The Definitive Guide to All Airlines Offering TSA PreCheck

[MULTIZ321]

The Definitive Guide to All Airlines Offering TSA PreCheck
By Katie Genter/ Guide/ The Points Guy/ thepointsguy.com

"Airport security is one of the most annoying part of flying for most travelers, but TSA PreCheck makes the experience quicker and easier with expedited security screening at more than 200 US airports. In TSA PreCheck dedicated lines, you don’t need to remove your shoes, laptops, liquids, belts and light jackets.

If you don’t have TSA PreCheck or Global Entry — which grants TSA PreCheck privileges — sign up for a credit card like the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card or Chase Sapphire Reserve that includes Global Entry or TSA PreCheck as a benefit. Then, apply for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck. Once approved, you’ll be given a Known Traveler Number (KTN) that designates you as a Trusted Traveler. Here’s how to find your KTN if you don’t already know it:

• TSA PreCheck participants should head to the TSA Service Status webpage and enter your basic info to retrieve your number.
• Global Entry/SENTRI/NEXUS participants should log into their Customs and Border Patrol Trusted Traveler Programs account. Your “PASSID” number is displayed partway down on the page that comes up after logging in.
  
  Simply having a KTN isn’t enough to get TSA PreCheck though — you’ll need to add your KTN to each of your flight bookings. Here’s how to add your KTN to your frequent flyer account for each airline that currently participates in TSA PreCheck — or, for airlines that don’t make it easy to add this information to a frequent-flyer account, how to get your KTN added to a particular booking....."
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  Richard

 

[AJCts411]

PreCheck is a great advantage with the busy TSA "line-ups". My experience with PreCheck on one airline is we never get it. Silver Airways in Fort Lauderdale. Outbound Solution - go to the kiosk, printing a boarding pass with the connecting flight airline in FLL, the PreCheck appears! Inbound (and out) we usually need to switch terminals, and have to leave the secure area when doing so. Silver printed boarding passes, never have the PreCheck, don't think its a coincidence, they just don;t do it.

 

[Luanne]

As mentioned just having Global Entry or TSA PreCheck doesn't mean you'll always get it. Our dd has a problem every time she flies out of Albuquerque (which is the airport where she had her interview). Her KTN is on all of her airline accounts and she makes sure it's on reservations as well. But, when she flies from ABQ, no PreCheck.

 

[sts1732]

As mentioned just having Global Entry or TSA PreCheck doesn't mean you'll always get it. Our dd has a problem every time she flies out of Albuquerque (which is the airport where she had her interview). Her KTN is on all of her airline accounts and she makes sure it's on reservations as well. But, when she flies from ABQ, no PreCheck.

Strange my wife and I have been pre-checked for yrs. have the same problem, using mostly IND or MDW out bound. Using MDW going to ABQ half the time they put on the pre-check line half they don't, but coming back from ABQ they always send us to the pre-check. Same at PHX...…..

 

[Luanne]

Strange my wife and I have been pre-checked for yrs. have the same problem, using mostly IND or MDW out bound. Using MDW going to ABQ half the time they put on the pre-check line half they don't, but coming back from ABQ they always send us to the pre-check. Same at PHX...…..

We were beginning to wonder if her entire PreCheck was screwed up, but then she got PreCheck flying out of Santa Fe airport (not that there is any real benefit there) and coming back out of JFK.

 

[Jan M.]

What aggravates me is how many airports don't have a designated pre-check line open when they are clearly busy enough to have one. I can see when there are hardly any people not keeping a separate line open. They tell you to hang onto your boarding pass that shows the pre-check, leave your shoes on but take out your laptop, tablet or pad and liquids. Not the end of the world when there aren't any lines.

 

[Passepartout]

We have been getting PreCheck pretty reliably, then we were told that it was being phased out so slowly but surely we got it less. I was resigning myself to not having it and having to go through the ol' 'pat down' anyway due to the pacemaker. So reading Richard's post starting this thread that my Capital One Venture card pays for it, so I just filled out the online application and will have the interview on Monday! Woo Hoo!

Thanks Richard! I may get patted down, but will at least get to keep my shoes and belt on for it.

Jim

 

[MULTIZ321]

We have been getting PreCheck pretty reliably, then we were told that it was being phased out so slowly but surely we got it less. I was resigning myself to not having it and having to go through the ol' 'pat down' anyway due to the pacemaker. So reading Richard's post starting this thread that my Capital One Venture card pays for it, so I just filled out the online application and will have the interview on Monday! Woo Hoo!

Thanks Richard! I may get patted down, but will at least get to keep my shoes and belt on for it.

Jim

That's awesome, Jim. Glad it worked out in your favor so quickly.


Best Regards,

Richard

 

[shorts]

What aggravates me is how many airports don't have a designated pre-check line open when they are clearly busy enough to have one. I can see when there are hardly any people not keeping a separate line open. They tell you to hang onto your boarding pass that shows the pre-check, leave your shoes on but take out your laptop, tablet or pad and liquids. Not the end of the world when there aren't any lines.

We went thru Las Vegas TSA in what was marked as the PreCheck line only to find out that it wasn’t dedicated to PreCheck only. We thought ok we still have PreCheck we should be ok. No, it would not apply to us because we did not have a paper boarding pass only a digital one on our phones. They would not honor the PreCheck designation unless on paper.

 

[mbh]

We went thru Las Vegas TSA in what was marked as the PreCheck line only to find out that it wasn’t dedicated to PreCheck only. We thought ok we still have PreCheck we should be ok. No, it would not apply to us because we did not have a paper boarding pass only a digital one on our phones. They would not honor the PreCheck designation unless on paper.

TSA was lying to you or just making things up on the spot. I have Pre-check and almost always have a digital boarding pass and have never had a problem using the digital pass.

 

[Jan M.]

TSA was lying to you or just making things up on the spot. I have Pre-check and almost always have a digital boarding pass and have never had a problem using the digital pass.

I'm not sure you understood what the OP was saying. The line that was supposed to be pre-check wasn't. When they don't have a pre-check line open you can keep your shoes on and you hold your paper boarding pass in your hand as you walk through the scanner. You still have to take your electronics and travel sized toiletries out of your bag. The first couple of times this happened to me after the agent looked at my pass to confirm I had pre-check, I started to put my paper boarding pass in the bin with my other stuff before it went into the scanner. They stopped me and said I had to keep it in my hand as I walked through the body scanner. I'm not sure what they would have done if it was on my phone as you can't take your phone through the scanner with you, it has to go in a bowl or bin. I can't recall if I've ever been in that situation when all I had was the boarding pass on my phone.

Have you been in this situation when there was no dedicated pre-check line open?

 

[dioxide45]

We flew through CVG last Thursday very early and while they had a TSA Precheck entry point, it fed in to the regular line. So no dedicated Precheck line. They didn't send us through the body scanners but rather just walk through the metal detector. Of course, there was no real direction provided. We lined up for the scanner and when we went in with our shoes on, they said to take them off. Show them our boarding pass and they said we had to go through the metal detector. The problem was that my wife had put her boarding pass in the bin. So I had to go through first, grab her pass and hand it back to her. It really would have been easier if we had of just not been precheck. The best part of Precheck, not removing liquids and laptops, is lost with no dedicated line. Removing shoes is minor.

 

[shorts]

TSA was lying to you or just making things up on the spot. I have Pre-check and almost always have a digital boarding pass and have never had a problem using the digital pass.

They weren’t lying. It was due to not being a dedicated PreCheck line. My husband sent an email to TSA about the incident and got a reply back from LV TSA listing the requirement for a paper boarding pass to use PreCheck. It might not have been so bad except it required us to use the body scanner instead of the metal detector and of course I set it off and had to be pat down. It was a false alarm and they reset the machine after I went thru.

 

[klpca]

Flying Air Tahiti Nui next week out of LAX. Of course they don't do precheck. LAX is one place where it makes a huge difference. Oh well, at least I found out ahead of time.

 

[Luanne]

The best part of Precheck, not removing liquids and laptops, is lost with no dedicated line. Removing shoes is minor.

I don't remember which airport I was at, but there was no PreCheck line. I wasn't prepared for that and didn't have my liquids in a plastic bag. I mentioned that to the TSA agent and was told not to worry. They were in a fabric bag and I just took that out and put it in the bin. Still a pain.

 

[tombanjo]

Not all airlines participate in TSA precheck. Just this May British Airways finally joined pre-check. Previously they did not. Airports or Terminals with out a dedicated pre-check line often times will give you a special piece of paper to allow you to keep shoes on and go through metal detector instead of body scanner (keep shoes on). Slightly off topic, but flyers with out real id for drivers license will need to use a passport or other officially recognized ID to get on a plane over the next few years. (California, New York among other)

 

[Luanne]

Not all airlines participate in TSA precheck. Just this May British Airways finally joined pre-check. Previously they did not. Airports or Terminals with out a dedicated pre-check line often times will give you a special piece of paper to allow you to keep shoes on and go through metal detector instead of body scanner (keep shoes on). Slightly off topic, but flyers with out real id for drivers license will need to use a passport or other officially recognized ID to get on a plane over the next few years. (California, New York among other)

Q: When will I need to change how I travel domestically?
Starting January 22, 2018, passengers who have driver's licenses issued by a state that is not yet compliant with REAL ID and that has not received an extension will need to show an alternative form of acceptable identification for domestic air travel. Please see TSA's website for a list of acceptable forms of identification. Passengers who have licenses issued by a state that is compliant or that has an extension to become compliant with REAL ID requirements may continue to use their licenses as usual. For a list of states already in compliance or with an extension visit DHS's REAL ID webpage. DHS continually updates this list as more states come into compliance or obtain extensions.

Starting October 1, 2020, every state and territory resident will need to present a REAL ID compliant license/ID, or another acceptable form of identification, for accessing Federal facilities, entering nuclear power plants, and boarding commercial aircraft.

In New Mexico, where we live, they are in the process of transitioning to real ID. You don't have to get one, but as you said, without real ID you can't get on a plane (among other places). Dh and I will both get out real IDs in 2020 as that is when our current licenses expire. We have both used passports whenever we travel for several years not.

What's interesting is that the website for the Department of Homeland Security has a map that shows which states are compliant, and which are not. It shows New Mexico as compliant. I guess that is because we do have the real IDs available, it's just that everyone hasn't converted to them yet.

 

[clifffaith]

My drivers license needed to be renewed by 12/30/17, about 3 weeks before CA started giving out Real IDs. Our passports expire about 18 months after Real ID comes on board, so we plan to use passports for a while. Lines are hours long now without an appointment, and at our DMV there are like 30 parking places, and maybe at most 30 more on nearby curbs. Going there is a major hassle even with an appointment, and best to be dropped off and picked up.

 

[Luanne]

My drivers license needed to be renewed by 12/30/17, about 3 weeks before CA started giving out Real IDs. Our passports expire about 18 months after Real ID comes on board, so we plan to use passports for a while. Lines are hours long now without an appointment, and at our DMV there are like 30 parking places, and maybe at most 30 more on nearby curbs. Going there is a major hassle even with an appointment, and best to be dropped off and picked up.

We've heard horror stories about people trying to get the real IDs in New Mexico. Many people having to come back multiple times. One former mayor was denied a new ID as he couldn't prove who he was. We're hoping by the time we have to get ours it will be smoother, and of course we'll be sure to have ALL of the documentation necessary.

 

[clifffaith]

We've heard horror stories about people trying to get the real IDs in New Mexico. Many people having to come back multiple times. One former mayor was denied a new ID as he couldn't prove who he was. We're hoping by the time we have to get ours it will be smoother, and of course we'll be sure to have ALL of the documentation necessary.

They want to see all the documents and then some that we need for a passport, so it irritates me no end that they won't take a passport as part of the paperwork. I think they even want to see a SS card, because came across mine yesterday and made a mental note where it was. I could not have found it if I was looking for it.

 

[SmithOp]

My drivers license needed to be renewed by 12/30/17, about 3 weeks before CA started giving out Real IDs. Our passports expire about 18 months after Real ID comes on board, so we plan to use passports for a while. Lines are hours long now without an appointment, and at our DMV there are like 30 parking places, and maybe at most 30 more on nearby curbs. Going there is a major hassle even with an appointment, and best to be dropped off and picked up.

I just renewed mine over the internet. I’m just going to use my passport as the real ID. I hate dealing with the CA DMV! I’ve had a CA drivers license and address in state for 40 years, why in hell they need to see an original SS card and utility bill to give me a real ID is beyond me. I didn’t need all that to get a passport!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

 

[PigsDad]

The best part of Precheck, not removing liquids and laptops, is lost with no dedicated line. Removing shoes is minor.

It may be minor to you, but for those with foot issues it is a huge deal. Walking barefoot can be extremely painful to lots of people, so TSAPre is a great relief to them. Removing liquids and laptops is nothing compared to that.

Kurt

 

[jbiza]

In addition to the TSA PreCheck information provided, I also find value in the CLEAR program offered at selected airports in the USA.

Being a member of CLEAR, one actually goes to the FRONT of the TSA PreCheck line, after using a biometric machine in a dedicated CLEAR line to identify the CLEAR member by using 2 fingerprints & a mobile or paper boarding pass scan.

Although I would prefer that CLEAR was available at more airports throughout the USA, CLEAR is really cool when available to use.

 

[simpsontruckdriver]

My company (Schneider National trucking company) reimbursed my TSA Pre-Check, since I am on Southwest Airlines at least one round-trip flight per month. What stinks is I am always 1-2 flights below their next tier, but that's a different story. Anyway, the only times I have found that I had to do the non-PreCheck line was when they (at MDW) did not have staff to run it, or when there may have been a threat (MCO). I never complained, because I always leave myself 2 hours between check-in and the gate.

TS

 

[mbh]

I'm not sure you understood what the OP was saying. The line that was supposed to be pre-check wasn't. When they don't have a pre-check line open you can keep your shoes on and you hold your paper boarding pass in your hand as you walk through the scanner. You still have to take your electronics and travel sized toiletries out of your bag. The first couple of times this happened to me after the agent looked at my pass to confirm I had pre-check, I started to put my paper boarding pass in the bin with my other stuff before it went into the scanner. They stopped me and said I had to keep it in my hand as I walked through the body scanner. I'm not sure what they would have done if it was on my phone as you can't take your phone through the scanner with you, it has to go in a bowl or bin. I can't recall if I've ever been in that situation when all I had was the boarding pass on my phone.

Have you been in this situation when there was no dedicated pre-check line open?

I will just relay my own experience. When there is no dedicated Pre-Check, I get what I call Pre-Check lite (you get a card and you get to keep your shoes on). I show the digital boarding pass, to the TSA agent at the entrance point, put the phone with with pass on it, into the scanner, hand the card to the agent screening and walk through the scanner.