposed to 7 years ago was a breeze.
Yay TSA San Jose!