Dec 26, 2012, 9:58 pm
Last edit by: JDiver
TSA Pre-Check / PreCheck Known Traveler program for AA FFs (consolidated)
You are eligible to be selected (on a flight-by-flight basis) for TSA PreCheck expedited screening if:
- You are a frequent American Airlines flyer that have been invited by American Airlines to participate and followed the instructions on the email to accept, or/and
- You participate in a "Trusted Traveler" program (Global Entry, NEXUS, SENTRI and/or TSA PreCheck application program) and have entered your "Known Traveler ID" in the reservation
- If you're using your AAdvantage number, you can enter the "Known Traveler ID" in the Personal Information and Password tab of My Account) so it will auto-populate in all new reservations bearing the AAdvantage number made anywhere
- If your reservation doesn't have your AAdvantage number, you can retrieve it and add the "Known Traveler ID" to it. The method is not very intuitive: on AA.com click on my trips, then on view all, then on find my reservation and enter either the record locator (if you know it), or the flight information using the AA operating flight number (not any eventual codeshare number from another airline).
- Your Secure Flight Information (name, sex, DOB) in the reservation must match the one with the program (except for "middle" or other names, which are ignored) (name on ticket does not matter)
- You will find your "Known Traveler ID" on the GOES website or on your program's card, under the name "PASSID". It is either 9 digits or the letters TT plus 7 digits
NOTE: 20 May 2016: "Today’s announcement makes a total of 16 carriers that participate in TSA Pre✓®: Aeromexico, Air Canada, Alaska Airlines, Allegiant, American Airlines, Cape Air, Delta Air Lines, Etihad Airways, Hawaiian Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Seaborne Airlines, Southwest Airlines, Sun Country Airlines, United Airlines, Virgin America and WestJet.
Passengers who are eligible for TSA Pre✓® include: members of the TSA Pre✓® application program, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Trusted Traveler program, Global Entry, and Canadian citizens who are members of CBP’s NEXUS program. TSA Pre✓® is also available for U.S. Armed Forces service members, including those serving in the U.S. Coast Guard, Reserves and National Guard."
Link
How it works
In the Pre-Check lane, you no longer need to remove the following items:
- Shoes (some, such as steel-toed shoes, may require removal)
- 3-1-1 compliant bag from your carry-on (all liquid restrictions still apply)
- Laptop from your bag (if electronics are stacked on top of each other, they require removal)
- Light outerwear or jacket
- Belt (large belt buckles may require removal)
- Pre-Check Lanes are WTMD only-- No NoS in use
LOCATIONS
Link to FlyerGuide Wiki listing of American Airlines (only) PreCheck checkpoints.
Link to FT thread AA Airport / Concourse TSA PreCheck - Hours [only] (may not be current)
See also post 1 of this thread. (It contains much additional info in the Moderator's Note.)
NOTE: PreCheck is changing to a Trusted Traveler (GE/NEXUS/SENTRI) -like program, where anyone will be able apply and pay USD $85 (online or at a PreCheck enrollment center), be vetted for approval, present proof of identification and be fingerprinted at a PreCheck enrollment center (IAD and IND, opening Fall 2013, will be thie first), and be granted PreCheck status for five years from that time. It will not be airline - or airline status - tied.
"Current PreCheck participants, including those eligible via a CBP Trusted Traveler Program such as Global Entry, will continue to receive PreCheck eligibility. Participants who opted-in through their airline frequent flyer program may want to consider applying for PreCheck, as they are more likely to be selected for PreCheck expedited screening more often if they are vetted via the PreCheck application process." Link.
Trusted Traveler (Global Entry, Nexus, Sentri) and Having Problems with PreCheck?
If you belong to one of the Trusted Traveler Programs listed above, you may run into issues getting PreCheck clearance if your Secure Flight Data is not an exact match to the data that you entered into your application on the GOES (Global Online Enrollment System) website when you applied for your TT membership.
For example, if your airline account has Bob Jones, but your GOES account has Bob James Jones, then the TSA may not be associating your information properly when it "decides" who can and can not have access. Additionally, if your PASS ID # (listed above in the screen-shots) is not an exact match, there will be a mismatch when TSA processes your information, and you will not receive PreCheck.
To ensure you receive PreCheck on all flights (domestic & internatioal), be sure to ensure the information in your AA profile is accurate. The name on the ticket does not matter- the "Secure Flight Data" is what is used to determine PreCheck status.
Signed in members with 90 days / 90 posts can edit this Wikipost; wiki contents may be printed by using the
(lower right wiki corner)TSA Pre✓® / PreCheck / Pre Check Issues, Changes, etc.
Known issues:
- Not every airport or terminal offers the TSA Pre✓® program
- TSA Pre✓® may have limited or irregular hours or closed at times without notice
- TSA Pre✓® members are still be subject to random selection for intensified screening
- TSA Pre✓® program has changed from an airline elite invitation program to a fee-based program with certain screening requirements
- If one's TSA Pre✓® status is from the pilot invitation program and one doesn't have a Known Traveler Number ("KTN"), TSA Pre✓® status may not carry on to another airline and one may experience increasing denials (not having the TSA Pre✓® printed on boarding pass and being sent to the regular TSA screening queues
Link to TSA Application Program and TSA Pre✓® program information, links
Changes to TSA Pre✓®
TSA Pre✓® was originally offered by certain airlines to their elite status members. These TSA Pre✓® members do not have a Known Traveler Number from a USDHS trusted traveler program (GOES / Global Entry, NEXUS, SENTRI or the new $85 fee based TSA Pre✓® Application Program offered to the flying public with 5 year renewal), making TSA Pre✓® status portability challenging. See the DHS Trusted Traveler programs listing and comparison chart here. Please read the following:
From American Airlines, April 2015:
This month, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is making changes to the TSA Pre✓® Trusted Traveler Program that will impact which travelers receive expedited screening. If you're not already a member of one of the Trusted Traveler programs like Global Entry or the TSA Pre✓® Application Program, you will probably see a decline in how often you receive expedited screening, even if you've previously "opted-in" through a frequent flyer program.
The best way to increase your chances of receiving TSA Pre✓® on a regular basis is to register for a Trusted Traveler Program with the Department of Homeland Security at dhs.gov/tt. Once you receive your Known Traveler Number (KTN) from TSA, be sure you update your AAdvantage profile.
To add your KTN to your AAdvantage profile:For more information on TSA Pre✓®, visit tsa.gov/tsa-precheck.
This month, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is making changes to the TSA Pre✓® Trusted Traveler Program that will impact which travelers receive expedited screening. If you're not already a member of one of the Trusted Traveler programs like Global Entry or the TSA Pre✓® Application Program, you will probably see a decline in how often you receive expedited screening, even if you've previously "opted-in" through a frequent flyer program.
The best way to increase your chances of receiving TSA Pre✓® on a regular basis is to register for a Trusted Traveler Program with the Department of Homeland Security at dhs.gov/tt. Once you receive your Known Traveler Number (KTN) from TSA, be sure you update your AAdvantage profile.
To add your KTN to your AAdvantage profile:
- Login to your account on aa.com and select My Account from the AAdvantage menu
- Within My Account, go to the Information and Password tab
- Add your Customs and Border Protection 9-digit PASS ID to your secure traveler information
[Archived] TSA Pre-Check / PreCheck Known Traveler program for AA FFs
May 24, 2013, 11:32 am
#4291
Join Date: Mar 2011
Programs: Marriott LT Platinum+Titanium Elite, Hyatt Globalist, AA EXP, Delta Plat, United Silver, AX Biz Cent
Posts: 705
Yeah, this does use an underutilized lane, perhaps improving overall throughput, but either there's a purpose to the regular security hassle, or there isn't. If there isn't, then it should be the standard for all. If there is, then it should be for pre-screened pax only.
May 24, 2013, 11:59 am
#4292
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: SJC
Programs: AA EXP, BA Silver, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton diamond, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 33,533
Pre-check itself is an experiment. They don't rescreen us. I'm really not sure what their criteria are but, while many of the decisions that the TSA make are pretty stupid, overall, they do have security and risk background, and likely have some idea of what they're doing. It's fashionable to bash them for the stupid things they do but I honestly believe that if they were as incompetent as we all like to think they are, we'd be having quite a few more "incidents."
One way to do this is to send through plants with "stuff" just as they do with the standard lines. Remember, when doing the experiments, the rank-and-file TSA agent can't know what's going on. Establishing a precedent for this new procedure lets them test.
Then they can see:
1. What is the percentage of test escapes in standard search
2. What is the percentage of test escapes with the "randomized" Pre-check
If they're not statistically different, then standard search has no additional benefit, and they can drop a lot of crap.
That's certainly one possibility for making this a valid, metric-based experiment.
Cheers.
May 24, 2013, 1:49 pm
#4293
Join Date: Mar 2011
Programs: Marriott LT Platinum+Titanium Elite, Hyatt Globalist, AA EXP, Delta Plat, United Silver, AX Biz Cent
Posts: 705
I'm not sure I do either, but I sort of do.
Pre-check itself is an experiment. They don't rescreen us. I'm really not sure what their criteria are but, while many of the decisions that the TSA make are pretty stupid, overall, they do have security and risk background, and likely have some idea of what they're doing. It's fashionable to bash them for the stupid things they do but I honestly believe that if they were as incompetent as we all like to think they are, we'd be having quite a few more "incidents."
One way to do this is to send through plants with "stuff" just as they do with the standard lines. Remember, when doing the experiments, the rank-and-file TSA agent can't know what's going on. Establishing a precedent for this new procedure lets them test.
Then they can see:
1. What is the percentage of test escapes in standard search
2. What is the percentage of test escapes with the "randomized" Pre-check
If they're not statistically different, then standard search has no additional benefit, and they can drop a lot of crap.
That's certainly one possibility for making this a valid, metric-based experiment.
Cheers.
Pre-check itself is an experiment. They don't rescreen us. I'm really not sure what their criteria are but, while many of the decisions that the TSA make are pretty stupid, overall, they do have security and risk background, and likely have some idea of what they're doing. It's fashionable to bash them for the stupid things they do but I honestly believe that if they were as incompetent as we all like to think they are, we'd be having quite a few more "incidents."
One way to do this is to send through plants with "stuff" just as they do with the standard lines. Remember, when doing the experiments, the rank-and-file TSA agent can't know what's going on. Establishing a precedent for this new procedure lets them test.
Then they can see:
1. What is the percentage of test escapes in standard search
2. What is the percentage of test escapes with the "randomized" Pre-check
If they're not statistically different, then standard search has no additional benefit, and they can drop a lot of crap.
That's certainly one possibility for making this a valid, metric-based experiment.
Cheers.
May 24, 2013, 3:56 pm
#4294
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: home = LAX
Posts: 25,933
This could be signficant. If they phrased it differently (or if they were "lying" about it being truly random), they could have, for example, actually been experimening with behavior-observation techniques for selecting people out of the regular line. That's not the same as really selecting people randomly.
Also, were you carrying photo film in your carryon? If not, did you ask (or notice) whether it was a stronger X-ray than usual? (I know at at least one DFW gate, there's a sign saying that X-ray machine is not safe for film at any speed, though at most gates at most other airports, the sign says it's safe up to 800 ASA. That implies that that X-ray machine at DFW is much stronger.)
In other words, there may have been other changes "behind the scenes" that made the experiment you observed possible, but which of course would not have been explained to you.
Having said that... I have been in non-PreCheck lines (in terminals that didn't have PreCheck at all) where they would one day say "today we're expreimenting with not taking off shoes and not taking laptops out". So they sometimes get close to PreCheck procudures in non-PreCheck lines, and thus maybe it's not quite as surprising that they would do some experiments like that with actual PreCheck lines (when at a PreCheck terminal).
May 24, 2013, 4:07 pm
#4295
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Watchlisted by the prejudiced, en route to purgatory
Programs: Just Say No to Fleecing and Blacklisting
Posts: 102,095
The TSA "behavior detection techniques" are voodoo "security" with no scientific basis in being effective against acts of terrorism. It's mind-reading hocus pocus for those who believe in magic under cover of "security". That it results in few more people being less hassled by TSA for no good reason is sort of a welcome development even as I think that all free passengers should be screened in the same manner as PreCheck LLL passengers.
Who are the unscreened passengers, random or otherwise?
Screening shoes on an x-ray machine just gives the TSA more opportunities to fail to get even the basics done properly.
I am fine with everyone being given the PreCheck LLL type screening for at least two reasons:
1. No fan of Orwellian Animal Farmesque government action that has it that "all animals are equal but some animals are less equal than others";
2. Fake ID and fraudulently acquired real ID (even in the name of PreCheck passengers) are so readily accepted by the TSA that this whole "trusted traveler" game is nothing but a divide and conquer scam and sham "security" nonsense.
While this game may benefit me for now, it is also another administrative stick or carrot for the government or airline to use against free persons now and later.
Screening shoes on an x-ray machine just gives the TSA more opportunities to fail to get even the basics done properly.
I am fine with everyone being given the PreCheck LLL type screening for at least two reasons:
1. No fan of Orwellian Animal Farmesque government action that has it that "all animals are equal but some animals are less equal than others";
2. Fake ID and fraudulently acquired real ID (even in the name of PreCheck passengers) are so readily accepted by the TSA that this whole "trusted traveler" game is nothing but a divide and conquer scam and sham "security" nonsense.
While this game may benefit me for now, it is also another administrative stick or carrot for the government or airline to use against free persons now and later.
Last edited by GUWonder; May 24, 2013 at 4:14 pm
May 24, 2013, 5:34 pm
#4296
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: JFK, SFO; UAL Lifer Gold; AA EP 3.9 MM; Hertz PC
Posts: 94
Separately, I failed pre-check twice in the last week after sailing through maybe 10 or 12 in a row. I can't see anything different in my profile, but when I called EXP help, the kind woman said that I was her third with this complaint today. She said my trusted traveler field was populated, which was not the case on the website (and shouldn't be, I'm not GE). I suppose that is the discrepancy, but Customer Service doesn't reopen until after my next flight. Anyone else encountering recent trouble?
May 24, 2013, 6:46 pm
#4297
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: New York
Programs: AA EXP 1.0mm, not sure where I am with hotels these days
Posts: 2,795
Separately, I failed pre-check twice in the last week after sailing through maybe 10 or 12 in a row. I can't see anything different in my profile, but when I called EXP help, the kind woman said that I was her third with this complaint today. She said my trusted traveler field was populated, which was not the case on the website (and shouldn't be, I'm not GE). I suppose that is the discrepancy, but Customer Service doesn't reopen until after my next flight. Anyone else encountering recent trouble?
May 24, 2013, 8:26 pm
#4298
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: JFK, SFO; UAL Lifer Gold; AA EP 3.9 MM; Hertz PC
Posts: 94
I don't think that is my story here. 10 in a row failures, 10 in a row successes (or more). If it is stochastic, 3 failures in a row are a pattern, not luck.
May 24, 2013, 10:05 pm
#4299
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: SJC
Programs: AA EXP, BA Silver, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton diamond, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 33,533
Cheers.
May 25, 2013, 5:49 am
#4300
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Chicago O'Hare
Programs: AA EXP, LT PLT 2.6MM, HHonors Lifetime Diamond, Hertz Presidents Circle
Posts: 678
We should all remember that they used to do this (at least IME) at O'Hare to the regular Priority AAcess line, before it was called that, IIRC (this is checkpoint 7, not the PLT/EXP/J/F/Pre, checkpoint 8). They would take "experienced" travelers and put them into that line. Eventually, a few airports' priority lanes became "experienced traveler"/elite lanes. I don't recall seeing those lately, but maybe 5 or so years ago, they did that, and perhaps still do. My point is that this is the TSA. When you give badges out and now all of a sudden TSA agents think they now have power, nothing that they do should surprise, outrage, or upset any of us. Get from the curb to airside as quickly as possible and move the heck on.
May 25, 2013, 9:28 am
#4301
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: RBKC
Programs: AA EXP and Eurostar Carte Blanche
Posts: 3,850
Spot on. And there were people in the TSA who saw this coming, and recommended against badges and police-like uniforms, but their input was not seriously considered.
May 27, 2013, 7:29 am
#4302
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: CLT
Programs: DL DM, AA Gold, Bonvoy Titanium, Hyatt Glob, IHG Plat, Hilton Diamond, Amex Plat
Posts: 438
My first time flying AA tomorrow in about a decade. I have noticed the website says "in early summer" they will start putting PreCheck on the BP similar to the rest of the US majors.
My question is have they actually done this yet, as my BP shows nothing of the sort.
Many thanks!
My question is have they actually done this yet, as my BP shows nothing of the sort.
Many thanks!
May 27, 2013, 7:45 am
#4303
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: LAX
Programs: AA EXP, HHonors Diamond
Posts: 102
Flying LAX-DFW-YYZ today and Pre-check cleared, so no issues for me for expanding to international itineraries. The value of Pre-check just went up substantially.
May 27, 2013, 7:46 am
#4304
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: LAX
Programs: AA EXP, HHonors Diamond
Posts: 102
My first time flying AA tomorrow in about a decade. I have noticed the website says "in early summer" they will start putting PreCheck on the BP similar to the rest of the US majors.
My question is have they actually done this yet, as my BP shows nothing of the sort.
Many thanks!
My question is have they actually done this yet, as my BP shows nothing of the sort.
Many thanks!