TSA Pre✓™ is a Risk Based Recipe for Success

I recently read an article at Huffington Post titled: Is The TSA's Pre Check Program A Recipe For Disaster? The easy answer to this question is no, but that wouldn’t make much of a blog post, now would it?

TSA Pre✓™ enables us to move away from the one-size-fits-all approach to transportation security. It improves security by using intelligence and information volunteered by passengers to help us make informed decisions about the level of threat. You can read more about TSA Pre✓™ by clicking here, but I’d like to help clarify a few things I read in the article. TSA Pre✓™  improves the customer experience by expediting the screening process and allowing travelers to keep 3-1-1 and laptops in their bag. Shoes and outwear too can stay on.

On Mistakenly Being Screened Through TSA Pre✓™: If you’re randomly chosen to be screened through a TSA Pre✓™ lane, it’s not a mistake. Not all TSA Pre✓™ members are affiliated with Global Entry, SENTRI or NEXUS. Many were selected by participating airlines based upon TSA established criteria and opted-in through the airline’s system at no charge. There are many ways to opt-in to TSA Pre✓™. Sometimes the opt-in is as simple as clicking “yes” on a pop-up box when you sign into your mileage account. The airlines have included several different methods (mail, e-mail, pop-up boxes when you login, account profile update alerts) to opt-in.

On Having to Pay to Join TSA Pre✓™: You don’t have to pay to join TSA Pre✓™. That’s right, while paying to join Global Entry, SENTRI or NEXUS is an option, many members have been selected by airlines and at no charge.

On Identity Fraud Concerns: No security plan is without some level of risk. You’ll never hear us say that security is 100% effective. There are just too many variables involved. Administrator Pistole said it best in a recent letter to the editor: “TSA has created a layered security approach so that all passengers who go through checkpoints, including those in the TSA “PreCheck” program, are subject to multiple security measures including behavior detection, screening and canine assessment that secure travelers and our nation’s aviation system.”

So, rather than thinking TSA Pre✓™ is a recipe for disaster, I hope you now understand that it’s more of a recipe for success.

Bob Burns

TSA Blog Team

If you have a travel related issue or question that needs an immediate answer, you can contact us by clicking here.

TSA Pre✓™ Rolls Out at Newark’s EWR Airport

Good news for select United frequent flyers or members of U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) Trusted Traveler Program at Newark’s EWR airport - TSA Pre✓™ is now available!  

TSA Pre✓™ News:

• Watch video to learn how to find and enter your PASS ID
• Joint Global Entry, TSA Pre✓™ “Pop-Up” Information Center Now Open at Washington Dulles International Airport
• Read interviews with TSA leadership on the agency’s Risk-Based Security approach

In case you’re unfamiliar with TSA Pre✓™,  you can read more about it by clicking here. The shorter version is that it's an initiative that allows certain passengers to keep their shoes and belts on, and keep their laptops in their bags. Also, it is free to many members who have been opted in by participating airlines. To see if you qualify for TSA Pre✓™ benefits, please click here.

Bob Burns

TSA Blog Team

If you have a travel related issue or question that needs an immediate answer, you can contact us by clicking here.

TSA Pre✓™ Begins at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport

As of this week, TSA Pre✓™ is now available at the Cincinnati Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) for select American, Delta, United, and US Airways frequent flyers, or members of U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) Trusted Traveler Program. The TSA Pre✓™  line is located at the main terminal. 

I stopped by the TSA Pre✓™ lane at CVG yesterday and asked a passenger what he thought of the TSA Pre✓™ experience. Hear what he had to say! After chatting with a few of the Officers, I learned that passengers have been very pleased with their TSA Pre✓™ experience.

Have you already opted into TSA Pre✓™ but rarely get selected for expedited screening? Here are some possible reasons why as well as some tips:

• First off, to keep things random and unpredictable for anyone with bad intentions, there are times where you may not be selected for expedited screening. 
• TSA Pre✓™ is currently only available for U.S. citizens traveling domestically on a participating airline, out of a participating airport. Click here for the most updated list.
• If you are a member of a CBP Trusted Traveler program, be sure you’re including your PASS ID – found in the top-left corner on the back of your membership card – in the ‘Known Traveler’ field every time you book a flight. If you’re not sure it’s in there, especially if you’re not booking it yourself, you can always call your airline to confirm that your number is on the reservation before you fly. 

In case you're wondering what TSA Pre✓™ is, you can go here to read all about it. Long story short, it's an initiative that allows passengers to keep their shoes and belts on, and keep their laptops in their bags. Also, it is free to many members who have been opted in by participating airlines. To see if you may qualify for TSA Pre✓™ benefits please click here.

Bob Burns

TSA Blog Team

If you have a travel related issue or question that needs an immediate answer, you can contact us by clicking here.

TSA Pre✓™ Begins at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) with US Airways

As of today, TSA Pre✓™ is now available for select US Airways frequent flyers and CBP Trusted Traveler members at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX). The TSA Pre✓™  line is located at the Terminal 4A security checkpoint.

Have you already opted into TSA Pre✓™ but rarely get selected for expedited screening? Here are some possible reasons why as well as some tips:

• First off, to keep things random and unpredictable for anyone with bad intentions, there are times where you may not be selected for expedited screening. 
• TSA Pre✓™ is currently only available for U.S. citizens traveling domestically on a participating airline, out of a participating airport. Click here for the most updated list.
• If you are a member of a CBP Trusted Traveler program, be sure you’re including your PASS ID – found in the top-left corner on the back of your membership card – in the ‘Known Traveler’ field every time you book a flight. If you’re not sure it’s in there, especially if you’re not booking it yourself, you can always call your airline to confirm that your number is on the reservation before you fly. 

Bonus Tip: Did you know that kids 12 and under can travel with you through the TSA Pre✓™ lane? If you didn't, now you know! That info might come in handy this summer.

In case you're wondering what TSA Pre✓™ is, you can go here to read all about it. Long story short, it's an initiative that allows passengers to keep their shoes and belts on, and keep their laptops in their bags. Also, it is free to many members who have been opted in by participating airlines. To see if you may qualify for TSA Pre✓™ benefits please click here.

Here are some other TSA Pre✓™ posts that might interest you:

• TSA Pre✓™ Through Global Entry: One Sweet Deal!
• The Scoop on TSA Pre✓™
• More Than 1 Million Passengers Screened by TSA Pre✓™
• TSA Pre✓™ Pilot to Expand to 28 of the Busiest US Airports  

Bob Burns

TSA Blog Team

If you have a travel related issue or question that needs an immediate answer, you can contact us by clicking here.

TSA Pre✓™ Hits 2 Million Mark

As of today, TSA has screened more than 2 million travelers through the TSA Pre✓™ prescreening initiative! Interested? Go here to read all about it!

Long story short, it's an initiative that allows passengers to expedite their screening experience if they opt in. How do you opt in to TSA Pre✓™? Funny you should ask. Just go here. 

Here are some other TSA Pre✓™ posts that might interest you:

• TSA Pre✓™ participants who qualify via their membership in a CBP Trusted Traveler program should enter their full name exactly as it appears on their Global Entry card or in their GOES account.
• TSA Pre✓™ Through Global Entry: One Sweet Deal!
• The Scoop on TSA Pre✓™
• More Than 1 Million Passengers Screened by TSA Pre✓™
• TSA Pre✓™ Pilot to Expand to 28 of the Busiest US Airports         

Bob Burns

TSA Blog Team

If you have a travel related issue or question that needs an immediate answer, you can contact us by clicking here.