Last year I finally got TSA PreCheck (and global entry), a move that dramatically changed how I travel. In San Francisco the security line at the airport could sometimes take longer than an hour, which meant I always had to get to the airport at least 2 hours early to make sure I made it through. And I’d have to plan my plane outfit to make sure I was wearing socks so I didn’t end up walking barefoot on the gross airport floor, and that I wasn’t wearing so many layers that it was problematic to get them off in the security line.
I didn’t “need” TSA Pre, but it was a very welcome addition into my travel routine and now it’s available for five more airlines.
Conde Nast Traveler reports, now you can use TSA Pre with All Nippon Airways, Cathay Pacific Airways, Finnair, Korean Air, and the charter airline Contour Aviation.
Accepting TSA Pre is done on an airline level, and it’s not as easy as just deciding to sign up. Airlines are required to meet TSA Security requirements and upgrade their reservation system to sync with the Secure Flight prescreening system. That’s why not all airlines support the program. For instance, I was able to use TSA Pre earlier this year flying out of SFO to Italy on Lufthansa, but a few months later when I went to Scotland on WOW I had to go through traditional security at literally the exact same gate in the airport.
If you travel often (or even a few times a year) I highly recommend getting TSA Pre. If you think you might travel outside the United States a few times, then spend the extra cash and get global entry which comes with TSA Pre. Global Entry has literally shaved hours off my return to the U.S. from trips abroad, and havign TSA Pre makes the whole beginning of a trip a lot less stressful.