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A GOOD TSA PROGRAM NOW GONE BAD?

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A successful program begun by the TSA about two years ago with the cooperation of the major U.S. airlines seems to be coming unglued.  Intended to speed frequent travelers through the TSA security lines, the airlines originally selected their frequent flyers to participate in the new program.

airport-security2By allowing the Pre-Check passengers to keep their shoes, belts, and light jackets on, their compliant liquid toiletries in their carry-ons, and their laptops in the cases, these low risk individuals were able to move quickly through Security and on to their flights.  This was the first real break for frequent travelers who had endured the slow, tedious security screening since 2001.

The program was first rolled out at the largest, busiest airports and is now currently available at more than 100 airports nationwide.  At the rollout, the Pre-Check designation was not printed on the boarding passes, which had to be scanned to determine whether the passenger could enter the fast lane.

Initially, many people who qualified for Pre-Check were being sent through the regular security lines, and very few people were being allowed to take advantage of the expedited screening.  This may have been the result of many passengers using boarding passes that had not been printed at the airport and did not show the embedded code for the scanners.

When the Pre-Check designation started to actually print out on the boarding passes no matter where they were issued, the program seemed to achieve its goal of expediting the frequent business travelers through Security.

airport-united-takeoffIt was announced that TSA enrollment centers would open at some airports to allow people to apply for entrance into the program and pay a fee for the privilege.  This seemed redundant since the TSA already offers the Global Entry program to U.S. citizens for re-entering the country.  This requires the payment of $100 plus fingerprinting, but then also qualifies the individual for Pre-Check on all airlines.

Unfortunately, recent developments point to a serious breakdown in the Pre-Check program.  All children under 13 years of age are now automatically cleared for Pre-Check, even if their parents are not.  In their zeal to identify low risk travelers and open this program to more people, the lines for Pre-Check are now very long, while far fewer people are presently being directed into the regular security lines at United’s Premium Flyer access checkpoint in Chicago.

What was recently an effective program to facilitate security screening for the frequent business traveler has now been turned into a long slow line, which seems to have destroyed its stated objective of expedited screening for the most qualified travelers.

Have you encountered long Pre-Check lines lately, and what do you do to get through Security more quickly?

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