Speed through airport security with TSA PreCheck
By Jessica Plautz From Mashable
If you’re a frequent flier, you should consider signing up for TSA PreCheck.
The program “allows low-risk travelers to experience faster, more efficient screening at participating U.S. airport checkpoints for domestic and international travel,” according to the Transportation Security Administration. In practice, that means you’ll be eligible to go through the faster security line at the airport, and you won’t have to remove your shoes, belt and jacket.
TSA opened up the program to the public last July. Since then, many fliers have been pleased with the ability to skip the regular security line.
After all, what’s not to like about keeping your shoes on?
But not everyone is happy. Some frequent travelers who had access to PreCheck prior to the program’s expansion are bemoaning the arrival of the masses.
An airport hack isn’t as valuable if everyone knows about it. Compared to the regular line, though, PreCheck can still be a time-saver.
If you’re interested in applying, you can pre-enroll online, and then make an appointment at a TSA PreCheck application center. There is an $85 application-processing fee.
You can also apply through one of the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol’s programs, Global Entry, NEXUS or SENTRI.
Loyalty rewards program from some airlines, including JetBlue, Alaska, American, Delta, Hawaiian, Southwest, United, US and Virgin America, also allow you to apply for PreCheck.
Being approved for the program doesn’t guarantee that you’ll skip the line every time you go to the airport. Whether or not you’re selected can feel random, and that’s on purpose. Passengers who are eligible will get a PreCheck screening on a “flight-by-flight basis and should not expect it each time they fly,” according to the TSA.
While the TSA will not say exactly how it decides who is selected, the agency confirms that those who apply through more secure programs, such as Global Entry, are more likely to be chosen. However, they require more background information from applicants.
To increase your chances of being selected for TSA PreCheck each time you fly, be careful when you fill out your details. Travelers can be excluded from PreCheck if the information they enter when they book a flight does not match their records.
