Why pay for TSA pre?

Old Apr 14, 2018, 6:28 am
  #31  
KDS
 
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If you were to use experiences at EWR for Terminal B as a basis for a decision on whether to pay for PreCheck, yolu'd say no. PreCheck there has been open just once in past five years based on my experiences.
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Old Apr 14, 2018, 8:36 am
  #32  
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Originally Posted by KDS
If you were to use experiences at EWR for Terminal B as a basis for a decision on whether to pay for PreCheck, yolu'd say no. PreCheck there has been open just once in past five years based on my experiences.
Wow - that is a dreadful state of affairs
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Old May 28, 2018, 5:38 am
  #33  
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SAN had the dog again on May 16, but ensured TSA-pre was only available for those folks with TSA-pre on the BP.

Well done CBP!

TSA-pre was smooth and orderly at SAN. Worth the price of GE to get through security quickly.
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Old Jun 9, 2018, 12:48 pm
  #34  
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Was in line today at JFK terminal 4 regular checkpoint (alas, TSA apparently has decided I no longer am "safe enough" for PreCheck) for a Delta domestic flight. Two travelers in front of me had tickets for Emirates Airline. One had PreCheck; other did not. TSA "magic scribbler" told the one guy to go down to the PreCheck lane. When the second one asked if he also could go to that lane, the "agent" told him no because he didn't have PreCheck. The "agent" then said, "seems like they randomly give PreCheck to passengers of that airline; about 1/2 of them seem to get it." Guess TSA is now offering "free" PreCheck to foreign airlines but not as much to domestic airlines.
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Old Jun 9, 2018, 1:25 pm
  #35  
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Originally Posted by KDS
Was in line today at JFK terminal 4 regular checkpoint (alas, TSA apparently has decided I no longer am "safe enough" for PreCheck) for a Delta domestic flight. Two travelers in front of me had tickets for Emirates Airline. One had PreCheck; other did not. TSA "magic scribbler" told the one guy to go down to the PreCheck lane. When the second one asked if he also could go to that lane, the "agent" told him no because he didn't have PreCheck. The "agent" then said, "seems like they randomly give PreCheck to passengers of that airline; about 1/2 of them seem to get it." Guess TSA is now offering "free" PreCheck to foreign airlines but not as much to domestic airlines.
What's your point?

Not surprising that an EK passenger has Pre-Check because EK is a participating carrier in Pre-Check !

https://www.tsa.gov/precheck/participating-airlines

If you look at the list, you will see that pretty much all US carriers participate as well.

So, EK passenger #1 is enrolled in one of the TTP's and his carrier participates, so he gets Pre-Check. #2 is not enrolled so he doesn't get it.
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Old Jun 10, 2018, 5:57 pm
  #36  
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Many of us call it "ExtortionCheck" for a reason.
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Old Jun 10, 2018, 6:40 pm
  #37  
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Why pay to make TSA's job easier? TSA should be paying us to sign up for Pre Check!
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Old Aug 2, 2018, 1:32 am
  #38  
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So the last few times through SAN with the K-9 has been great as they continue to split the true TSA-pre folks from the others. However, I just experienced the K-9 experience at IAD and there was no TSA-pre line and it was a mess. Not only do infrequent travelers have no experience with the nuances of TSA-pre but the screeners themselves were inconsistent - some lines enforced the get out your laptop and take off your shoes (i.e. non TSA-pre) rules and some were the TSA-pre rules. We had all been past the sniffer dogs. I made sure I got in the traditional TSA-pre procedure line but even then it was slow and some people were listening to the screener in the line next to us who was yelling take out your computer, take off your shoes, etc.

At the same airport GE line was longer than the non-GE line.

Really made me question why I pay for this "service".

Love the K-9s, but TSA really need to keep a dedicated TSA-pre line since we know what we are doing in that line and move quickly through security, and we choose to pay extra for that experience.
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Old Aug 2, 2018, 7:47 am
  #39  
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Originally Posted by Aussienarelle
So the last few times through SAN with the K-9 has been great as they continue to split the true TSA-pre folks from the others. However, I just experienced the K-9 experience at IAD and there was no TSA-pre line and it was a mess. Not only do infrequent travelers have no experience with the nuances of TSA-pre but the screeners themselves were inconsistent - some lines enforced the get out your laptop and take off your shoes (i.e. non TSA-pre) rules and some were the TSA-pre rules. We had all been past the sniffer dogs. I made sure I got in the traditional TSA-pre procedure line but even then it was slow and some people were listening to the screener in the line next to us who was yelling take out your computer, take off your shoes, etc.

At the same airport GE line was longer than the non-GE line.

Really made me question why I pay for this "service".

Love the K-9s, but TSA really need to keep a dedicated TSA-pre line since we know what we are doing in that line and move quickly through security, and we choose to pay extra for that experience.
Paying for Pre guarantees nothing. TSA warns of this fact up front. Ever hear of a suckers bet?
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Old Aug 2, 2018, 8:54 am
  #40  
 
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As others have said upthread, the consistency of the experience varies widely by airport. It's all anecdotal.

MLI, the times I go the Pre line is never open. I get the expedited card, staff is great, lines short.
ORD, when going through security, dogs are often used for diversions, which can lead to issues like what OP describes.
MSP, EWR Terminal C, great experience.
EWR Terminal A and B: Nightmare, Pre often closed in early morning with horrendous lines. It's faster to clear at C and hop on the bus if you have a flight departing out of Terminal A for United Express.

OP, if you're getting Pre less than half the time, make sure your KTN is correct at your source of ticketing (if you buy tickets on United.com, KTN on MileagePlus profile; if you use a third party travel site like orbitz or corporate Travel Agency using Concur, make sure KTN is saved there) and that your name as ticketed (including middle initial or full middle name) as ticketed matches your GE profile/Green card exactly. I'm a US citizen and on over 500 flights, I've gotten Precheck on my boarding pass every single time (sometimes due to hours/airport the pre lane wasn't open and I got "Pre light" instead where laptops and liquids came out but shoes and belt stayed on + WTMD instead of full body scanner).

If you have serious consistency issues at particular checkpoints (pre often being closed or inconsistently managed with dogs/some lanes enforcing traditional rules and others going "true Pre"), you can talk to the TSA about it. They may or may not be able to do anything, but I've spoken to the different regional airport TSA managers for a couple airports via email and they've at least acknowledged my feedback and discussed it.

To me, IAH Terminal A (and EWR for Terminal A) would make me question the value of Pre. My outbounds are usually from EWR on UA so I can clear at Terminal C instead and bus over to A if my flight leaves A.

In regards to CLEAR: Clear will not grant Pre, but it grants first of line privilege for whatever lane the elite is otherwise eligible for (standard/airline elite/Precheck). So if you have Pre on the boarding pass, CLEAR will allow you to cut to the head of the Pre line. It can be useful at certain airports like SFO and MCO, on rare occasion IAH Terminal A. But a lot of airports with Pre clear up to the Travel Document checker within 1-3 minutes anyways, which makes CLEAR of little value at those locations.
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Old Aug 2, 2018, 1:15 pm
  #41  
 
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Before I got pre check, I was given pre check line access about 25% of the time. In the two years I've had pre check, I've gotten it 100% of the time. Granted, depending on your airport and travel times, you may not consistently get pre check, but by my math, $85 divided by the five year duration is about $17 a year for pretty good odds of getting pre check. Not a sucker's bet by any reasonable measure.

Best $85 I ever spent.
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