how tsa precheck works
tsa precheck travelers often have dedicated lines at the security checkpoint they don t have to remove belts shoes or lightweight jackets for separate screening their carry on items are not separately screened either they can leave a laptop in its case and the carry on bag can include a quart sized bag with travel size containers of liquids and gels the tsa precheck program began in december 2013 to speed pre screened travelers through security checkpoints which get backed up during busy times 3 the usual process includes a requirement that passengers remove their shoes heavy jackets and some electronics and pile them into trays for separate screening further delays can be caused by passengers being pulled aside for additional scrutiny if the screening reveals banned items these measures aren t pointless a would be terrorist smuggled explosives in his sneakers on a paris to miami flight in 2001 4 dangerous or illegal items can be hidden inside laptops that have had their components removed bulky jackets can hide weapons the tsa precheck program identifies passengers who are at very low risk of trying any of these strategies and speeds them through the security checkpoints benefits of tsa precheckthe tsa precheck program benefits anyone who travels frequently for business or leisure reasons anyone forced to fly at peak times like holiday weekends will appreciate the break as well tsa precheck benefits include in short you ll spend less time standing in line and more time lounging in the airport cafe applying for tsa precheckmore than 200 airports and 90 airlines accommodate tsa precheck travelers you can begin the application process online via the tsa s website 5however you have to complete the application process in person at a tsa authorized enrollment location you will be fingerprinted and asked for a valid proof of identity and u s citizenship documents travelers who are foreign citizens must be able to provide certain residency documents to qualify the online application takes less than five minutes on average and the in person appointment takes about 10 minutes 2once approved for tsa precheck status you will receive a known traveler number ktn use that number any time you book a flight and you will automatically have your tsa pre status applied to your boarding pass it looks like this tsa pre then you can start using those fast lanes reserved for tsa precheck passengers the cost of becoming a traveler with tsa precheck status the fee is non refundable and good for five years 6precheck coverage with credit cardssome credit card issuers provide access to tsa precheck as a membership benefit some offer periodic statement credits for tsa precheck while others allow their members to pay for the program with loyalty points according to the tsa these cards include 7other traveler programstsa precheck only applies to air travel the department of homeland security operates other federal programs such as global entry nexus and sentri that verify the identities of trusted travelers and speed them through security for u s citizens membership in these programs may include a tsa precheck membership there are also private programs that can speed up your trip one of them is clear a security technology program that uses biometric data to help identify passengers clear is already used in more than 55 airports as well as other locations such as stadiums tsa precheck vs global entry vs cleartsa precheck allows pre screened u s citizens and permanent residents to skip the lines at u s airport security it costs 78 for a five year membership 6however tsa precheck is only available for flights leaving the u s global entry is a similar program for international travel allowing trusted passengers to quickly move through customs and border checkpoints it costs 100 for five years 6clear is a private program available through some airlines clear uses biometric data such as fingerprints and iris scans to verify passenger identities allowing them to move quickly through airport security it s in use at some stadiums too clear costs 189 and only lasts for one year 8