Complaints about Transportation Security Administration screening at airports have surged in the past several months -- and the reason depends on whom you ask.

The often-maligned TSA says the increase has occurred because it wasn't counting all the complaints before: The agency concedes that until May this year, it was losing customer complaints and under-reporting traveler gripes. But in the view of some travelers, security screening remains as big a hassle as ever, and screeners can be even grumpier these days -- sentiments...