DIA during the holiday season and immediately following a blizzard...

The radio mentioned we should arrive at the airport at least 4 hours prior to our intended departure time, and I really did try. Thanks to a wreck on the highway I was only just over three hours early. I was lucky enough to have Lottie standing in line already, so I cut in with her. Hours later we were still standing in the freezing temperatures outside of DIA with hundreds of other people who were also stressed about making it home to family and friends. With only 30 minutes remaining, I asked a Frontier employee what I should do. After all, I had already printed my boarding pass at home and only needed to check one bag. Even if I got through the first line, I still had an hour and a half wait to get through security. I smiled and tried to be friendly, unlike several of my fellow travelers. She looked at my bag and decided I could get it through security and could check it at the plane if there wasn’t enough room on the plane. She gave me a conspiratorial nod and said, “Follow me and just go along with whatever I say…” So we took off through the airport…she with nothing but herself, and me with two “carry ons” and a piece of full size luggage. Minutes later we were at the front of the security line with only one disgruntled guard between us and the metal detectors. She told the guard she was with an “unaccompanied minor” and needed to get back to her station quickly, so we didn’t have time to wait in line. The guard looked at me suspiciously, asked my age (to which I replied “15”), took a few more takes, and then rolled her eyes and said to go on through. I yelled “Merry Christmas!” over my shoulder and continued through the security checkpoint. Now you must remember that my bag was supposed to be checked, so I had several contraband items included. Luckily, when I explained the situation to the guy searching the bag, he had mercy and left everything in. Several hours later I was disembarking in St. Louis and had no baggage to claim, making it much easier to rush to dinner with family and friends!