petaluma1

If TSA had attained its original goal of 25 million enrolled, TSA would have raked in $950,000,000 in initial enrollments. (TSA gets the biggest chunk of the $85 fee.) I realize that's peanuts compared with its $8 billion budget and it was spread out over several years but I'm certain TSA is capable of finding ways to waste those funds.

Regarding inconsistency, this is what TSA has to say about: that:

kyanar

An even easier adjustment, provided Global Entry numbers are included in these numbers, would be to engage with other countries in a meaningful fashion to get them to sign up to the program. I live in Australia, which is a relatively large country on relatively decent terms with the US, but Australians cannot apply for Global Entry - though apparently the Department of Home Affairs is in talks with the Department of Homeland Security about how it can happen. I carry a New Zealand passport, another country on pretty good terms with the US, but I've asked the New Zealand government whether they intend to join the program and was informed they looked into it but it just plain costs too much. The question is, really, what costs does the other government bear to sign up to Global Entry when the citizen is also charged $99 USD as well? And why not drop some of these to increase potential enrolments?

garykung

I believe the fell short in enrollment is due to the fact that TSA's expectation is way different from travelers.

I got my Pre-Check through AMEX Platinum when TSA started kicking off FFPs and allowing private enrollment. If AMEX did not pay for my Pre-Check, I would not have enrolled Pre-Check, especially I am receiving priority security from UA anyway.

Similarly, a typical traveler arrives at an airport about 2 hours before departure.After check-in with the airline, there should be about 1.5 hours remaining. Unless long lines, the remaining time is sufficient for the said traveler to pass through security without Pre-Check. Also - the said traveler may have nothing to do, unless many of us here, except waiting for boarding. Last but not the least - no one is paying the enrollment fee for the said traveler.

Bottom line - if you can get through security without paying $85 extra, why would you pay it?

WillCAD

Answer: Because for that $85 extra, you get through FASTER, and without disrobing as much, and without going through the whole body imaging scanner.

Most of the time. Anyone who has used PreCheck on a regular basis will tell you that Pre lines are not always available, if they are they're not always open, and if they are you sometimes get randomly selected to go through the WBI, which necessitates additional disrobing. But even with the random lack of PreCheck benefits, many Pre members still swear by it because it speeds and smooths their checkpoint experience 75% of the time or more.

I won't pay it, though. I'm not a frequent flyer like so many on FlyerTalk, so I see no need to squander $85 on something that may save me one hour of my time per year, especially when I may need to spend an hour or more traveling to the Pre enrollment center to submit my initial application, etc.

garykung

Not true. None of what you have said is a guarantee of the Pre-Check.

WillCAD

Perhaps you missed the part where I said:

halls120

Last time I was at LAX flying AS, the regular lane was faster than the pre check line.

halls120

If the majority of the American flying public had the opportunity to experience flying in and around Europe, they would realize just how awful TSA really is.

ethernal

And incidentally with their comparatively "lax" security procedures they have managed to have... zero passenger-driven terrorist attacks on airplanes in the past 10 years despite facing a much, much higher risk profile than the US. It is the proof point for the fact that the TSA does not add any value with its ridiculous screening processes.

chollie

It sickens me that the US has spent taxpayer dollars to send TSA 'favorites' to select European countries to 'advise' them on their security practices.

The rest of the world should be teaching us, not the other way around.

Once again, the obligatory disclaimer: my statements indicate nothing but respect and admiration for every single one of our folks in the blue uniform of TSA. They are, individually and collectively, above reproach.

I know because I have been re-educated and threatened.

cestmoi123

I prefer European security to non-PreCheck US security. I prefer PreCheck to European security (devices stay in bag, belt stays on, etc.).

chollie

As I've posted elsewhere, even when PreCheck is available, there's no guarantee what flavor you'll get.

At PHX recently, all PreCheck pax were told only one electronic device per bag - everything else had to be pulled and run through separately. I had a cellphone in my daypack but I had to remove my small P&S camera and put it in a dog bowl. Because I wasn't planning on removing my camera, it was buried in the depths of my bag. The poor guy behind me had two laptops, phone, tablet, and other stuff. All but one item had to be pulled and run through the xray separately. I got stuck waiting while he unpacked because they stopped the belt and backed it up to make him unpack, leaving my bag stuck in the xray tunnel while it was going on.

Individually, it slowed things down one or two minutes per pax. I waited longer because my bag was stuck in the xray tunnel while they pulled bags and ran the xray backwards so the guy behind me could unpack everything and send it through individually. His delay was probably 5 minutes. The line wasn't long, but an additional minute per pax will mean longer time and more time spent waiting in line. It also meant the exit from the xray started backing up. No one is going to try to grab two bags, two loose laptops, and multiple dog bowls to carry them somewhere else for re-assembly. They're going to do just what I did - stand at the exit of the xray and hold everything up while making sure nothing gets left behind.

I will take security anywhere else in the world I have flown over TSA any day. Shorter lines, more honest screeners, no hands probing my butt crack or chopping my genitalia, no barking, and a far greater degree of consistency than I have ever witnessed anywhere in the US.

cestmoi123

In my experience, I get "full Precheck" (electronics and liquids stay in bag, shoes stay on, light jackets stay on), at least 98% of the time. I can only think of one time in the last couple of years that I got less than that (no Precheck open, so got a card that let me keep my shoes on, but electronics/liquids had to come out). Have gotten a couple of patdowns when the metal detector "random beep" went off, but were no more invasive than the same thing I've experienced in Europe.

Definitely agree that European screeners are more polite.

TWA884

+1 except that in my case, it is closer to 99%.

halls120

This. Fly around Europe for several months and then return to the US, you get attitude even in the Global entry lane, and bad attitude + when going through security to catch your domestic connection.