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SUNNY Temp: 57 °F Wind: S at 3 mph Saturday, September 27, 2003 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine Joy Magazine Tempo A & E RogueValleyAutoFinder RogueValleyHomeFinder Real Estate Showcase Wellness Connection Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Employment Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend August 19, 2003 A dozen passengers scheduled to fly out of the Medford airport missed a 6 am. flight on Sunday, and some said it was because too few airport security screeners were on the job. Mail Tribune / Roy Musitelli Travelers miss flights, blame security Transportation officials remind passengers to arrivetwo hours before departure By DAMIAN MANN Mail Tribune A dozen passengers at the Medford airport discovered the hard way Sunday morning why they need to show up two hours before departure. They missed their flight as a seasonal glut of about 400 passengers formed a line from the security checkpoint to the baggage claim area. "There were people yelling," said Bree DeArmond of Medford. "I almost felt they weren’t taking into consideration that people had to get on flights." The 20-year-old student was among the passengers who missed a 6 a.m. America West flight. Advertisement DeArmond said there didn’t appear to be enough securitypersonnel to handle the heavy volume of passengers, a claim disputed by the federal Transportation Security Administration. TSA spokeswoman Ann Davis said security lines were fully staffed with personnel Sunday morning. Passengers need to allow time to get through security, she said. "Screeners need to be thorough and not speed up the process," Davis said. Airport spokeswoman Kim Stearns said Sunday marked the first time new security measures caused passengers to miss flights. DeArmond finally caught a 2:45 p.m. flight to Phoenix but then ran into problems with connecting flights and ended up at her final destination — Orlando, Fla. — at 8 a.m. Monday. "I got four hours’ sleep on the flight, but I am tired," said DeArmond, who was on her way to an internship at Walt Disney World. She admits she came to the airport 45 minutes before the flight rather than the recommended two hours. "It’s, like, the Medford airport — c’mon," she said. August is the peak traveling period at the airport, and the 5 to 9 a.m. time is the peak for the day. Ten flights were scheduled Sunday during those hours. Stearns said leaving less time than two hours to make a flight "may work sometimes, but (Sunday) was a case in point that it didn’t work." Nineteen-year-old Scott Beaver of Ashland also thought there wasn’t enough security to handle the number of passengers Sunday. "It was pretty ridiculous," said Beaver, who arrived a half-hour before his flight. "I think they need a couple more people." Because Beaver missed his 6 a.m. flight, he ended up on the 2:45 p.m. plane to Phoenix, then after another wait, he got a connection to Minneapolis, arriving there at midnight. To make matters worse, he said, "They lost my bags. I still haven’t got them." Reach reporter Damian Mann at 776-4476, or e-mail [email protected] Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2003 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Rogue Valley Auto Finder Rogue Valley Job Finder --> Rogue Valley Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Real Estate Showcase Food for Thought Hike of the Week Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Openings Prime Times