TSA Pre Check: Your experience

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My husband has had global entry for a while now, travels a few times a month, he's always gotten pre-check.

My husband always gets it too. I get it about half the time. Really frustrating when we're traveling together.

Yeah me too. He has status and I don't.

But it you're flying with a family member who gets pre-check on their boarding pass, you can go through the parallel "pre-check lite" line (that's what I call it - they have one at Dulles for people traveling with pre-checkers - person has to remove shoes, but the line is shorter), and sometimes they'll let you go in the regular pre-check line (had this happen at other airports). I have pre-check, DH does not, and every time I've gotten it on my boarding pass we've been able to use the pre-check or pre-check lite lines. Particularly if DC is with us - they seem to almost automatically route families with small children through the regular pre-check line if it's on one family member's boarding pass.

One annoying aspect, which a PP mentioned, is to arrive at an airport, see the long security line, and find that the pre-check line is closed. This seems to happen every time at the airport where my parents live - lots of TSA milling around, but pre-check is closed. And no, you can't bypass the line in that case if you have it on your boarding pass.

It's hit or miss if I get it on my boarding passes - I'm probably getting it about half the time. Even when I truly was a very FF and had higher status on United, I didn't get it every time. Concur with the PPs that said you need to ensure your Known Traveler number is entered in the reservation and in any FF profiles you may have. But it still seems to be random, and not necessarily tied to FF status or pre-check enrollment. My DC almost always gets pre-check on his boarding pass. He's 5, and definitely not enrolled in the program, nor is he a FF. Twice he's gotten it when I (pre-check enrollee and FF) has not.

[Anonymous]

Friday, 10/24 3pm at Dulles. No line.

I don't fly very often and have not made purchases that would get me pre-check. I didn't even know I had it until the guard re-directed me from the regular line.

[Anonymous]

For people who are sometimes not getting pre-check -- have you paid for it? I would think those of us who paid for it should get it unless the pre-check line is closed.

[Anonymous]

Are there people with Global Entry who are not getting precheck every time?

[Anonymous]

I have global entry (which includes TSA precheck), definitely enter my known traveler #, fly United and am a Milage plus member and get precheck about half the time.

[Anonymous]

If you get a KTN you will only be de selected max 12.5% of the time. Frequent flyer is about 30% de selected. And you always know when you check in, so what's the problem?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are there people with Global Entry who are not getting precheck every time?

Yup

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you get a KTN you will only be de selected max 12.5% of the time. Frequent flyer is about 30% de selected. And you always know when you check in, so what's the problem?

I have a KTN and don't get precheck about 50% of the time. It defeats the purpose of having it, especially when I travel with DH, because it basically eliminates his precheck as well (not actually, but since he waits for me in my line, it effectively eliminates his precheck benefit).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For people who are sometimes not getting pre-check -- have you paid for it? I would think those of us who paid for it should get it unless the pre-check line is closed.

Yes, and no, it doesn't mean you always get it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are there people with Global Entry who are not getting precheck every time?

Not me - I've never not gotten it (except in the early days when it wasn't at every terminal, like at the shuttle gates in Boston) and I travel all the time.

[Anonymous]

It does seem that the very frequent travelers are denied precheck less often.

[Anonymous]

How does one get pre-check. We got it as a family for the first time flying from Sky Harborn, (Phoenix) on a direct flight to DCA Oct 11. We had a toddler with us. I didn't even know about it until we got to security and were told we had pre-check status. It was nice not taking stuff out of bags or taking shoes off. Howeve, they still insisted on opening my toddlers sealed yogurt. Which they did NOT do on the flight out from DCA. I don't have USAir status althoguh I have about 100k miles...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How does one get pre-check. We got it as a family for the first time flying from Sky Harborn, (Phoenix) on a direct flight to DCA Oct 11. We had a toddler with us. I didn't even know about it until we got to security and were told we had pre-check status. It was nice not taking stuff out of bags or taking shoes off. Howeve, they still insisted on opening my toddlers sealed yogurt. Which they did NOT do on the flight out from DCA. I don't have USAir status althoguh I have about 100k miles...

You can apply for global entry, which is $100 for 5 years and includes easy re-entry to the US if you travel internationally, or you can do domestic pre-check, which I think is $85 for 5 years. I've done Global Entry - you apply online and then have to go out to Dulles for a short interview. It was totally worth it for me as I travel both domestically and internationally on a regular basis. I think the pre-check only you can apply for at any airport. My DH now has GE as well, which is helpful when we travel together. I am going to sign my kids up next.

[Anonymous]

Our whole family has GE -- and it has been a life saver for international trips. Among the kids and I, there's always one of us who doesn't get precheck (which effectively means none of us get recheck).

[Anonymous]

*precheck.