Author

Mara Quinn

Airport Operations Analyst

Mara Quinn

Airport Operations Analyst

Translates TSA and terminal data into decisions travelers can actually use.

Mara spent six years analyzing checkpoint throughput for a regional airline's operations desk before she started writing about it. She has pored over more TSA wait-time spreadsheets than she cares to admit, and she got into this beat after missing a connection at ORD because she trusted a generic "arrive two hours early" rule. Now she works the numbers so other people don't have to. Her focus is security timing, terminal flow, and the gap between what official guidance says and what the data actually shows.

Specializes in checkpoint throughput and security timing analysis
Builds arrival-time models from historical TSA wait-time data
Regular reader of TSA aviation security annual reports

Posts by Mara

securityLAX
Best Time to Fly Through LAX Without the Security Crush
LAX TSA waits peak at 25 minutes on Sunday mornings at 9 AM. Here's when to show up instead, based on the actual hourly wait-time data.
Mara QuinnJuly 27, 2026
terminalsORD
ORD Terminals Explained: Which One Do You Actually Need
O'Hare has four main terminals and a confusing layout. Here's how to figure out which one you need before you leave home, not at the airport.
Mara QuinnJuly 27, 2026

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Posts by Mara

Best Time to Fly Through LAX Without the Security Crush

ORD Terminals Explained: Which One Do You Actually Need