Weekly Travel ReportTSA chairs are gone: why officers now have to stand at checkpoints
TSA chairs are gone. The officers who check your ID at airport security now have to stand. TSA confirmed on Sept. 29, 2026 that it's removing chairs from travel document checker podiums nationwide, saying it keeps officers "on their feet and alert." The officers' union, AFGE, says it got no formal notice and calls the chairs "basic ergonomic and safety support." For travelers, screening doesn't change.
Does standing make screeners sharper, or is it just optics? Tell us in the comments.
Full episode: Hurricane Rachel: What a Hurricane Does to Cruise Ships
Sources
- Photos via Wikimedia Commons: Michael Ball (CC0); Tony Webster (CC BY 2.0); TSA (public domain); APK (CC BY-SA 4.0); Edward Russell (CC BY 2.0). Music: "Vastness" by Andrew Ev (Mixkit). Voice: ElevenLabs.
- Full episode: Weekly Travel Report Ep. 4 (Hurricane Rachel and cruise ships, TSA, fall foliage).
