Would a foreign ff program number hurt precheck odds?
 

I often redeem Avios miles to fly US domestic flights. I have no US/AA status, but I do now have oneworld sapphire status through foreign carriers. I also have a Known Traveler Number.

I'm a bit reluctant to enter my foreign airline ff number into my record for fear that it could "screw up" my precheck privileges. Any chance that it would? I know US Airways check-in gives you a box to put the Known Traveler Number in (which I do) along with my middle name. I do take out my non-elite BA ff number and substitute my US number (well, now my AA number).

I do have Zone 2 boarding anyway due to credit card membership and, honestly, Zone 2 is effective in getting my carry-on bag stowed.

Could I also just flash my sapphire-status card to the gate agent and preboard with the elites?

As this is a PreCheck question and not a US/AA question, I'll move your thread over to the Trusted Traveler forum.


aztimm

Would a foreign ff program number hurt precheck odds?
 

Shouldn't make a difference what FF number you use. The data that goes to the TSA doesn't include that, forget everything exactly but it's travelers full name, gender, and DOB for sure. The TSA then decides if one gets pre-check or not. Airline has no say in this.

Those FFers that were bring invites to try pre-check were having their data sent to be considered, vs. other flyers who weren't being considered, IIRC.

I know lots of people that primarily or even exclusively use European airline programs and still mostly have 100% PreCheck LLL screening outcomes over each of their dozens or even hundreds of flights when we've been having the KTN field in the US-operating airlines' PNRs filled in with their GE PASSID number or other KTN number accepted by the USG for PreCheck screening purposes.

About flashing a relevant airline elite card to access priority boarding despite no indication of priority group boarding on the AA or US boarding card, it usually works but some gate agents will make an issue about it not showing up on the boarding pass.

OK, thanks -- I'll try it. My reluctance is that US elite boarding is a marginal benefit compared to the Zone 2 I get putting in my AA number. Getting precheck instead of waiting on the regular TSA line is more than a marginal benefit. :) BTW, does oneworld elite status get me any additional seat selection inventory on AA/US -- THAT would have some real value, especially if I book at the last minute or my seat assignment gets "lost".

BA-issued awards for AA flights give non-elites in the main Priority Access on the AA boarding passes. That and/or partner airline elite status gives expanded, free seat assignment choices on AA flights. It's routine to get all of this (including PreCheck LLL) on AA-issued boarding passes for BA-issued award tickets for AA-operated economy class flights when the passenger has used the GE number in the AA PNR KTN field.

Nope, doesn't matter.

Good, because putting my foreign Sapphire ff number into my Avios-booked US Airways coach award reservation opened up all the preferred seats for booking. And I was happy with just the lounge access. :)

I can't even see how your FFP# would be linked to your KTN. Thus, I doubt that TSA even "knows" whether you are a member of a program or, if you are, which program.

So here's another wrinkle to this. I have an Avios coach award ticket on US Airways for an int'l flight leaving the USA. I switched my ff number to Qantas, where I am a sapphire elite. It got me better seats. I went to check in, and entered my passport info and such. But, unlike a domestic flight, it didn't offer me the option to add my Known Traveler number. Concerned that I wouldn't get Precheck, I went to Finnair and switched my ff number to AA (no elite, but I get zone 2 boarding by having their credit card). I still didn't get a chance to enter my Known Traveler Number, but it's in my AA profile.

I got precheck from doing this. Had I kept my Qantas number, is there a good chance I would have been denied? Or is this just silly?

If your AA profile weren't what is populating the KTN, you can call up the operating US airline to enter the KTN independent of the US airline/FFP profile. Either way, we call up the operating US PreCheck-participating carrier in such circumstances to make sure the KTN is in the U.S. airlines' PNRs and then call back to confirm the KTN number is the same (ending at least) as what we provided earlier over the phone. The non-US FFP number isn't what results in "being denied" PreCheck LLL.