Do You Have To Go Through TSA Again For Connecting Flights?

Airports are chaotic enough — but throw in TSA security lines with long wait times, and suddenly, everything becomes a test of patience. It's no surprise travelers have cooked up every hack imaginable to get through faster. Some boldly live by the "airport theory" trend and show up just 15 minutes before takeoff. Others throw money at the problem by using Clear before a flight, just to make the whole ordeal slightly more tolerable. After all, no one enjoys yanking out their electronics and tiny bottles of shampoo while holding up the line behind them. But the real kicker? Just when you think you've cleared security and can finally relax, you're asked to do it all over again during a layover. Yes, that actually happens.

Thankfully, this isn't always the case. If you're connecting from one domestic flight to another, you typically don't have to go through security again — unless your airport's terminals aren't linked within the secure zone. The same applies to domestic-to-international flights, though layout quirks can throw a wrench in the works. A quick check ahead can save you a major headache.

Now, if you're arriving in the U.S. on an international flight, brace yourself. After clearing customs and immigration, you'll usually need to recheck your bags and line up for TSA all over again before hopping on your domestic connection. And yes, even if you're just transiting through the U.S. between two international flights, you still have to play this tedious game: collect your bags, go through immigration, recheck, repeat. It's all a hassle, no doubt. But there's a glimmer of hope: The TSA is testing out the One Stop Security (OSS) initiative, which could let you skip the second screening entirely.

Sure, it sometimes feels like the TSA exists solely to make airport experiences as miserable as possible, but believe it or not, it's actually trying to make things easier — especially for travelers stuck with those dreaded connecting flights that require going through security again. One solution in the works is a pilot program called One Stop Security. It's designed to prescreen both you and your baggage at your departure airport, so when you land at your layover, you can skip the full TSA ritual and head straight to your next gate. No need to strip off your shoes, no laptop juggling, and no endless reminders from agents to remove your liquids bag.

Of course, there's a catch. As of this writing, OSS is only running at two major U.S. airports, Dallas Fort Worth International and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta — some of the busiest airports in the world — and it's only available for flights headed to London via Heathrow Airport. That's right, this perk only applies if you're flying to the U.K., which has decided that the U.S. plays by similar enough security rules to allow this shortcut (and vice versa). The program launched in February 2025, and if all goes well, it'll expand to more airports and include some westbound flights to the U.S. by the end of the year. The list of participating airlines is also pretty short at this time: American Airlines, Delta, British Airways, and Virgin Atlantic.

Will this program expand globally? Maybe. It all depends on whether governments can agree that each other's security checks are good enough. But until then, most of us will just have to keep rechecking our bags and re-removing our shoes.