Originally Posted by
hoopics
Understood. And to be clear, they did make my dad go through a non Pre LANE -- had to take off his shoes, go through the nudiscope, take out his laptop and toiletries -- but that non Pre lane was within the Pre checkpoint area at IAD (on the check-in level, rather than down the escalator near the Aerotrain). My questions is whether mixed groups can regularly use this Pre checkpoint area, with non-Pre travellers using the standard lane within the checkpoint.
As stated before, no, You just lucked out that the screener let him through, but another factor comes into play, if you are priemier, then mix group is allow in the premier line. At SFO, precheck is next to the premier line. So the mixed group can enter the premier line, the precheck person is diverted to the precheck line for the access check, if you don't get the three beeps, you are sent to the Head of the premier line for standard screening.
So officially, non precheck people will not be allow in the prescheck line, but would be allowed to continue on through the premier line when traveling with a premier passenger.