First class check in " 'what is TSA Pre-check?
 

Showing on our LHR to JFK printed boarding passes but not on the onward. However showing on mobile AA passes

When questioned neither of the first class agents had heard of TSA Pre-check

They then said 'perhaps it is not used in the USA'!

At that point I said I'll leave it

Amazed that they had never heard of it Puzzling why the onward passes do not have it

It means you get to skip most of the security theatre in the USA.

No shoes off stuff.

I'm going to guess that the OP was aware of this...

To my mind that's logical. A BA issued boarding pass is drawing on its own data and Amadeus. An AA issued boarding pass does likewise only their GDS is SABRE.So BA tell you what they know (even if for a UK depart it's incorrect, the relevance is of course for the return to the UK), and AA have their own ownership of Pre-Check, based on a separate arrangement they have with the TSA. The fact you have Pre-check on your subsequent flight is all due to AA, not BA. I know one could mutter about seemless travel, but over in the real world.....

Haha yes

​​​​​​We have global entry as well

My point is that the first class check in staff at T5 had never heard of it!

To be fair this is one of the many instances of American exceptionalism... after a while you forget about them :)

As a current resident The U.S. of A. I understand why you think that way. :)

This is a BA IT faul and there is no reason why BA staff at LHR should be aware of what TSA Pre-Check is.

As GE participants, you are eligible for expedited security processing (Pre-Check) when departing a US airport on a carrier participating in Pre-Check. BA is a participant. Thus, when you check in for your return flight to the UK, the Pre-Check logo should appear and you will then be able to use the Pre-Check line at TSA. BA's IT should suppress the printing of the logo on a departure from other than the US, but it apparently does not.

If you are flying onwards on AA, simply check-in on the AA app or pull a new AA boarding pass at any kiosk or from any AA agent on arrival and, presuming that you have properly entered your GE number in your AA profile, you should see the Pre-Check logo.

If for any reason you have not entered your GE number in your AA profile, you can do that online, by phone, or with any agent on arrival. Depending on the time of day, there may even be AA agents wandering around the CBP sterile area who can assist from a tablet.

One thing to be aware of is that if you have PreCheck and you are selected for additional security screening at LHR then you will almost certainly not get PreCheck on any subsequent AA operated flights in the USA that are on the same booking, and your boarding passes for those flights may be marked SSSS even though the security screening took place at London.

By way of an example, I was flying LHR - DFW and was selected for extra screening at LHR. My onward AA boarding passes also had SSSS on them. By going to a kiosk at DFW and re-entering my KTN and reprinting the boarding passes the SSSS was removed and PreCheck was once again available.

The fact that the AA terminal at DFW has certain security lines that don't always participate in PreCheck is another thing altogether. The reverse is true at SEA where they have at least one checkpoint that is PreCheck only!

I've had the opposite experience. I've had SSSS in London on an AA flight and Precheck on the boarding pass for the entire rest of the itinerary. The SSSS I believe was triggered by a last minute flight change.

​​​​​​​Can't say I agree.

If BA print a boarding pass for the internal leg on AA they should be aware of Pre-check. I doubt I am the first or the last to ask why it is not showing, especially when they print it on the BA ticket.

Sure as was said earlier the system may not allow the data, but the check-in staff especially in first, should be aware of such and advise accordingly.

Let's face it there are not any other countries that have this and so it would not be much to learn

To say that they have never heard of it when BA are part of it smacks of poor training.

If it isn't possible then fair enough but just say that instead of showing ignorance

Their colleague in the CCR wasn't too impressed and said they should have known, but sadly many are poor. He did ask which colored name badge they wore as this indicates their status apparently

Interesting! When I asked about the missing PreCheck I was told it was because of the SSSS at LHR and should resolve itself en route once systems had been updated that I had been screened and was on board. At the end of the day PreCheck is never guaranteed so I suppose part of it is randomized to keep you guessing :)

Agree. Never guaranteed. However having it on my mobile boarding passes for both of us one would expect it on the printed version from BA.

As it may not be possible, no issues there. Just was surprised that two people had never heard of it.

It is not possible for BA to print the Pre-Check logo on a physical BP for an AA-operated flight. That part is not a BA IT failure, but an intended limitation of the DHS system.

BA ought to simply suppress the logo on BP's issued for departures other than from the US and that would be the end of the many speculative questions asked on FT and elsewhere about what it does and does not mean. DGS does not particularly care if BA prints the logo on such BP's as the logo has no effect.

On your return, you should have access to Pre-Check at wherever you depart from.

Agree. But the check-in staff should at least know what it is!