SFO_FT

Anyone know why NZ doesn't participate? QF, VS, and, surprisingly, BA don't participate either. Seems like most other non-US carriers do, including some with minimal levels of activity.

kiwicyclo

Possibly need to be USA resident / citizen :/ social security number holder?

SFO_FT

Yes, but most non-US carriers participate as they want to encourage US pax, especially high-yielding business pax, to find it easier to travel on them. BA's not participating is the real oddity!

WLGNZ

High yielding business passengers at Air NZ's departure points can use the business class security lines.

samjnz

It doesn't really compare to TSA Precheck. It's one of the one things I appreciate when traveling United internationally is to be able to use these security lines and not worry about shoes, etc

ajnz

I've wondered this myself (in particular about BA and QF, less so about NZ). I think it would be a nice improvement.

Given that UK nationals can also participate in Global Entry (and thus implicitly TSA Pre), it seems like this would be attractive for the LAX-LHR flight if nothing else.

Edit: now that I think about it, since TBIT doesn't have a TSA Pre checkpoint except at the transit facility, this may be of limited value. It would provide benefit at IAH/SFO/HNL/ORD (IIRC Pre is coming to T5).

smandkjc

At HNL we usually start in the Gold lane and end up just being diverted to the usual lines with no benefit at all.

samyoull

At HNL lines are a fluid concept...

SeaProf

The big problem for me is SFO. I usually book my domestic ticket getting to the international departure separately. At LAX I can just stay in the secure zone and head to the lounge and get my boarding pass there. At SFO I have to exit the secure area and check in at the counter and then go back through security. I do wish NZ participated in pre-check as it does make life a lot easier (and quicker).

kyanar

I strongly suspect that it's threefold - one, they only flew into two cities where it's of benefit (SFO, IAH) and two cost. I guarantee you TSA requires $$$ to participate (which, incidentally, is the reason NZ-the-country refuses to participate in Global Entry) which they don't want to spend. Third would be that NZ doesn't really target the US market as a source at all - they're hyper-active in Australia and New Zealand (both countries where citizens are ineligible for Global Entry and by extension PreCheck) but have no real marketing presence in the US and UK.

With the expansion to ORD later this year, they may review this decision, but I wouldn't hold my breath (and to be honest as a shareholder if it incurs a major cost I would be questioning the investment).

samyoull

This sounds like a dangerous bet given SFO's notorious afternoon weather delays.

Also can you not just get a BP at the gate? Or flying AS?

LondonElite

SeaProf

Flying Alaska.

I typically give myself loads of time when flying to SFO (5 hours at a minimum). I don't mind long layovers as it gives me time to catch up on my work.

samyoull

Fair, I'm the same - always have an extra connection available before NZ7 - especially now the Centurion lounge is an option.

sbiddle

If you're flying in BP you also get access to the new Polaris lounge. I know two people who have been there since it opened and both were pretty impressed by it. One said it beat Centurion hands down.