TSA Pre?
 

I've just had what can only be described as a good experience with TSA - my BP for a US domestic flight has the TSA PRECHK annotation and I whizzed straight past the queues and was through screening in 10 seconds. All very nice but does anyone out there how this gets decided - I'm not a US citizen and not eligible for Global Entry so don't seem to meet any of the criteria the TSA sets out in its FAQ for their Pre scheme. Is there a link with BAEC - US citizens who are members of selected FF programs can be eligible?? Just curious.....

As far I know the option for airlines to nominate someone to TSA PRE will go away soon. You can gain PRE either via applying to PRE itself ($80 fee afik and if ok'ed it is valid for 5 years) or via Global Entry ($100 fee and also 5 years).

I will have my Global Entry interview soon as legal resident here. I signed up for GE because of no interviewing location for TSA PRE in the SF Bay Area (only out in Stockton), while GE interview is at SFO.

Of course, it also bears noting that British Airways don't (yet) participate in the TSA Pre program. TSA Pre have only recently added their first foreign carrier, Air Canada.

TSA Pre✓™ fee is non-refundable $85.00. Process takes about three weeks from interview. It is available only to US citizens, US Nationals or US Legal Permanent Residents. Successful applicants receive a Known Traveler Number (KTN) which they include in reservations. Their boarding passes are endorsed 'TSA Pre✓' and they are excused from taking off shoes, taking out laptops and/or liquids. Lines are shorter and quicker. For security, a registered Known Traveler may occasionally not have their BP endorsed and must use normal security lines.

N.B. Only 10 airlines participate in the program.

Unless you were one of the lucky few UK citizens who got access to Global Entry a few months back. They had a limited number of application codes for non-US citizens.

I've used it every time since - it's brilliant. Well worth the $100 if you regularly travel to the US. Only drawback is if you have checked luggage - you get through immigration so fast the wait for your bags is even longer.

Possibly it was due to your BAEC status, translated into OW status on the BP. PreCheck was originally offered to members of some airlines' FF programs, and those in Global Entry. It's a great program, though lately some of the lines for PreCheck are longer than for "normal" screening.

As noted certain travelers are being granted TSA Pre in addition to those in a trusted traveler program. This has been occurring for quite some time now.
See these threads:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/briti...e-i-fly-f.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/briti...B+%26quot%3Baa
http://www.tsa.gov/tsa-precheck/like...g-tsa-precheck

Joining Global Entry, if you are eligible, will make it much more likely to get access to precheck lanes and be able to keep your shoes and jacket on and laptop packed away.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/briti...B+%26quot%3Baa
http://www.tsa.gov/tsa-precheck/faqs
http://www.cbp.gov/travel/trusted-tr...s/global-entry

As noted by Chucko in some airports and at some times the Precheck lane is no longer as fast as it used to be due to the additional people being granted access and in some cases the regular lines being diverted into the precheck lane. Overall though it has been an excellent program.

I randomly got TSA pre connecting through DFW once, I was in Y so it wasn't a cabin thing. I didn't even know I had it so was taking off all my clothes, preparing for cavities to be searched, emptying the contents of my bag and making sure to be completely humourless ( to comply with TSA guidelines) when the chap on the belt told me I didn't need to.

Air carriers don't "nominate" people to Pre-Check. It was simply a way to kick off the program for TSA, as a government agency, to ask carriers, as private entities, to share data with their customers' permission.

It will soon be discontinued.

Nonetheless, passengers are occasionally and randomly selected for pre-check.

No word yet, but I would be surprised if BA isn't the next non-US carrier to join (the EU privacy types willing !)

You can also get TSA Pre Check with the Nexus program. You get Global Entry with the Nexus program as well - for $50.

Little Fruitcake has TSA pre status, or at least so his BP has said on our last few flights in the US. No idea why.

However, Mrs F and I do not, so not much help really.

BTW, I quite like the fact that the Land of the Free do all their airport security via a unified, public sector, organisation.

I had the good fortune of being randomly selected for TSA pre-check on both legs of my SAN-DIA RT flight on UA this past weekend. I made it through security in approximately one minute both times and did not have to remove my shoes or belt. The regular security line at DIA on Sunday evening was about 20 minutes. I know this because the person I was traveling with did not get selected for pre-check.

Not sure why I was selected but I definitely liked it.

TSA Pre?
 

I get TSA Pre randomly by TSA on the day. I'm Global Entry but not a citizen of the US so I've never received it on my BP - just randomly in the lines. The airlines will nominate frequent flyers at times.

I agree that it's a great program, but under the current rules, you won't get it reliably unless you are a US Citizen.

Well whatever the cause is, its looking less likely to be random as I've been TSA Pre-ed again on the return leg - still not complaining!

I was also randomly selected recently, while transferring through LAX.

This will change soon (this summer) when Lawful Permanent Residents with Global Entry will be fully integrated into TSA Pre✓™ if they include their Pass ID number into the field for Known Traveler Number when completing their details for the airline. There will remain the possibility of random exclusion for security reasons: just as US citizens are liable for random exclusion.

Another data point. Not a US citizen nor permanent resident, but have Global Entry. I use BA for FF not AA. I get TSA Pre pretty much every time when the BP is issued by AA (whether the is flight is operated by AA or whoever), domestic and international.

That's pretty much the case for me. I don't think I've consciously given AA my GE number, though I've now had one for about 3 years now, but from about a year ago I got more and more TSA Pre on the AA boarding pass. On US (and other airlines) they explicitly ask for the number in booking / check-in and that invariably works. However the value of it has somewhat declined, at LAX the difference is getting increasingly marginal.

Based on 10 or so recent transcon US flights, the increase in people using this line is great news as it simply reduces the waiting time at the others.

Not that dissimilar from people who insist on using a business / first queue with several people waiting in front vs. just switching to the empty economy one next door.

I pretty much always get TSA Pre when flying AA, and I attribute this to my BA Gold status.

If you fly AA intl F from JFK you get spat into the TSA Pre line, even if your BP doesn't say "Pre". On the 77W it's the only difference I can find between J & F in five flights (apart from the familiarity of the instantly recognizable Air Marshalls in F)

Ditto although I'm doubtful that it's down to being a GCH. I say that because a colleague of mine who is a GCH is Pre-Approved much less often since he lost his EXP status with AA.

For internal US flights Pre Check is a god send! That said, I'm on a domestic AA flight out of LAX right now and lone behold the Pre check at terminal 4 was closed. So, I had to pull all my liquids out, take my laptop out etc and there was general chaos from the folks who are used to Pre and leaving everything in their bags being made to drag out liquids and laptops etc.

Usually I'm in and out of security in minutes with Pre (except tonight). Glad to hear our UK bothers and sister can take advantage of this service!

I have consistently had TSA PRE on boarding passes issued by AA since I've had GE as I always put my known traveller ID into my AA bookings. I am flying on AA today TPA-DFW-LHR but on BA ticket stock but neither I (at home) nor the check-in agent (at TPA) could print my boarding passes with TSA stamped on them. She could see my known traveller ID in the AA reservation. Is it perhaps because the ticket is on BA stock?

After a couple of minutes we decided it couldn't be done today so off I trotted knowing I could use the priority line anyway. As it turned out, the priority line was closed and there was a massive queue of people.

I have been very spoiled over the last few years but had to suck it up this time and wait along with everyone else.

One more data point: I have GE; not a US citizen nor permanent resident; I used to have TSA Pre sometimes, and sometimes not, until I put my Known Traveller ID in my AA.com profile. From that point forward I have always been in the Precheck line.

There is now the ability of adding the Known Traveler ID in AA's equivalent of Manage My Booking without having a profile. I only noticed it fairly recently, about 6 months ago. I get Pre Check all the time now, I am Global Entry, but I'm not a US citizen nor do I have an AA.com profile. No Global Entry on BA flights however since BA is not a participating airline.

So on the USA AA.com - My Trips / Continue without logging in / enter locator / Passenger Summary / Add - Edit Passenger Information / Secure Flight Information / Known Traveler ID, which is typically an 8 digit number.

There's a more overt tab for this on US Airways' equivalent to MMB.

I was actually referring above to AA flights but on BA ticket stock. My personal evidence is that I get 100% TSA Precheck on AA flights booked on AA tickets using my known traveller ID (global entry) but 0% (Ok I only tried it today for the first time) on AA flights booked on BA ticket stock.

The agent could see that my known traveller ID was in the AA record but it wouldn't print or appear on my BP. The only difference I could think of is that it's on BA ticket stock. Do you think that might explain it or perhaps it was a one-off glitch?

Not a glitch, well it would have been a glitch if it was the other way around. It's not about ticketing airline, but operating airline. So BA is not an operator under TSA's scheme and therefore it should not get Pre Check. Ditto for AA tickets on other codeshared metal outwith Pre Check.

Ok thanks. If I read you right, I should have been able to use TSA pre today as the sector was operated by aa?

Yes from TSA's point of view, but no from a practical system point of view since the boarding pass was relating to air service BAxxxx rather AAxxx with therefore no known traveller information sitting in GDS/AA's systems. BA own the booking and the passenger information. Must have been annoying!

Thanks for your patience with me. I think I get it now.

Had to wait an extra 20 mins for my Chillis Breakfast Tacos :)

FWIW, I don't think TSA PRE is always a problem on BA/AA code share. A few months back, I flew JFK/LHR in AA metal/BA flight number, and had TSA PRE on my boarding pass. In fact, it's still in my Passbook...it does show the AA flight number and TSA PRE on the boarding pass. But my BA transactions show it as a BA flight, so it was definitely ticketed by BA under their flight number.

I checked in using the AA Mobile iPhone app. Had entered my well known traveller id into the AA reservation previously.

This thread has been moved from the BAEC forum as it is mostly discussing Global Entry and TSA Pre rather than being specifically about BA/BAEC.

Thanks for your understanding.

LTN Phobia
Moderator: BA forum