TSA Precheck at IAD
 

The precheck line can sometimes get pretty long at IAD. And I don't recall seeing a separate precheck line (or separate entrance) for passengers flying in F or otherwise having premier access. Am I right about that? Is there a better approach (short of getting Clear), such as going to the non-precheck security, where as I recall there is a separate line/entrance for F passengers?

No separate line at IAD for premium passengers. Everyone drops in the same line unless you have CLEAR. With clear and TSA Pre, you will drop in the existing upper level line, if just CLEAR without Pre, you will have to go downstairs.

I've ended up ducking out of the pre check lane and used the regular lane at IAD because it was far far shorter more than a couple of times. I was often flying out around 7:00 pm and pre check seemed stuffed with people boarding international departures just from snooping at boarding passes.

Once the regular lane security guy tried to get me to go back to pre check. I refused.

But yeah, IAD pre check can be a mess.

EWR pre check is even worse though.

Mike

Pre-Check processes an average of 6-7 passengers for every passenger in the standard line. Unless the Pre-Check line is 6-7 times longer than the regular line, the fact that it is somewhat longer is irrelevant as it is time, not number of people that matters.

There is no separate priority Pre-Check as Pre-Check itself amounts to a priority.

Get CLEAR, problem solved.

From the OP:

There is no F or separate Premier Access line for TSA at IAD.

I have not seen a separate F and/or Premier Access TSA line at any of the US airports I have been to. Has anyone seen it?

you mean a separate pre line just for F/premier access. No, I’ve never seen it, and don’t think it exists.

but what do I know, I’m just based at CVG, where a line of 10 people at pre is pretty busy.

What day of the week? I routinely flew out of IAD on Fridays and it was a ghost town after 5 o'clock. In all my IAD flying I've never faced any significant wait at security.

Lucky you. I've never had that experience before evening flights out of Dulles on Thursdays and Fridays. Here's a pic I took from a Thursday in August of the Precheck line at around 5. They've since moved the Clear folks which makes it a little better. But I certainly have not found Dulles a ghost town on Friday evenings.
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...a47905f4f4.jpg

Clear + Precheck! Match made in heaven.

That is my experience also. In addition, even when it is long it moves fast and usually faster than the regular line.

There used to be a premier access line for regular TSA screening at the East security checkpoint (at least as of October 2018 - have not been there since). That could have changed when they re arranged Clear recently though.

LAS does

International (T5) at ORD used to have one. However I haven't gone through security there since the air-side busing began so I don't know the current state of it.