Checkpoints and Borders Policy Debate - PreCheck Hit Rate Experience

This article (http://www.aviationpros.com/news/10730612/opinion-its-a-no-go-for-some-hoping-to-join-tsa-fast-lane) says the percentage of time a PreCheck passenger gets to use the PreCheck lane (hit rate) may be as low as 50%. That leads to interesting questions:

1) Is the hit rate different by airport?

2) Do different travel patterns change a passenger's hit rate?

3) Why, after vetting in excess of that given to the TSOs, are PreCheck passengers relegated to the groping lanes so frequently?

And the most significant question:

Based on your experience, what is your hit rate, from which airports?

1) Is the hit rate different by airport?

2) Do different travel patterns change a passenger's hit rate?

3) Why, after vetting in excess of that given to the TSOs, are PreCheck passengers relegated to the groping lanes so frequently?

TSA is not forthcoming about how, exactly, one qualifies for PreCheck. (Being an elite FF of selected airlines at selected airports makes one eligible, but doesn't guarantee selection. Being a GE member makes one eligible, but doesn't guarantee selection. The exact algorithm used to determine whether an eligible person is selected has not been made public.)

Consequently, the answers to your questions above are:

1) TSA knows, but won't say.

2) TSA knows, but won't say.

3) TSA knows, but won't say.

1) Is the hit rate different by airport?

2) Do different travel patterns change a passenger's hit rate?

3) Why, after vetting in excess of that given to the TSOs, are PreCheck passengers relegated to the groping lanes so frequently?

TSA is not forthcoming about how, exactly, one qualifies for PreCheck. (Being an elite FF of selected airlines at selected airports makes one eligible, but doesn't guarantee selection. Being a GE member makes one eligible, but doesn't guarantee selection. The exact algorithm used to determine whether an eligible person is selected has not been made public.)

Consequently, the answers to your questions above are:

1) TSA knows, but won't say.

2) TSA knows, but won't say.

3) TSA knows, but won't say.

Hence the final question. The collective experience of FT should provide good indicators of how the program functions.

It's well within the realm of possibility that TSA will regulate the hit rate to keep the NoS full and line moving, rather than screen based on risk.

So, what have FTer's experienced as a hit rate, from which airports?

So, what have FTer's experienced as a hit rate, from which airports?

There's a loooong thread in the AA forum with this information.

My personal rate is 100%, 5/5 at DFW, checkpoint C30, back to the same airport. I've since learned, however, there is a WTMD only checkpoint in A, so I may switch to that.

My original eligibility was from my AA PLT, and I've since added GE.