downinit

Last weekend, the PreCheck lane was closed for 3 of my 4 flights, originating out of some of the busiest airports in the country (LAX, SFO, JFK). Apparently, TSA has decided to screw up the one useful thing they have ever done. So unless you are flying at the busiest flight time, you will no longer have access to precheck lanes. The consolation prize is that you can still leave your shoes on, which is of no real value because you will have all the time in the world to take them off while you are standing in the slow lane behind people who are completely clueless about how to proceed through the checkpoint.

The thing that upsets me the most about this is that just last week I kept seeing articles about how TSA is looking to greatly expand the precheck system, and they would just continue to add precheck lanes as more people signed up. Sorry, but if you want to get people to sign up, this is exactly how you do not do it. If you only have staffing for 3 checkpoints, then always make 1 a precheck, and let the other 2 get as long as possible. When people are standing in a long line, watching precheck people breeze by, maybe it would actually appeal to people.

I feel sorry for any of the people conned into shelling out $85 for this horrible program. I got it via Global Entry, which is very much worth the $20/year price. I would not pay 20 cents for precheck in its current state.

chollie

I'm beginning to think TSA never intended to keep Pre permanently.

I think they assumed millions of people (frequent and even some infrequent fliers) would pay $85 to submit their information to the government.

It's not like they're going to purge that information if you don't renew Pre, right?

Mission accomplished: you voluntarily paid TSA to gather all your personal information and put it in their files and all you got for it was a few trips through Pre (availability and quality of experience depends on the individual airport).

If the next test results don't improve, I expect Neffenger to manufacture a scare and demand that all pax go through the NoS.

It would be very very interesting to see the breakdown of the test results. Are the missed items primarily on bodies or in bags? If primarily in bags, then focusing on the NoS and gropes isn't going to help much. That said, the answer always seems to be to ramp up the assault on the pax's body.

Boggie Dog

I think we will see a removal of most WTMD's in the coming months. TSA has doubled down on WBI.

petaluma1

IOW, TSA is in the business of manipulating air travelers.

Can you give us a link to one of the articles you mention above? All articles I am seeing are about the horrible delays that are developing at all airports as the TSA punishes passengers for the TSA's failures. AskTSA has told people to arrive at the airport 3 hours ahead of a flight.*

TSA wants 25 million enrolled in PreCheck. They claim to have 5 million now and will never reach their stated goal.

~

ETA to add clarification: AskTSA responded to 1 person telling him/her to arrive 3 hours early. Then all the responses reverted to the standard 2 hours early. Makes me think TSA really does now want ppl to arrive 3 hours early, but knows there were be heck to pay if they said so in public.

Schmurrr

Sure, because that's cost-effective, secure, and humane.

I_Can_Fly_US_Airways

When I was living in the Land Of The Over Taxed & Over Regulated, I found Pre Check to be of great benefit. Yet, with the past of time, it seems that the TSA is becoming even more unreasonable. As such, I have made the decision NOT to transit the United States as I have NO desire to deal with the idiotic side show known as the TSA.

Too bad as there are several spots we have enjoyed visiting...oh well, at least I have options (-:

RandomBaritone

It's becoming apparent that the well-documented recent problems are with specific airports; in my experience PreCheck saves me at least 20 minutes in line every trip I make between BOS and SFO. Combined with Clear (which isn't yet available at BOS), it's a godsend.

Clear is fairly pricey, bumping up against what I'd willingly pay. But PreCheck's a hell of a deal for me. I'd pay double for it without batting an eye.

Boggie Dog

The real question; should you have to pay anything extra for the security we all deserve? I think not!

chollie

I think TSA would have had an easier time getting signups if they fully supported the program at all airports, all the time.

Part of the problem with the roll-out was TSA's decentralized approach to things, which almost guaranteed that the experience and availability would vary just as widely as everything else TSA does. If an FSD doesn't support it, it ain't gonna happen.

As things stand now, you may see a Pre enrollment center and wonder if you should think about signing up. If you happen to fly out of BOS, for example, you actually see Pre lanes moving quickly, nobody disrobing and unpacking.

If you pass by the enrollment booth at PHX, however, you'll likely encounter long regular lines, next to a closed Pre line. Or you will get Pre-lite, meaning you get to keep your shoes on, but you have to unpack, outer wear off, etc. Then perhaps you are flying through an airport whose FSD doesn't trust Pre - you subject yourself to an unusually high rate of 'random' gropes-and-swabs.

Not as much incentive to pony up $85.

Boggie Dog

Reading @AskTSA there have been lengthy delays at many airports today.

The slowdowns and long lines suggest to me that TSA is purposely under staffing checkpoints across the country.

chollie

Training? Emphasis on slowing things down to be more thorough, or at least convince Neffenger they are? Test score anxiety?

If a rumor got out that testing teams would be working off a list of certain airports sometime during a particular time period - such a rumor, true or not, might be enough to put certain airports on their toes.

I can't imagine it's fun for the frontline employees - the ones actually doing something besides standing around playing with their cellphones or chatting with each other. At least some of them must be feeling the pressure to improve test scores.

gcsmith

At least is sounds like Pre works for most of you. Hasn't worked for me since January - six trips in. Their 'support' says they have an IT problem that is affecting certain users. It may be limited to a set of users that gets their access through Global Entry.

moops380

Thank stinks.

They just dedicated an entire checkpoint at my airport. Problem is it opens at 5am instead of the normal checkpoints that open at 430, when I have a 5:40 am flight its like 50 people deep already(waiting) at pre, so in theory I should really show up at like 5:15 for my 5:40 flight, makes it tight but the purpose of flying is to SAVE TIME, if it takes 3 hours for me to fly (all time considered) to chicago vs 5 on the road it really is a toss up (i hate driving).

Going thru NZ domestic and Australian domestic security recently has really shown me what security should be like (and what it was like im told). The "officers" crack jokes, never are impolite, seem to be enjoying themselves, and there was NEVER a line.

Pretty hilarious it closes at major airports like JFK (aa terminal) over the 'slower' afternoon times.

petaluma1

These aren't internal slowdowns caused by anxiety or fear of testing teams. The orders come from the top & Neffenger doesn't care if passengers spend hours in line.

Will be interesting to see if My Weekly Reader at the TSA blog shows a significant increase in the numbers of guns confiscated at the airports where
these delays are being reported.

BTW, I found this quote interesting:

http://www.kiro7.com/news/heres-why-...nger/141765739

A "record number" tried to "smuggle" weapons? Somehow, methinks those "federal officials" are fear-mongering with that quote.

Boggie Dog

I don't excuse people who improperly pack their firearms but guns should be an easy find for TSA screeners. Just how hard is it to identify a pistol on xray?