Logan Airport Term C to E, and E. Pre-Check Questions
Jan 9, 2018, 1:31 pm
#16
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: London, UK
Programs: BA EC silver
Posts: 31
Want to make sure not to conflate the two issues at hand...
1) Terminal C TSA (or any other terminal) will allow you through security as long as you have a valid boarding pass for travel that day out of BOS.
2) In any US airport, they will only let you through if you have PreCheck printed on your boarding pass. Flashing your Global Entry credentials will do no good. See TSA site as well: https://www.tsa.gov/precheck/faq
1) Terminal C TSA (or any other terminal) will allow you through security as long as you have a valid boarding pass for travel that day out of BOS.
2) In any US airport, they will only let you through if you have PreCheck printed on your boarding pass. Flashing your Global Entry credentials will do no good. See TSA site as well: https://www.tsa.gov/precheck/faq
So - in summary - *IF* you are flying out of Logan TE on an airline that participates in Precheck *and* you are qualified *and* they have the ability to print the correct info on your boarding card, you *should* be able to use Precheck in TC. I wonder which TE airlines are able to do this? This news stories bodes well, but why is BA not on this list?
https://www.theverge.com/2017/1/27/1...tlantic-spirit
Jan 9, 2018, 7:47 pm
#17
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Now in SLC
Programs: DL GM 1MM, MR LT Titanium
Posts: 4,117
Well, jetBlue technically belongs on that list, as they do use gate E1 for some of their departures now. (There are now signs in the terminal C pre-security area saying "Flying out of gate E1? Use Terminal C security.") But I don't know if any of the non-US based airlines in Terminal E support PreCheck.
Jan 10, 2018, 1:43 am
#18
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: London, UK
Programs: BA EC silver
Posts: 31
Yes - JetBlue are quite clued up on this. I fly them frequently in and out of JFK domestically, and they are so much better at the gate than BA or Virgin (all style, no substance). So it's no surprise JB actually encourages travellers to use the TC security at Logan, knowing there is no Precheck at TE. With these recent additions to participants in Precheck there must be increasing pressure to add the Precheck service at TE. If BA is still lagging while others have access, it will encourage people to use another airline that does participate.
BA is quite a big player at TE with the A380 service at the expanded gates, so if/when they do join, there will be more need for a precheck lane at TE. Too bad it's such a cramped area - I suppose the two retail outlets (newsagent and restaurant) could be relocated without being missed very much.
I do wonder what the holdup is with BA joining? Perhaps BA (like some UK banks) would prefer to share as little info as possible with the US gov't so as not to irritate some of their "sensitive" low profile customers :-)
I do think the TSA needs to modify domestic Precheck to include frequent travellers at a lower upfront cost. They need a three-stage "triage" setup, with "Pros" "Experienced/frequent" and "Tourist" lanes. The Pro lane will be the existing Precheck (Global Entry, Nexus) who do the background check and pay $$$.
The middle frequent/experienced group would have the option to pay much less (say) $5 extra at booking and then join a self-funded "points" system. Every successful trip through security gets you a point up to a maximum of ten points. Any "problem" you create loses you some points depending on severity. You need five points to be in the lane. Or something like that. Needs no new equipment. The lanes are the same, just designated a bit differently. The backend systems software (and admin) would be paid for out of the $5 and a contribution from participating airlines.
The middle "experienced" TSA checks would be exactly the same as the Tourist lanes, but (at least in theory) the people in there would be both more familiar with the processes *and* motivated to not make mistakes.
In airports/terminals without Precheck, this system could allow the two experienced groups a possibly quicker trip through security. The current Big Orange Card process used at some smaller airports is a bit of a joke, IMO. Confusing and while it allows Precheck customers to leave their shoes and belts on and laptops in, hardly speeds the actual scanning as there is no distinct lane. And why not? Because not enough flyers participate (because it costs too much and they don't travel often enough - see above).
BA is quite a big player at TE with the A380 service at the expanded gates, so if/when they do join, there will be more need for a precheck lane at TE. Too bad it's such a cramped area - I suppose the two retail outlets (newsagent and restaurant) could be relocated without being missed very much.
I do wonder what the holdup is with BA joining? Perhaps BA (like some UK banks) would prefer to share as little info as possible with the US gov't so as not to irritate some of their "sensitive" low profile customers :-)
I do think the TSA needs to modify domestic Precheck to include frequent travellers at a lower upfront cost. They need a three-stage "triage" setup, with "Pros" "Experienced/frequent" and "Tourist" lanes. The Pro lane will be the existing Precheck (Global Entry, Nexus) who do the background check and pay $$$.
The middle frequent/experienced group would have the option to pay much less (say) $5 extra at booking and then join a self-funded "points" system. Every successful trip through security gets you a point up to a maximum of ten points. Any "problem" you create loses you some points depending on severity. You need five points to be in the lane. Or something like that. Needs no new equipment. The lanes are the same, just designated a bit differently. The backend systems software (and admin) would be paid for out of the $5 and a contribution from participating airlines.
The middle "experienced" TSA checks would be exactly the same as the Tourist lanes, but (at least in theory) the people in there would be both more familiar with the processes *and* motivated to not make mistakes.
In airports/terminals without Precheck, this system could allow the two experienced groups a possibly quicker trip through security. The current Big Orange Card process used at some smaller airports is a bit of a joke, IMO. Confusing and while it allows Precheck customers to leave their shoes and belts on and laptops in, hardly speeds the actual scanning as there is no distinct lane. And why not? Because not enough flyers participate (because it costs too much and they don't travel often enough - see above).
Jun 11, 2018, 8:13 am
#19
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Exclusively OMNI/PR, for Reasons
Posts: 4,188
Passing on my experience using Terminal C's Pre✓ to clear security for Porter, who is now Pre✓-enabled and usually uses gate E2.
Porter's boarding passes, either paper or electronic, will not scan at the Terminal C scanners ... even though they have the Pre✓ logo on them.
You'll need to schlep over to Terminal E to transit security, but will receive "expedited" screening (i.e. you get to keep your shoes on, but everything else is exactly the same as non-Pre✓).
If it's an early morning flight, you'll probably get through security in E faster than C even if Pre✓ worked at C. Not much happening in Terminal E at 5:30am, at least on a Monday; C, though, is a mad-house at that time.
Porter's boarding passes, either paper or electronic, will not scan at the Terminal C scanners ... even though they have the Pre✓ logo on them.
You'll need to schlep over to Terminal E to transit security, but will receive "expedited" screening (i.e. you get to keep your shoes on, but everything else is exactly the same as non-Pre✓).
If it's an early morning flight, you'll probably get through security in E faster than C even if Pre✓ worked at C. Not much happening in Terminal E at 5:30am, at least on a Monday; C, though, is a mad-house at that time.
Jun 11, 2018, 5:21 pm
#20
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Formerly Box 350, Boston Mass, Oh two one three four. Now near Beverly Hills 90210
Programs: Loyal Order of Water Buffalos
Posts: 3,937
Did you try the special Terminal E security entrance? When you go into E and are on the Departures level, turn to your right and there's an entrance there for WOW and Icelandair and Porter that almost no one uses.
Jun 11, 2018, 7:23 pm
#21
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Exclusively OMNI/PR, for Reasons
Posts: 4,188
That entrance opens after 2pm, according to the sign at the top of the stairway. And I did verify that it was closed at 5:30am ...
Jun 14, 2018, 4:31 am
#23
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: MSY (finally); previously NYC, BOS, AUH
Programs: AA EXP, 6MM; BA GLD
Posts: 17,248
Passing on my experience using Terminal C's Pre✓ to clear security for Porter, who is now Pre✓-enabled and usually uses gate E2.
Porter's boarding passes, either paper or electronic, will not scan at the Terminal C scanners ... even though they have the Pre✓ logo on them.
You'll need to schlep over to Terminal E to transit security, but will receive "expedited" screening (i.e. you get to keep your shoes on, but everything else is exactly the same as non-Pre✓).
If it's an early morning flight, you'll probably get through security in E faster than C even if Pre✓ worked at C. Not much happening in Terminal E at 5:30am, at least on a Monday; C, though, is a mad-house at that time.
Porter's boarding passes, either paper or electronic, will not scan at the Terminal C scanners ... even though they have the Pre✓ logo on them.
You'll need to schlep over to Terminal E to transit security, but will receive "expedited" screening (i.e. you get to keep your shoes on, but everything else is exactly the same as non-Pre✓).
If it's an early morning flight, you'll probably get through security in E faster than C even if Pre✓ worked at C. Not much happening in Terminal E at 5:30am, at least on a Monday; C, though, is a mad-house at that time.
Jun 20, 2018, 11:26 pm
#25
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 7,875
FYI, the premium lane is closed late at night (don't know exactly when), but there are no passengers in line so it isn't a big deal.
Jun 21, 2018, 6:14 pm
#26
FlyerTalk Evangelist
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Location: MSY (finally); previously NYC, BOS, AUH
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Posts: 17,248
I recently went through security at around 9 or 9:30pm for BA’s 10:30pm departure. There were plenty of people in line and the premium lane was open.
Jun 21, 2018, 9:09 pm
#27
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 7,875
Jun 21, 2018, 11:13 pm
#28
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Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: MSY (finally); previously NYC, BOS, AUH
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Jun 23, 2018, 3:50 pm
#30
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 7,875