Pre-Check at JFK T1 was really weird last week, but it did save me a lot of time. With Pre, I cut off a huge line using a lane all the way to the left. At that point, though, it was what I've called "Pre-Check Lite": Pre-Check mixed with everyone else. Boarding passes were stamped "Pre-Check" so you could keep your shoes on, but you were still supposed to remove your freedom baggie and laptop. I didn't. This made a screener very angry, and I had to wait a long time for them to put the laptop back through the x-ray machine on its own. In the end, though, it still wasn't that bad. Without Pre-Check, I think I would've missed my tight connection.

I didn't notice the paid VIP service. At least with traffic flow on the evening I flew, it presumably would've worked out just the same as Pre-Check.