A couple of weeks ago I explained why TSA PreCheckwas both amazing and useless at the same time — that it was a great security experience, harkening back to the pre-9/11 days before all of the security theatre like shoes off, War on Water freedom baggies out of your carryon, but that since the TSA won’t give approved travelers access to those lines every time and since you don’t know in advance whether you’ll have the access, you don’t actually save time, able to turn up at the airport later.
You still have to plan for long TSA lines, and if you’re lucky just wind up with more time to be productive in the lounge or by the gate.
Scott Mayerowitz does a great job explaining what the PreCheck program is and how it works in an Associated Press piece that’s worth a read.
Eligibility:
The Transportation Security Administration’s PreCheck program is open to some elite frequent fliers as well as travelers enrolled in one of the Customs and Border Protection’s expedited entry programs: Global Entry, Nexus and Sentri.
…To enroll, frequent fliers should opt-in on the airlines’ websites. Eligible travelers will see a box to click on within their online profile, near where their birthdate is stored. The TSA won’t say which elite fliers qualify. But a query of travelers on the frequent flier discussion site MilePoint revealed that some who fly as little as 50,000 miles a year have been able to enroll. Once enrolled, you don’t have to re-qualify each year. However the TSA uses undisclosed means to assess your risk before each flight and might not allow you to use the lane.
But you don’t have to be an elite flier to participate. Members of Global Entry or other Customs programs can enter their membership number in the same part of the airlines’ websites.
(He goes on to explain the Global Entry process as well.)
The piece notes that just because you’re eligible doesn’t mean you get access to the PreCheck lines every time (“The government refuses to say how often the computer randomly accepts or rejects people from the special lane” but notes that it should be “more often than not”) and explains that the bar code on your boarding pass signals to the TSA whether you’re approved for PreCheck on a given trip.
What I don’t think is right, though, is the statement that “Either way, you get to jump to the front of the line.”
Every airport setup is different, largely a function of space. For instance, at JFK when I’m flying American there may be a long-ish line in the Priority Security lanes. It’s when you reach the entrance to the ropes that you can have your boarding pass scanned to see whether or not you’re eligible for PreCheck (and don’t expect the employee there to do it automatically, last time through I had to asked to be scanned for it). If you are clear for PreCheck, you get directed to the PreCheck line, which generally has no one in it. If you aren’t given PreCheck, you just get sent through the regular priority line.
But just like some airports don’t have nude-o-scopes because of available space, the space that exists at any checkpoint with PreCheck determines how they set up the lines, and what they do with you if you aren’t qualified.
And different airline passengers get it at different airports, at Washington National airport it’s set up at the Delta pier and only Delta boarding passes get the designation (Update: I forget that United has split operations at the airport, it’s available to United flyers departing from the old Continental gates as well). In Seattle, all participating airlines are set up for PreCheck, but if you’re checking in with American and don’t already have your boarding passes you’d have to walk all the way down to the other end of the terminal to maybe get to use it, only to have to walk all the way back once you’re through security.
Scott notes that it’s only available for domestic itineraries, is currently at 16 airports, and rolling out to 35 by the end of the year.
Pre check for united is available at dca as well
@Og – that’s right, but only for flighs departing from the old Continental gates, I will correct
Important to note that if you are travelling in or out of the country on one ticket and traveling domestically on another ticket (same day) then you still don’t qualify for PreCheck. For my usual travel itinerary this is the case and so the whole program is a waste IMHO.
I think the CLEAR program is what you’re hoping TSA Pre-check would be like. I use it every time I fly out of MCO and it is always a 5 minute process to get through security, sometimes much less. It is reliable and the security line is almost always short (and no nudoscope).
It’s rolled out to SFO, DEN, DFW and MCO now. I think if more people signed up, the company could afford to roll it out to more locations. I’ve always been puzzled why the anti-TSA crowd doesn’t get behind CLEAR more. If we can make CLEAR commercially successful and popular, it’s further evidence that more elements of airport security should be transferred out of the TSA’s domain and into the hands of for-profit operators.
@bluto – from what I know about CLEAR, it seems to be more of a “paid line skipping” service than anything else…you’re still going through the same process once you hit the metal detector. PRE, if it determines you’re “trusted” for that flight, you get to go through pre-9/11 style security, which is nice.
@bluto @UA-NYC The original intent of CLEAR (version 1.0) was meant to be something similar to PRE. However, they had a fallout with TSA, so it turned into line skipping instead.
i flew through BOS last thursday and they sent me to the Pre- line and the agents there told me I could now go to the Pre line at any airport that I saw it – every time.
@Danielle E – well good luck with that 😛
PreCheck is also available at DCA for the 35-45 pier that US flies out of. When I went through last week I think they mentioned it had been open for only a week or so.
2 separate trips in past week, both UA. At ORD, approved & cleared (awesome) – but at MSP, denied & had to wait in longer line. At MSP, the PreCheck is at a different checkpoint(#4)than UA elites, too. Batting .500.
I am a Nexus Global Entry member and Diamond, millions of miles and enjoyed the privelege almost every dmestic flight but not US to Canada. When I asked they said it was random but everytime to Canada it didn’t work and every time in Us it did until 2 weeks ago. 3 flight in a row, I was not selected after never not being. My wife (Silver, under 50k mi, no Nexus is still flying through. No incidents, no status change that I know of. Number still on record. Ok. Maybe something happened inadvertently. Can’t ask? Can’t notify someone to look into. Takes up time and 20 min of emotion. Poor PR
Last trip, 2 months ago. I was pleasantly surprised to be given precheck in Boston on delta.
This trip however I thought I would be in precheck but the TSS guy told me ‘not this time”. I thought I would be automatically in precheck and packed less tidily than usual. So I got stuck with my backpack being searched over a little same size hand lotion.
With delta Boston precheck the line is next to the priority line so you do save some time. It looked like a few others expected precheck and didn’t get it.
West palm / delta doesn’t have it I don’t think. They certainly don’t have a precheck line separate anyway.
I always am connecting of in Atlanta so I can’t say whether or not they offer it there but I would expect that thyme do since it’s a huge hub.
I’m posting this hoping that someone can use the info.