Denver airport is getting rid of its free security reservation system in June — here’s why

If you’ve been using DEN Reserve to skip the security line at Denver International Airport, start saying your goodbyes. The airport’s free reservation-based system will shut down for good on June 27.

DIA announced the change on its website, saying the program that once let travelers pre-book a 15-minute window for TSA screening has essentially made itself obsolete. With the airport’s newly renovated East and West security checkpoints now fully operational, average wait times have dropped to around five minutes or less at both locations — a far cry from the long, unpredictable queues that prompted the program’s creation three years ago.

“Now that the airport’s East and West Security Checkpoints are open and providing passengers with an improved and efficient security experience, the reservation-based system that ensured a spot in line for TSA security is no longer necessary,” the airport said in a statement.

DEN Reserve launched in June 2023 at what was then the Bridge Security checkpoint, offering passengers a free, no-account-required way to reserve a spot in a dedicated security lane up to 14 days before their flight. Appointments were available daily from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. for flights departing between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m. The program was a popular tool during DIA’s years-long Great Hall construction, when security bottlenecks were a persistent frustration for travelers at the fourth-busiest airport in the country and 10th-busiest in the world.

The airport said all existing reservations will continue to be honored and new bookings will still be accepted through June 27. Travelers looking for expedited screening beyond that date still have options: TSA PreCheck and CLEAR remain available at both the East and West checkpoints, and real-time wait times are posted on flydenver.com and through the DIA customer service line at 720-730-4359.