Earlier today, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano and Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Administrator John S. Pistole announced the expansion of TSA Pre✓™ to 28 additional airports across the country following the success at seven pilot locations. Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Minneapolis-Saint Paul, Atlanta, Detroit, Miami, and New York JFK.
As part of the initiative’s expansion, TSA Pre✓™ will be rolling out at the following 28 airport locations this year:
- Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI)- Boston Logan International Airport (BOS)- Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT)- Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG)- Denver International Airport (DEN)- Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL)- George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH)- Honolulu International Airport (HNL)- Indianapolis International Airport (IND)- LaGuardia Airport (LGA)- Lambert-St. Louis International Airport (STL)- Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY)- Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (SJU)- Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR)- O’Hare International Airport (ORD)- Orlando International Airport (MCO)- Philadelphia International Airport (PHL)- Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX)- Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT)- Portland International Airport (PDX)- Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA)- Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC)- San Francisco International Airport (SFO)- Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA)- Tampa International Airport (TPA)- Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC)- Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD)
Considering all the great feedback we’ve received, I imagine this will be very welcome news to many of the frequent flyers out there, including the 336,000 passengers who have already been screened through a TSA Pre✓™ lane. TSA will continue expanding TSA Pre✓™ to additional airlines and airports once they’re ready to go.
If you want to learn how to sign up for TSA Pre✓™, click here. Eligible participants include certain frequent flyers from participating airlines as well as members of Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) Trusted Traveler programs (Global Entry, SENTRI, and NEXUS) who are U.S. citizens and fly on a participating airline. Individuals interested in participating in the pilot can apply via Global Entry at http://www.globalentry.gov/.
For those who might not be familiar with TSA Pre✓™, there’s lots of info on our blog and on TSA.gov. This screening concept enhances security by enabling TSA to focus its efforts on passengers the agency knows less about while providing expedited screening for travelers who volunteer information about themselves prior to flying.
If TSA determines a passenger is eligible for expedited screening following the TSA Pre✓™ vetting process, information will be embedded in the barcode of the passenger’s boarding pass. TSA will read the barcode at the security checkpoint and then may refer the passenger to a TSA Pre✓™ lane, where they will undergo expedited screening, which could include no longer removing the following items:
Shoes3-1-1 compliant bag from carry-onLaptop from bagLight outerwear/jacketBelt
TSA will always incorporate random and unpredictable security measures throughout the airport and no individual will be guaranteed expedited screening.
TSA Pre✓™ will join other elements of risk-based security currently under way including:
- Testing expedited screening for known airline crewmembers to verify their identity
- Testing the expanded use of behavior detection techniques
- Nationwide changes to our physical security screening process for kids 12-and-under
All of these initiatives are designed to improve our security approach while enhancing the passenger’s security experience. We thank U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the airlines, and passengers for their partnership as we work to provide the most effective transportation security in the most efficient way.
If you’d like to comment on an unrelated topic you can do so in our Off Topic Comments post. You can also view our blog post archives or search our blog to find a related topic to comment in. If you have a travel related issue or question that needs an immediate answer, you can contact a Customer Support Manager at the airport you traveled, or will be traveling through by using Talk to TSA.
