The Ultimate Guide to TSA PreCheck
US Airport Security Series:
The Ultimate Guide to TSA PreCheck
The Ultimate Guide to Global Entry
I am sure that many of you may have been through airport security in the United States and you can’t even see the checkpoint because the line is so long. However, you see another line that is much shorter than the regular line and seems to be moving much faster. You may have even noticed that it is called TSA PreCheck. But how do you get TSA PreCheck, and what do you get with it?2
What Do You Get With TSA PreCheck?
With TSA PreCheck, customers get two main benefits:
- You do not have to take shoes, laptops, belts, light jackets, and some liquids out/off for additional screening. Because none of the passenger take these things off, the line generally moves faster than the regular line.
- You get to stand in another line for airport security. Since there are not as many people in TSA PreCheck as there are regular passengers, lines are usually shorter (although maybe not in LGA).
Both of these benefits make the security process much less strenuous and long. Knowing personally by having TSA PreCheck, it sometimes saves up to half an hour of standing in line. Because of it, many frequent travelers may save hundreds of hours over many years by not having to stand in long lines at the airport. According to the TSA, most wait times in TSA PreCheck take less than 5 minutes.
How Do You Get TSA PreCheck?
Only law abiding US Citizens and Permanent Residents are able to get access to TSA PreCheck. To apply, you must first fill out an online form on TSA’s website which is supposed to take around five minutes. Once your form is submitted, you will then have to schedule a 10 minute person to person background check with the TSA at an enrollment center. Where are the enrollment centers? They are usually found at local airports or within cities. Find one close to you using this link. In the background check, they will check you for any previous crimes and will also take your fingerprints. Once the background check is done, you will have to pay a 5 year $85 enrollment fee. That is unless you participate in any of these credit card and loyalty programs, in which the fee is included with the credit card or loyalty program. By doing this, you get a known traveler number, which must be entered into your flight reservations while booking. A green TSA PreCheck “check” should show up on your boarding pass, and you will be cleared for the TSA PreCheck line. Now, you are enrolled and can save hundreds of minutes waiting in line at airports!
Global Entry, NEXUS, and SENTRI:
With these three programs, you most often will get access to TSA PreCheck. But what are Global Entry, NEXUS, and SENTRI? Global Entry is a program in which you can do passport control while entering the US at kiosks. The time for immigration usually takes less than 5 minutes, while regular immigration can take more than an hour. Membership costs $100 for 5 years. I have Global Entry, which is how I get TSA Pre Check. NEXUS is a program between the US and Canada where passengers can enter Canada through automated kiosks for $50 for 5 years. SENTRI is similar, except is a program between the US and Mexico. With any of these programs, you put your membership number for the “known traveller number,” and you will automatically get TSA PreCheck.
Which Airlines and Airports Participate?
There are 53 participating airlines in TSA PreCheck. See a full list of them below.
- Aeromexico
- Air Canada
- Air France
- Air Serbia
- Alaska Airlines
- All Nippon Airways
- Allegiant Air
- American Airlines
- Aruba Airlines
- Avianca
- Boutique Airlines
- British Airways
- Brussels Airlines
- Cape Air
- Cathay Pacific Airways
- Condor Airlines
- Contour Aviation
- Copa Airlines
- Delta Air Lines
- Dominican Wings
- Emirates
- Etihad Airways
- Finnair
- Frontier Airlines
- Hawaiian Airlines
- InterCaribbean Airways
- JetBlue Airways
- Key Lime Air
- KLM Royal Dutch Airlines
- Korean Air
- Lufthansa
- Miami Air International
- OneJet
- Philippine Airlines
- Porter Airlines
- Scandinavian Airlines
- Seaborne Airlines
- Silver Airways
- Singapore Airlines
- Southern Airways Express
- Southwest Airlines
- Spirit Airlines
- Sun Country Airlines
- Sunwing Airlines
- Swift Air
- Thomas Cook Airlines (Scan.)
- Thomas Cook Airlines (UK)
- Turkish Airlines
- United Airlines
- Virgin Atlantic
- WestJet
- World Atlantic
- Xtra Airways
As you can see, the vast majority of both scheduled and charter airlines that serve the United States give passengers access to TSA PreCheck. See the link here for a TSA map of which airports have TSA PreCheck. Most airports within the United States that have a few commercial flights feature TSA PreCheck. Unless you are going to an airport with only a few flights a day, you should have TSA PreCheck.
Is it Worth it?
As I said earlier, TSA PreCheck has an $85 fee for 5 years. That is a $17 fee for every year. My suggestion is that you should apply for it, if you travel a few times a year within the United States. TSA PreCheck takes a huge stress off of traveling and saves a ton of time, so even if you only travel 4 times a year, it still is probably worth it. However, if you only travel one or two times a year, PreCheck is probably not worth it, as it then probably costs more than it is worth.
Conclusion:
TSA PreCheck saves a lot of time for me and American travelers every day. If you travel a few times a year, I can only recommend that you get TSA PreCheck, as with a dedicated line with less people, airport security times are much shorter.
Featured Photo Courtesy of the Transportation Safety Administration