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[Tyrone Slothrop]

Originally posted by Mmmm, Burger (C.J.)
Wikipedia describes it thus:

• Passengers are asked to report three hours before takeoff. In Israel, they are checked at a security barrier on the road to the terminal. Inside, they and their baggage are checked by a trained team. El Al security procedures also require that all passengers be interviewed individually prior to boarding, allowing El Al staff to identify possible security threats with probing questions such as about their origin, goal and occupation.

Bear in mind that El Al has only international flights, and those flights are of relatively long duration (they don't fly to most of the neighboring Arab states [or aren't allowed to]). So, implementing such a scheme on US flights wouldn't easily translate. All domestic flights? Well, that pretty much kills anything short of New York/Chicago or NY/DC, or NY/Bos. People will drive or go private, if you need 3 hours in advance.

If you were going to implement something like this, you'd have to do pre-screening, and provide for "safe traveller" passes, that would allow people to avoid the lines.

Let smart people decide who poses the most threat, and focus their energy accordingly. I am less enamored with the blanket rule of screening everyone than I am with the type of screening they do.