What Exactly Is TSA PreCheck?
Taylor Rains December 17, 2019
TSA PreCheck is a pretty sweet deal, making travel quick, easy, and efficient for frequent flyers. The program has been around since 2011 and, for the most part, was limited to U.S. carriers but has since expanded to international airlines. Today, 73 carriers worldwide participate in the program, and recently, two more airlines have joined, Alitalia and Qantas.
What Is TSA PreCheck?
TSA PreCheck is an expedited screening program for trusted travelers. As opposed to regular screening, enrolled passengers can go through a special security line that does not require them to remove shoes, belts, or light jackets, take laptops or liquids out of their bag, or go through the full-body scanner. To participate in the program, you must be a citizen of the United States or a lawful permanent resident, pay an $85 fee, and go to an appointment at an enrollment center for fingerprinting, a background check, and an interview. Once approved, you will receive a Known Traveler Number (KTN) that is good for five years.
Which Airlines Participate?
73 carriers worldwide participate in the program: Aeromexico, Air Canada, Air France, Air India, Air Serbia, Alaska Airlines, Alitalia Airlines, All Nippon Airways, Allegiant Air, American Airlines, Aruba Airlines, Asiana Airlines, Austrian Airlines, Avianca, Azul Airlines, Boutique Airlines, British Airways, Brussels Airlines, Cape Air, Cathay Pacific Airways, China Airlines, Condor Airlines, Contour Aviation, Copa Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Eastern Airlines, Edelweiss Air, Elite Airways, Emirates, Etihad Airways, EVA Air, Finnair, Flycana, Frontier Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, Icelandair, InterCaribbean Airways, Interjet, Japan Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Key Lime Air, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Korean Air, Lufthansa, Miami Air International, Norwegian Air, PAL Express, Philippine Airlines, Porter Airlines, Qantas Airways, Qatar Airways, Scandinavian Airlines, Seaborne Airlines, Silver Airways, Singapore Airlines, Southern Airways Express, Southwest Airlines, Spirit Airlines, Sun Country Airlines, Sunclass, Sunwing Airlines, Swift Air, Swiss International Air Lines, Swoop, TAP Air Portugal, Turkish Airlines, United Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, VivaAerobus, Volaris, WestJet, World Atlantic, and Xtra Airways.
The addition of Alitalia and Qantas is exciting news for travelers who fly on the many daily flights between the U.S. and Italy and Australia.
The article says: "To participate in the program, you must be a citizen of the United States or a lawful permanent resident, pay an $85 fee". Not quite true. You also get PreCheck if you're approved for another Trusted Traveler program, such as Global Entry ($100) or NEXUS ($50). So you don't necessarily have to pay an $85 fee if you're getting PreCheck along with something else, only if you're getting PreCheck by itself. And obviously IF you visit Canada enough, getting both PreCheck and Global Entry for no extra charge with the $50 NEXUS card may be a much better deal than paying for either PreCheck or Global Entry by itself.
I've never done any of the stuff they say are a requirement here and I get TSA precheck most (but not all) of the time I fly.
you might be cleared as low risk and avoid the full security procedure. But what if your wife and kids are being held at home by terrorists who want you to smuggle a bomb/knife through security and give to one of their friends airside?