Mar 2, 2022, 5:22 pm
Last edit by: TWA884
From the TSA website:
CAT is an effective tool for TSA officers, providing enhanced fraudulent ID detection capabilities while confirming the identity and flight information of travelers.
When a CAT unit is in use, a TSA officer will ask travelers to provide their photo IDs. The officer will insert each photo ID into the CAT unit where the ID is scanned and analyzed.
CAT is linked electronically to the Secure Flight database, which confirms travelers’ flight details, ensuring they are ticketed for travel that day. CAT also displays the pre-screening status (such as TSA PreCheck®) the traveler is eligible for, all without a boarding pass. However, CAT does not eliminate the requirement for passengers to check-in with their airline. Passengers still need their boarding pass to show the airline representative at their gate before boarding their flight.
Credential Authentication Technology
What is CAT?
Credential Authentication Technology (CAT) is a security game changer, ensuring ID authentication, reservation verification and Secure Flight pre-screening status are known in “near” real-time at the airport security checkpoint.CAT is an effective tool for TSA officers, providing enhanced fraudulent ID detection capabilities while confirming the identity and flight information of travelers.
When a CAT unit is in use, a TSA officer will ask travelers to provide their photo IDs. The officer will insert each photo ID into the CAT unit where the ID is scanned and analyzed.
CAT is linked electronically to the Secure Flight database, which confirms travelers’ flight details, ensuring they are ticketed for travel that day. CAT also displays the pre-screening status (such as TSA PreCheck®) the traveler is eligible for, all without a boarding pass. However, CAT does not eliminate the requirement for passengers to check-in with their airline. Passengers still need their boarding pass to show the airline representative at their gate before boarding their flight.
Advantages of CAT
CAT improves the travel document checker’s ability to accurately authenticate passenger identification and pre-screening status, addressing the vulnerabilities associated with ID and boarding pass fraud.Acceptable Forms of ID
Passengers 18 years old and over must show valid identification at the airport checkpoint in order to travel. CAT can scan the following types of identification:- U.S. passport
- U.S. passport card
- U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) ID. This includes IDs for active duty and retired military, their dependents, and DOD civilians. Also, the DOD Common Access Card (CAC).
- U.S. Merchant Mariner ID
- Trusted Traveler card:
- Global Entry
- Secure Electronic Network for Traveler Rapid Inspection (SENTRI)
- Free and Secure Trade (FAST) ID
- NEXUS card
- Permanent Resident Card/Resident Alien Card (I-551)
- Border Crossing Card/nonimmigrant visa (DSP-150)
- DHS refugee travel document (I-571)
- U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Employment Authorization Document (I-766)
- Driver’s or enhanced driver’s license
- Identification card issued by or under authority of a state Department of Motor Vehicles or equivalent state office that is intended or commonly accepted for the purpose of identifying individuals
- Passports
- United Nations laissez-passer
- Canadian driver’s license
- Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) card
Airport Locations
TSA has CAT units at the following airports:
- Albuquerque International Sunport (ABQ)
- Atlantic City International Airport (ACY)
- Albany International Airport (ALB)
- Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC)
- Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL)
- Appleton International Airport (ATW)
- Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS)
- Asheville Regional Airport (AVL)
- Bradley International Airport (BDL)
- Bangor International Airport (BGR)
- Birmingham–Shuttlesworth International Airport (BHM)
- Billings Logan International Airport (BIL)
- Bismarck Municipal Airport (BIS)
- Nashville International Airport (BNA)
- Boise Airport (Boise Air Terminal) (Gowen Field) (BOI)
- Boston Logan International Airport (BOS)
- Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport (Ryan Field) (BTR)
- Burlington International Airport (BTV)
- Buffalo Niagara International Airport (BUF)
- Hollywood Burbank Airport (was Bob Hope Airport) (BUR)
- Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI)
- Akron–Canton Airport (CAK)
- Charleston International Airport / Charleston AFB (CHS)
- The Eastern Iowa Airport (CID)
- Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE)
- Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT)
- John Glenn Columbus International Airport (CMH)
- Yeager Airport (CRW)
- Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG)
- James M. Cox Dayton International Airport (DAY)
- Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA)
- Denver International Airport (DEN)
- Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW)
- Des Moines International Airport (DSM)
- Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW)
- El Paso International Airport (ELP)
- Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL)
- Sioux Falls Regional Airport (Joe Foss Field) (FSD)
- Spokane International Airport (Geiger Field) (GEG)
- Gulfport–Biloxi International Airport (GPT)
- Green Bay–Austin Straubel International Airport (GRB)
- Gerald R. Ford International Airport (GRR)
- Piedmont Triad International Airport (GSO)
- Greenville–Spartanburg International Airport (Roger Milliken Field) (GSP)
- Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL)
- Houston William P. Hobby International Airport (HOU)
- Westchester County Airport (HPN)
- Washington-Dulles International Airport (IAD)
- Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH)
- Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport (formerly Wichita Mid-Continent Airport) (ICT)
- Indianapolis International Airport (IND)
- Long Island MacArthur Airport (ISP)
- Jackson Hole Airport (JAC)
- Jackson–Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport (JAN)
- Jacksonville International Airport (JAX)
- John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)
- McCarran International Airport (LAS)
- Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
- Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport (LBB)
- LaGuardia Airport (LGA)
- Clinton National Airport (Adams Field) (was Little Rock National) (LIT)
- Kansas City International Airport (MCI)
- Orlando International Airport (MCO)
- Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW)
- Manchester–Boston Regional Airport (MHT)
- Miami International Airport (MIA)
- Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport (MKE)
- Minot International Airport (MOT)
- Dane County Regional Airport (Truax Field) (MSN)
- Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP)
- Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY)
- Myrtle Beach International Airport (MYR)
- Oakland International Airport (OAK)
- Eppley Airfield (OMA)
- Ontario International Airport (ONT)
- Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD)
- Norfolk International Airport (ORF)
- Paine Field Airport (PAE)
- Palm Beach International Airport (PBI)
- Portland International Airport (PDX)
- Punta Gorda Airport (PGD)
- Philadelphia International Airport (PHL)
- Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX)
- Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT)
- Pensacola International Airport (PNS)
- Tri-Cities Airport (PSC)
- Palm Springs International Airport (PSP)
- Theodore Francis Green State Airport (PVD)
- Portland International Jetport (PWM)
- Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU)
- Richmond International Airport (RIC)
- Reno/Tahoe International Airport (RNO)
- Roanoke–Blacksburg Regional Airport (Woodrum Field) (ROA)
- Greater Rochester International Airport (ROC)
- Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW)
- San Diego International Airport (SAN)
- San Antonio International Airport (SAT)
- Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport (SAV)
- South Bend International Airport (was South Bend Regional) (SBN)
- Louisville International Airport (Standiford Field) (SDF)
- Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA)
- San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
- Springfield–Branson National Airport (SGF)
- Shreveport Regional Airport (SHV)
- San Jose International Airport (SJC)
- Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (San Juan Airport) (SJU)
- Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC)
- Sacramento International Airport (SMF)
- John Wayne Airport (SNA)
- Sarasota–Bradenton International Airport (SRQ)
- St. Louis Lambert International Airport (STL)
- Cyril E. King Airport (STT)
- Syracuse Hancock International Airport (SYR)
- Tallahassee International Airport (TLH)
- Tampa International Airport (TPA)
- Tulsa International Airport (TUL
- Tucson International Airport (TUS)
- McGhee Tyson Airport (TYS)
- Northwest Arkansas National Airport (XNA)
New TSA Credential Authentication Technology ID Scanners - No Boarding Pass Required
Apr 25, 2022, 9:54 am
#121
Join Date: May 2013
Location: New York
Programs: UA Silver, Marriott LTPP, Hertz Five Star
Posts: 1,079
I just had a friend who got Precheck on his boarding pass and encountered a CAT machine that read his boarding pass that said he was clear to fly but no Pre. I told him if he added his DOD ID from his CAC close to flight time, that he should add it either at 24hr mark at check-in, or better yet, at time of ticketing.
I flew United in Feb 2020 and encountered the CAT machine scanning my US passport card and it had no issue with the fact that my name was FIRSTNAMEMIDDLE with no space. Found my reservation just fine.
thanks this was a very excellent explanation; i noticed that my name on my boarding pass (united) has my FIRSTNAMEMIDDLENAME then LASTNAME. My name is FIRSTNAME MIDDLENAME LASTNAME. Wonder if the merging of FIRSTNAMEMIDDLENAME in the FIRST NAME part of my ticket is what caused one of the flags. I'm not sure what the other flag was...so is it possible there are chips in the driver's license i provided that may have been not transmitting a 'genuine" signal to the reader? or, could physical trauma to the presented ID lead to an inability to verify whether the ID presented is legit?
Apr 25, 2022, 7:11 pm
#122
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: SJC
Programs: AA, AS, Marriott
Posts: 6,061
I had done a same day flight change today (with Alaska if that makes any difference). When I got to the TDC the TSO asked to confirm my flight number as both were in the system. The flight time of the original flight had passed, so perhaps I wouldn't have had to confirm my flight number if it were in advance of the original flight time.
May 5, 2022, 3:03 am
#123
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: New England
Programs: American Gold, Marriott Gold, Hilton Silver
Posts: 5,640
I just had a friend who got Precheck on his boarding pass and encountered a CAT machine that read his boarding pass that said he was clear to fly but no Pre. I told him if he added his DOD ID from his CAC close to flight time, that he should add it either at 24hr mark at check-in, or better yet, at time of ticketing.
May 9, 2022, 7:52 am
#124
Join Date: May 2013
Location: New York
Programs: UA Silver, Marriott LTPP, Hertz Five Star
Posts: 1,079
Jun 15, 2022, 2:16 am
#125
Join Date: Sep 2005
Programs: Mileageplus
Posts: 245
Problem with my DL and CAT machines
When I moved from Maryland to Florida I got a new license. In Florida they put the apostrophe in my last name whereas Maryland omits it. The CAT machines are rejecting my FL license and I’m curious if it’s the apostrophe causing the issue as airline systems do not recognize apostrophe’s. I have an Irish surname which accounts for the apostrophe.
Jun 15, 2022, 2:17 pm
#126
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: SJC
Programs: AA, AS, Marriott
Posts: 6,061
When I moved from Maryland to Florida I got a new license. In Florida they put the apostrophe in my last name whereas Maryland omits it. The CAT machines are rejecting my FL license and I’m curious if it’s the apostrophe causing the issue as airline systems do not recognize apostrophe’s. I have an Irish surname which accounts for the apostrophe.
Mrs. Majuki has a hyphen in her name and on her driver's license that is either omitted or replaced with a space on airline tickets, and this doesn't seem to be a problem with CAT.
Jun 15, 2022, 6:08 pm
#127
Join Date: Sep 2005
Programs: Mileageplus
Posts: 245
When I got to my destination today (FLL) I approached a TSA officer and mentioned my problem. She said they were having lots of issues with FL drivers licenses as well as TX ones. She told me not to be concerned. I said in will travel with my global entry card from now on. I just hope that works. I don’t want to always carry my passport for a domestic flight. But as you see TSA really wasn’t interested in my single issue. So I’ve done all I can.
Jun 15, 2022, 6:40 pm
#128
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: SJC
Programs: AA, AS, Marriott
Posts: 6,061
There's probably not any authority for a single TSO at an airport to do anything, but there is a TSA feedback website where you could mention issues with CAT and your driver's license. I can't imagine you're the only one with this issue, so perhaps giving feedback directly would at least cause someone to look into the matter.
Jun 19, 2022, 7:45 pm
#129
Join Date: Apr 2016
Programs: Flying blue
Posts: 11
I went through PHL last week and the TSA agent was giving me issues that my passport was giving issues with their verification system.
Belgium renewed its passport design in February 2022. This passport apparently includes some new security features from Zetes.
The page that contains personal information, with name, etc, is now a harder kind of plastic and is no longer flexible like the old one.
Has anyone heard of people having issues with foreign passports which have been redesigned like half a year ago?
When I entered the country, CBP did not give me any issues.
Belgium renewed its passport design in February 2022. This passport apparently includes some new security features from Zetes.
The page that contains personal information, with name, etc, is now a harder kind of plastic and is no longer flexible like the old one.
Has anyone heard of people having issues with foreign passports which have been redesigned like half a year ago?
When I entered the country, CBP did not give me any issues.
Jul 12, 2022, 9:15 am
#130
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: DCA
Posts: 439
I went through PHL last week and the TSA agent was giving me issues that my passport was giving issues with their verification system.
Belgium renewed its passport design in February 2022. This passport apparently includes some new security features from Zetes.
The page that contains personal information, with name, etc, is now a harder kind of plastic and is no longer flexible like the old one.
Has anyone heard of people having issues with foreign passports which have been redesigned like half a year ago?
When I entered the country, CBP did not give me any issues.
Belgium renewed its passport design in February 2022. This passport apparently includes some new security features from Zetes.
The page that contains personal information, with name, etc, is now a harder kind of plastic and is no longer flexible like the old one.
Has anyone heard of people having issues with foreign passports which have been redesigned like half a year ago?
When I entered the country, CBP did not give me any issues.
Jul 12, 2022, 9:18 am
#131
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: DCA
Posts: 439
One interesting data point. My wife lost her passport a couple years ago, reported it lost, got a replacement passport, then found the "lost" passport. She mistakenly grabbed the "lost" passport on our last trip and the TSA scanners didn't have any issue with it. Immigration at our destination did pull us aside though and we had to have the proper passport mailed to use before we could travel back to the US.
Surprising that there's no check by TSA that the ID being scanned is in fact still valid and not on a list of potentially stolen credentials.
Surprising that there's no check by TSA that the ID being scanned is in fact still valid and not on a list of potentially stolen credentials.
Oct 20, 2022, 7:54 am
#132
Join Date: May 2013
Location: New York
Programs: UA Silver, Marriott LTPP, Hertz Five Star
Posts: 1,079
Looks like with CAT rolling out to more airports, the TSA has acknowledged the glacial pace of government projects and put out a soliciation for the 2nd generation of it. The amended RFP makes it clear that they want facial recognition technology (either feeding into a DHS FRT algorithm or using their own), which would be the biggest change over the current system (which checks security features of the ID and if it is within validity date, but merely displays that to the TSO to match the passenger to the ID).
Surprising - this document makes the following statement on secure flight:
This PIA update also reflects that TSA now checks passenger reservation data including passport information against watch lists of lost and stolen travel documents, including international passports. Passengers using lost or stolen travel documents will not be permitted to fly.
I'd hazard a guess (although if it's correct or not, who knows). Your wife's passport is properly flagged as lost/stolen, but she likely updated her airline (or wherever she ticketed the flight from) to tell them her new passport number. Secure Flight checked that the new passport number was valid and gave an OK to fly message back to the airline, and the CAT machine merely matched her name/DOB/gender to Secure Flight and the ticketed flight info. It's also possible that the machine presented the discrepancy to the agent for resolution, the agent saw that the passport matched her appearance and was within validity date, and overrode it. Hard to say.
My guess is that the system takes the input from the CAT Scanner and then reads key information like the passport MRZ and then matches security features of the document to what it expects (well, we know the M500 does this per its sales flyers, and we know TSA CAT does look for document anomalies based on information the TSA has released about the system.
New iteration of the passport comes out with updated appearance and security features, CAT reads the MRZ and sees country BEL, what do I expect this document to look like - hey this doesn't match. Something fixable in an update, but explains why an updated passport design could run into trouble for a bit while the first few people get them and use them at TSA checkpoints.
One interesting data point. My wife lost her passport a couple years ago, reported it lost, got a replacement passport, then found the "lost" passport. She mistakenly grabbed the "lost" passport on our last trip and the TSA scanners didn't have any issue with it. Immigration at our destination did pull us aside though and we had to have the proper passport mailed to use before we could travel back to the US.
This PIA update also reflects that TSA now checks passenger reservation data including passport information against watch lists of lost and stolen travel documents, including international passports. Passengers using lost or stolen travel documents will not be permitted to fly.
I'd hazard a guess (although if it's correct or not, who knows). Your wife's passport is properly flagged as lost/stolen, but she likely updated her airline (or wherever she ticketed the flight from) to tell them her new passport number. Secure Flight checked that the new passport number was valid and gave an OK to fly message back to the airline, and the CAT machine merely matched her name/DOB/gender to Secure Flight and the ticketed flight info. It's also possible that the machine presented the discrepancy to the agent for resolution, the agent saw that the passport matched her appearance and was within validity date, and overrode it. Hard to say.
New iteration of the passport comes out with updated appearance and security features, CAT reads the MRZ and sees country BEL, what do I expect this document to look like - hey this doesn't match. Something fixable in an update, but explains why an updated passport design could run into trouble for a bit while the first few people get them and use them at TSA checkpoints.
Oct 20, 2022, 10:18 am
#133
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
Any data on what happens when the passenger ID subject to this system is for a passenger who has multiple same-day departures from the airport but the first flight’s check-in didn’t come with PreCheck but the same-day later flight’s check-in came with PreCheck? Does it show that the passenger is approved for PreCheck screening regardless of when they are at the screening checkpoint?
Oct 20, 2022, 1:53 pm
#134
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: WAS
Programs: enjoyed being warm spit for a few years on CO/UA but now nothing :(
Posts: 2,507
Any data on what happens when the passenger ID subject to this system is for a passenger who has multiple same-day departures from the airport but the first flight’s check-in didn’t come with PreCheck but the same-day later flight’s check-in came with PreCheck? Does it show that the passenger is approved for PreCheck screening regardless of when they are at the screening checkpoint?
Oct 20, 2022, 5:00 pm
#135
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: SJC
Programs: AA, AS, Marriott
Posts: 6,061
Any data on what happens when the passenger ID subject to this system is for a passenger who has multiple same-day departures from the airport but the first flight’s check-in didn’t come with PreCheck but the same-day later flight’s check-in came with PreCheck? Does it show that the passenger is approved for PreCheck screening regardless of when they are at the screening checkpoint?
There's another example of someone I know who got the SSSS on his inbound flight to the US. He was able to reapply his KTN once stateside to restore Precheck for his domestic segment. However, when he got to the TDC using CAT, the TSO manually marked up his Precheck printed boarding pass with SSSS. It appears that the SSSS status from the inbound international segment persisted in the system once there (even though I thought that was no longer a thing domestically). Of course, he only had one flight in this situation. I'd be curious to know if he did a same day flight change how it would appear to the CAT.