Some International Tourists Can Visit The US More Easily Thanks To This TSA Screening Service

If you've ever arrived on an international flight to a large U.S. airport and had a tight connection to a domestic flight, you know the knot-in-the-stomach feeling that any hiccup could hold you up in the process. You might lose track of your bags, get stuck behind some very slow person in the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) line, or one harmless item could trigger a TSA search and throw the best-laid travel plans out the window. Wouldn't it be nice if the transfer between flights when visiting the U.S. could be less stressful? Well, there is hope: Several airlines are testing a new TSA service in Dallas that is trying to make connections easier.

In a July 2025 press release, American Airlines announced the new program to test a new service that considerably speeds up the connection for international flights arriving from London Heathrow Airport, the second-most luxurious airport in the world. The One Stop Security (OSS) system is a partnership between the TSA, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the U.K. Department for Transport that allows passengers arriving on an international flight into Dallas-Fort Worth (via American Airlines) or Atlanta (via Delta Airlines) to clear customs at the gate and go directly to their connecting gate without having to re-check their bags (which will automatically be transferred to their ongoing flight), or go through the TSA in the U.S. Geoff Freema, president and CEO of travel industry association U.S. Travel, welcomed the OSS program in a statement: "One Stop Security is a smart, long-overdue step toward modernizing the travel experience, eliminating redundant screening, cutting connection times and unlocking more international air service."

During the pilot period, One Stop Security is only available for passengers arriving on American Airlines from London Heathrow (LHR) into Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) airport or arriving on Delta Airlines into Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport (ATL). Normally, when arriving from LHR into DFW, passengers would need to go to the baggage claim, wait for their bags, and take said bags through the U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Before catching their connecting flight, passengers would need to check their bags again and proceed to the TSA security screening.

This long transfer process is extremely inconvenient for solo travelers — never mind the extra hassle of getting through the TSA check if you are traveling with a baby or if you have mobility restrictions. With the OSS system, passengers can clear customs on arrival and skip the re-checking bags and TSA steps, free to proceed directly to their gate. Thanks to an internal handshake between the international and domestic flights, the bags will be directed to their connecting flight.

Already in February 2025, the carrier had tested a similar system in London in collaboration with the U.K. Department for Transport. LHR is the largest European hub for American Airlines, so in that case, the OSS allowed passengers arriving from Dallas who were continuing their trip to destinations outside the U.K. to go to their connecting gate without having to worry about customs, security, or re-checking bags. In its press release announcing the new pilot program in DFW, American Airlines added that if the test period yields positive results, OSS could be rolled out to other routes in the future.