Newark, JFK and LaGuardia airport lines are getting worse. Here's how travelers are skipping the long TSA wait times, and how you can too.

Before I discovered this not-so-secret airport hack, though, I was one of those travelers who didn’t feel like dealing with the hassle of applying for the program. But that’s simply because I hadn’t done my research.

The spring break rush is colliding with a mounting TSA staffing shortage as officers work without pay for a 32nd day amid the ongoing partial government shutdown. So far, more than 10% of officers have called out nationwide and the TSA’s acting deputy administrator suggested that entire airports could be shut down if callout rates go up.