Not long ago, I wrote about the new hotel opening that was attached to MSP, Minneapolis-Saint Paul. IHG was going for the top with their Intercontinental brand and the prices seemed right. One of the features of this new hotel was a direct TSA checkpoint for all the hotel visitors to use.
The New “Secret” TSA Checkpoint At Minneapolis-Saint Paul Airport
The beautiful part is that this new TSA checkpoint is not just for hotel customers! According to this report by Fox9, they confirmed that it is available for anyone – as long as they know where to enter for it! This TSA checkpoint is apparently seeing very little traffic and this can be a huge deal for the many travelers that have found checkpoints at MSP to be overloaded in the past.
How to Use the New “Secret” TSA Checkpoint at MSP
To access this “secret” TSA checkpoint, you simply need to enter from the entrance entrance. The skyway that bridges the hotel to the terminal (which, by the way, cost $23 million!) is located on the 3rd floor next to the day spa. This checkpoint will allow you to enter Terminal 1.
This TSA checkpoint is only open between 5am and 7pm. It is a single lane checkpoint which is most likely not a Precheck line. 🙂 But, with it appearing to be such a lightly used checkpoint, it may not be important to not be a Precheck line.
So, if you are going to be flying out of MSP, you should be able to get through the TSA area a lot quicker by using this new TSA checkpoint. It will likely not stay secret for long so take advantage of it while you can!
EDIT:
As noted by Ted in the comments below, there could be an even more convenient checkpoint. Check out what he says about location above the rental desks.
I guess you don’t visit msp a lot.
It’s Terminal 1, concourse C. More like end of C. Unless you are connecting on a CRJ2/7/900 at A/B and C12 and beyond. There is no reason to use that check point.
There is a better “secret” check point right above the rental car desks that would get you in at a better location.
Thanks for adding that one! You are right – it has been over a year! I always try to avoid MSP if I can help it for many reasons and only transit so never really need the checkpoints. I do like to hear when these new places open (like had happened with the Westin at DTW) as it gives more options for less crowding st security. 🙂
If I were you, I would always require two sources, especially when it involves FOX9.
There is no Terminal C at MSP.
There is Terminal 1, concourse C.
There also is a Terminal 2.
Thanks, Ted! I should have just checked the IHG page again! I have been the recipient of errors by the media many times (one time, they said I had run 18,000 miles in one year!) so I should have been better about checking that.
Good to have you give your knowledge! Thanks for your comments!
While the hotel checkpoint does drop you off at a pretty inconvenient location, it’s also worth noting that the Skyway checkpoint over the rental cars closes around 1pm everyday, so you can only really use it for morning flights.
But Ted is right, the hotel checkpoint could be a good 15 minutes of moving walkways to get to the big concourses. I’ve always gotten precheck at MSP which moves pretty quickly. I’ve seen some really really long regular security lines that might make the hotel worth a shot.