Airport security lines: Which level are you?

If you're an expert skier, you don't use the bunny slopes. If you're a beginning golfer, you're likely to let the foursome of pros behind you play through.

The government has decided that moving through airport security checkpoints is really no different.

Laptops out, shoes off, liquids and gels packed in a plastic bag. Some travelers are good to go once they reach the X-ray machines. Others need a little more time.

That's the thinking behind the Transportation Security Administration's new "Black Diamond" program that calls for passengers to segregate themselves into color-coded security lines based on their traveling expertise.

Named for the ski-resort term for expert trails, the program is in effect at more than 20 U.S. airports, including Seattle-Tacoma, Portland and Boise. It calls for travelers to voluntarily go to different lanes — black for "experts," meaning frequent fliers who pack light, know the security drill and won't hold up the line; blue for "casual travelers" who fly just a few times a year and may not be familiar with all the new rules; and green for families with children or others needing special help.

While it may seem a little naive to ask people to rate their own level of expertise — one blogger compared it to lining up for a school photo when the little kids want to get in back where the big kids stand — TSA's theory is that novice fliers will be feel less pressured if they know others won't be glaring at them for holding things up.

"We don't have families with four or five small children trying to get in the Black Diamond lane," says Dwayne Baird, TSA's spokesman at Sea-Tac, where the system is in place at one of three security checkpoints. "They don't want to be rushed either."

TSA's motivations seem good. Anything that might smooth the lines and smooth the nerves is worth a try, especially with passengers expected to carry on more bags to avoid the airlines' new luggage fees.

Still, you've got to wonder, who would intentionally get in a line that's longer or seems to be moving more slowly?

TSA won't police the lines, says Baird. The system is voluntary, and everyone will receive the same level of screening no matter the lane.

"We're still looking at how effective it is," says Sea-Tac's Perry Cooper. Depending on how things go this summer, Sea-Tac will decide whether it wants to use the system at all checkpoints.

Denver International Airport, where TSA began experimenting with the program last February, has already made some changes.

"After two weeks of testing, we got rid of all the blue lanes," says terminal manager Wade Cloyd. The airport now sets aside one or two lanes for "experts," depending on how busy things are, another for families etc., and steers everyone else into undesignated lanes.

"I don't think it's done an awful lot to improve things, but I don't think it's hurt anything either. ... The problem you find overall is that when things get busy, people will either go to the lane that's the shortest or the closest to them."

"More screeners," he says, "would ultimately be more effective."

Curious about wait times at various airport checkpoints? TSA publishes the data at www.tsa.gov. Go to the section labeled "For Travelers," then "Air Travel" and "Wait Times."

New rules for foreign visitors

While the government attempts to ease travel hassles here, it's about to add a new rule for foreigners flying to the U.S.

Visitors from 27 countries can travel here without a visa, but since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, that's been growing more difficult to do.

First came a requirement for machine-readable passports. Then fingerprints and photographs. Now, starting next January, anyone traveling by air from England, France, Germany, Japan and the other "visa waiver" countries will have to register online with the U.S. government at least three days before flying. Currently these travelers fill out a form while en route to the U.S.

If an e-mail comes back saying, "Travel not authorized," it could be the start of a bureaucratic nightmare for a passenger with a problem as simple as having the same name as someone on a terrorist watch list.

Those turned down can appeal to the Department of Homeland Security through its Travel Redress Inquiry Program (TRIP) Web site, but local embassies or consulates won't be authorized to give out any information. They will be able to issue a visa — the only way a person who is denied could fly — but that could be a slow and expensive process.

"This is a massive change in how travelers are screened in order to get into the U.S.," says Geoff Freeman, senior vice president of the Travel Industry Association, a trade group representing U.S. hotels, airlines and other tourist-related businesses that depend on foreign travel. "It's yet another example of something that could be viewed as an invitation not to come to the U.S."

Very likely true, especially given that about 2 million fewer people from abroad visited the U.S. last year compared to 2000.

Here's where the other shoe drops:

The government hasn't yet said so for sure, but it likely will charge foreigners a $10-$20 fee to register. The TSA is backing a bill called the Travel Promotion Act that calls for tacking on an extra $10 to help fund a public-relations campaign aimed at explaining the new system and encouraging people to visit the U.S.

"This needs to be communicated in a clear and effective manner, and as of today, that hasn't happened, and we're not aware of a budget to make it happen," says Freeman, who hopes for passage this year.

True again. But charging foreigners for the task hardly seems the best solution, considering that many of these countries will likely turn the tables and impose the same requirements on American travelers.

Carol Pucci's Travel Wise column runs Sundays in travel. Comments are welcome. Contact her at cpucci@seattletimes.com or 206-464-3701.