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Airport security lines have become insufferably long. It’s costing both passengers(who can wait for hours at peak times) and airlines (when passengers miss flights and their seats aren’t used efficiently, plus they have unhappy customers).
While airlines are spending some money on the problem, Delta bought into CLEAR and American is adding staff to improve queues, overall airlines just want the government to spend more or security rather than fixing airport security.
While TSA PreCheck is no guarantee of a fast airport security experience, it’s usually a reliable way to get through in minutes rather than tens of minutes let alone an hour. And it’s just improved.
TSA Agents in Charlotte Watch News of the TSA’s Failure to Detect Weapons and Bombs, Instead of Searching for Weapons and Bombs (HT: Tocqueville)
Getting PreCheck and Expedited Immigration
Global Entry is fantastic skipping the immigration and customs queues when you return to the U.S.
I didn’t love the fingerprinting or background check that went along with it, but I figured all my cell phone data was being logged anyway long before Edward Snowden was cool. So if the surveillance was inevitable I figured I might as well at least get the convenience.
Now that I have it, it’s hard to imagine life without it — and not just queuing up at immigration, but also that I always get PreCheck at TSA now rather than having it be hit-or-miss through my airline elite status.
Signing up for PreCheck just gets you expedited airport security ($85). Signing up for Global Entry gets you expedited immigration and PreCheck ($100). Nexus gets you the benefits of Global Entry and PreCheck and also gets you expedited immigration into Canada and is the cheapest ($50). All three last 5 years.
It makes virtually no sense to me to get just PreCheck, Global Entry makes the most sense for many people because many credit cards will rebate the signup cost — for instance the Platinum Card by American Express, Citi Prestige, and Citi / AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard.
Maintaining Global Entry and PreCheck
Once you have it you don’t want to lose it. When coming into the country be sure to declare chocolates, candy bars, chips, or any various items of sustenance whether open or closed, for personal consumption at the airport or meant as gifts. Even if it’s just chocolates off of your flight.
And be sure to keep your profile up to date for instance if you get a new passport.
My PreCheck Experience
I go through airport security multiple times a week. It rarely takes more than a few minutes. Even when I see long-ish PreCheck lines they usually move quickly.
The most frustrating thing is that even though TSA supposedly stopped sticking passengers into the lanes at random, they still do — instead of having poorly trained behavior detection officers racially profiling passengers and assigning them PreCheck, they have poorly trained agents walking dogs around and deciding when the dogs are picking out a specific passenger to go into PreCheck lines. (It’s the difference between ‘Managed Inclusion I’ and ‘Managed Inclusion II’ only one of which was eliminated.) These passengers take extra time because they take off shoes, laptops, etc. because it’s how they’re trained.
Just this past week I showed up at New York JFK as my flight was boarding. I still needed to clear security and walk to the midfield concourse in American’s terminal 8. I still boarded my flight in plenty of time to get overhead space above my seat. That wouldn’t have happened if I merely had ‘priority’ security.
Whenever I’m at an airport which doesn’t offer PreCheck, or PreCheck lanes are closed (like in Philadelphia at 6pm or Miami just because), I still get expedited screening.
- You keep your shoes on
- Your Freedom Baggie of liquids stay in your bag (but honestly, they do anyway, I don’t remember the last time I saw a screener insist you take your liquids out of the bag)
- Your laptop is still supposed to come out of your bag
- You go through the metal detector, not the nude-o-scope
I still use a laptop bag that’s “TSA Approved” and so I just have to unclip the bag rather than taking the laptop out.
PreCheck Just Got Better
PreCheck and even expedited security are great for people who ‘know the drill’.
Playmobil Security Playset
However not every airline participates in PreCheck. There are costs to the airline to offer it, since it involves IT integration. Lack of PreCheck is one of the main reasons I won’t fly Spirit Airlines. Even when you’re eligible for PreCheck — you have a Known Traveler Number from one of the programs that qualifies you — there’s no place to enter that number on a Spirit reservation so your boarding pass won’t identify you as PreCheck eligible at security.
For the most part only US airlines plus Canada’s Air Canada and WestJet participated.
Since international carriers have generally been excluded from the program — if you’re flying British Airways for instance you cannot have PreCheck — places like the Tom Bradley International Terminal at LAX and terminal D in Houston haven’t offered PreCheck lanes at all.
Fortunately four new airlines have been added to PreCheck: Aeromexico, Cape Air, Etihad Airways and Seaborne Airlines (HT: One Mile at a Time).
That means participating airlines are now:
- Aeromexico
- Air Canada
- Alaska Airlines
- Allegiant
- American Airlines
- Cape Air
- Delta Air Lines
- Etihad Airways
- Hawaiian Airlines
- JetBlue Airways
- Seaborne Airlines
- Southwest Airlines
- Sun Country Airlines
- United Airlines
- Virgin America
- WestJet
Including Etihad must make Delta’s head spin.
Since Etihad operates out of the Bradley Terminal it will be interesting to see if they get PreCheck. I’m doubting it. However it should be possible to clear security at a different terminal using the PreCheck lanes. Or perhaps they’ll offer expedited screening in the regular security lanes for PreCheck-eligible passengers.
I look forward as well to seeing how this affects US immigration preclearance in Abu Dhabi, with the extra security check for US-bound passengers. It would be great to streamline that experience.
Omg was that long. And, the point of the post didn’t appear until the very end of the post. Sheesh.
I would love for 15 more bucks to sign up for Global Entry and get reimbursed on my Citi card. But it appears that in person interview is needed to complete enrollment in Global Entry and that is a 170 mile drive each way for me. Royal suck. Not worth the time, expense, and hassle of getting profiled by ICE in person, especially if, like me, u seldom leave USA and your nearest interview location is not next door to your primary residence!! But I will sign up for TSA Precheck since no interview needed.
You’re right, Mark. It was too long. Look at all that time you could have spent on your own blog helping people instead of choosing the easy route of being a taker and whining.
I have a question:
If someone has Global Entry which means you have passed a security clearance by immigration? and given TSA security clearance, why is the TSA precheck dependent on specific airlines? Why is it not universal when you fly?
Laptops stay in bags
https://www.tsa.gov/tsa-precheck
NeXUS is SUPERIOR to Global entry and 1/2 price.
Nexus includes Global Entry and costs only $50/yr AND allows entry into Canada.
Global Entry si NOT recommended for purchase unless you wish to get SENTRI(drive car to/from Mexico). SENTRI is pain as you just register car at border entry point.
Both MEXUS and Global Entry allow TSA pre-check so not worth it to get Global Entry if you re near a Nexus interview location.
Oh. My god. Super long post. And I had no clue what you were referencing for most of it.
@Gary – I’m travelling to Europe from SEA this summer with my wife and 3 young kids. 2 quick questions:
1. Best to just show up at SEA 2-3 hours early? My wife and I are both United Gold (1MM fliers) and we are flying United. I am the only one with Global Entry, so probably useless unless I want to abandon my family. Are we best off just going for “elite status” security lines?
2. Lounge. United Gold flying international only lets me and my wife each bring in 1 guest and since we have 3 kids, the nice folks at Red Carpet Club turn down my third child. I have Amex Plat and all the other credit cards you recommend. Can all 5 of us get into any lounges in SEA without a fee (I think Centurion lounge … is that the best for us in SEA?)?
Thanks Gary! Cheers, Rob
How did it just get better? Adding four additional airlines passengers to the lines already randomly stuffed with once a year traveling, non-PreCheck people is only going to make the PreCheck lines even longer…
PreCheck for me has gotten worse. I’m another one of those “victims” where I’m consistenly getting SSSS’ed because I traveled to Turkey for vacation. PreCheck and GE don’t exempt me, despite the fact that’s conceivably run a thorough background check on me. The process to get a redress number is slow and arduous, and no one can ever answer questions with authority. Traveling truly is a nightmare
“It makes virtually no sense to me to get just PreCheck, Global Entry makes the most sense for many people because many credit cards will rebate the signup cost”
We got the rebate for G.E. and then switched it to Nexus during the interview. This works in Blaine, WA—maybe other places too. You get all 3, which is the best.
@bluecat
We did the same thing here in Detroit. Great option.
Came through DFW on the way back from Paris several weeks ago. Approximately half of the GE kiosks were out of order. It was a mess.
I don’t fly as often as most readers so I learned a lot. Thanks Gary
@bluecat, I was not able to switch over to Nexus and still get Amex to pay for the thing. Also out of Blaine. Of course, I hate going in and out of Canada in the part of the country so I guess it does not matter that much.
Gary,
Pre check and global entry are only for us citizens and residents only correct?
We have Pre-check at our boonie airports in Central IL. One gets the full treatment, even if Pre-check sign isn’t posted. The TSA agents check your boarding pass, and tell you not to remove your shoes or laptop. But we still only have nude-o-scopes.
Pretty sure you don’t have to remove your laptop from your bag.
Really long and still doesn’t deliver on the headline–no discussion of how to get it for free. Just another clickbait article.
@SH and others my preference to laptop coming out is when precheck is UNAVAILABLE but you are eligible for precheck and therefore are given ‘expedited’ security in the regular line
We’ve had Global Entry since 2013 and love it. Next month we’re flying from PHX to LHR on British Airways and this will be the first time we won’t have Pre-Check! Why can’t we just show our Global Entry ID cards (which have our picture on them) with our boarding passes to get into the Pre-Check line? Why does there have to be “integration” of the Pre-Check onto the boarding pass itself??? Once you’re in the Pre-Check line, you don’t show your boarding pass again anyway. This would help alleviate the congestion in the non-pre-check lanes, which we’ll now be stuck in.
@Alan airlines have to link up systems and not all do, and not all foreign airlines have gone through the hoops or are welcome to
@Steve you get it reimbursed by credit card membership, and it got better with new airlines
I understand that if one if flying out of the Bradley terminal the thing to do is go through the PreCheck lane in Terminal 4. Then use the newly opened post security connecting tunnel/hallway to walk over to the Bradley terminal.
Do any cards reimburse for TSA Precheck only? Global Entry isn’t even close to my state and I rarely travel internationally. Can anyone confirm getting Amex platinum or one of those other cards to reimburse the TSA Precheck only?
Not sure if that is by airport or not but I have been able to keep my laptop in my bag when a separate Precheck lane was not available. The only airports I have had this happen at give you an orange card that goes in your bin with your bag and everything stays in. Again, could be something smaller airports do differently from what you are used to…
Just to add, Southwest International does not have pre-check in John Wayne airport. Does it exist in other airports for international flights?
Read the article several times and I still can’t find how to get it “free”! Could you underline that part?
Nexus would be great, but the required interview is only available at a few places along the US-Canada border. I am not sure if it makes sense for those who live in other parts of the country (I live in Chicago, for example).
Admittedly an edge case, but a co-worker got Precheck only because he has misdemeanors that preclude GE but are not disqualifying under Pre. Used Citi Prestige to pay which reimburses either or.
I still didn’t see how to get it free.
Gary your post seems to state that Global Entry is assured if flying an airline that participates, but that hasn’t been our experience. Global Entry hasn’t guaranteed pre-check on AA out of DFW or SW out of Love despite GE and Known Traveler numbers being on profiles and tied to reservation. My wife and business colleague have had multiple experiences in last year when their boarding pass did not have pre-check on them. When they asked TSA they were both independently told its getting pre-check assigned for a flight is random and there is no guarantee with Global Entry you will get it. Gary – any idea what going on? Anyone else run into this??
TSA always says it is not guaranteed. In practice, if the Known Traveler number is properly in the reservation, it should happen nearly all the time. It’s never not happened for me.
Sometimes there is something wrong, a name mismatch or a number not on the booking. That happens often with online travel agency bookings.
How do I find known traveler number on Boarding Passes where I got Pre? Just got it first time on AA that I recall the other day. I’ll fish the BP’s out of the trash if there’s no way else to find it. I last remember getting it from almost all USAir flights.
“The most frustrating thing…”
For me, most frustrating is that at my home airport DFW, Pre-Check has been pretty hit-or-miss over recent months. Even during hours when Pre-check at a particular checkpoint is scheduled to be open, I’d say a good third of the time, it’s closed. It’s especially frustrating when I’ve gone out of my way to go to a less convenient checkpoint specifically because it’s supposed to have Pre-check.
Wait was this whole thing just for the one sentence news four new airlines no one is likely to fly joining pre-check and the very old-news fact that some credit cards reimburse the fee?
I get that you want to re-use material, and that you have new readers, but that’s ridiculous. Can you develop some signalling method on the front page to indicate when a post is mostly repeat stuff, so veteran readers can know to skip it? You’ve said in the past that your ad revenue is rounding error compared to the affiliate fees, so hopefully that won’t be a hurdle.
If some of you don’t have enough to complain about like spoiled fat white guys, may I suggest the nearest Trump rally? You might get to beat up some minorities and brag about how big your guns are.
We just experienced ClearMe in Denver and SAT and in both places it saved us tons of time (free trial). But it’s really expensive – $179/yr for the first person in a family $50 for others. Chase Sapphire doesn’t reimburse any of these fees to my understanding.
ClearMe is in limited airports right now but expanding – but it ‘s not at our home airport yet.
It would be great to see a chart comparing the benefits of all these programs. It’s mind-boggling trying to keep them – and all their marketing approaches – straight.
1. Identify all the Credit Crds that pay for Global Entry to make it FREE?
Citi Prestige is the only card I know and maybe AMEX PLAT. These cards cards $450.00 AFs.
2. Advise for Northern States Nexus is cheaper and super to Global Entry as Nexus includes GE plus entry into Canada.
Still don’t know hue to get it free!
GLOBAL ENTRY ABSOLUTELY DOES NOT GUARANTEE THAT YOU GET PRE-CHECK WHEN FLYING DOMESTICALLY. I fly AA all the time and half the time I get pre-check due to my global entry. Other airlines I have never gotten pre-check when flying domestically.
Mobile Passport is even better than Global Entry in some ways. It is free. No interview. Just download the app.
Plus when entering the US you skip the kiosks. After you enter the information in the app that the kiosks ask you, it gives a receipt on your phone that you show to the border patrol agent.
The only drawbacks are it is only available at a few of the major airports (more being added) and you must go through the normal customs line after getting luggage.
I agree with Ted on using T4 precheck to bypass TBIT lines at LAX. When you use the T4 connector to TBIT you have great views of the long security lines in TBIT below.
What an insufferably long post just to get to a trivial point. A pleasure as always, Leff.
<3
Yes, it happened to me once in San Diego. When I inquired, like you, I was told it is not a guarantee, but that most of the time we should have it.
IAH Terminal E has Pre Check. Terminal D does not.
We have Global Entry and diligently provide this information preflight via our reservations on the internet. But with American, United, and Delta we no longer get TSA precheck. Any ideas what might be the problem?
@ben corrected
@David and your comments always brighten my day!
This past week I flew PHX-ATL-MSY-ATL-MIA-LAX-PHX. My PHX-ATl was on DL and the secuirty line was horrible. Got in the Pre-Check line and waited, waited and waited. Finally made it, but then the real hassle started, getting up the scanner, I left my shoes and belt on, and the TSA agent started in on me on how I don’t follow direction, then I showed him my boarding pass that had Pre-Check.
(TSA) I get this we don’t do Pre-check here, (ME) since when, and if you don’t why are there signs back at the entrance telling me to get in a certain line. (TSA) fine leave your shoes and belt on. After getting through security I went to someone in charge and complained about the person, and I got this, (TSA) sorry to hear that we been having some issues lately, (ME) that is understand statement.
I spent 24 hours in ATL, the next morning from drop off to Sky Club 17 minutes, I was shocked, and this was on a Sunday at 2PM. But the regular Que’s were very long, that is how Pre-Check is to work.
MSY-ATL on a friday morning, drop off to Admrials Club (didn’t know MSY had a AC) took me 13 minutes, again regular ques were long, again that is how it should work.
23 hours later ATL-MIA I get in the PRe-Check line and waited and waited and waited, I don’t take off my shoes or belt because I’m in the PRe-check line, (TSA) looks at me and says, when you people going to listen take off your shoes and help, (ME) I have PRe-Check (TSA) I don’t care and we don’t do that here (ME) since when (TSA) since I started my shift (ME) wow, didn’t know you were that important to make up rules as you go (TSA) well uses people just need to start listening better if you want to make your flight (ME) is that a threat (btw there were many pre-check people standing next to me) and I explained that others around are pre-check too so to make idle threats usually don’t have a positive outcome for one of us. (TSA) I’m willing to see who doesn’t make his flight. So I comply but 6 of us did go complain and the TSA agent was brought back to the counter where her supervisor was at along with the ALT PD. Was what sad is, she kept that attitude while talking to her boss, and was allowed to go back to work!!!! Her Supervisors apologized as well as the ATL PD officer.
Rest of my flights didn’t leave air side.
So not to make this a racial post all the rude TSA agents happened to be black and man do they have a huge chip on their shoulder.
I understand that the TSA has under a lot of stress as well as understaffed, but do not take it out of the flying public.
@Alexandra Southwest offers precheck only in their domestic flights. No precheck on any Southwest international flights regardless of the origin. This would’ve been a helpful note in the article, not sure if any other airlines are the same way.