The rules are:
Kids under 12 can always go with a parent through TSA PreCheck if the parent has it.
Kids 12-17 can go with their parent through PreCheck if the parent has it and both parent and child are on the same reservation.

Anonymous wrote:OP here! My husband and I have precheck, not global entry. Our kid travels with me as my companion on Southwest - or at least that happened this weekend...like I have a companion pass that someone can use for free for an entire calendar year. Maybe that's where the issue lies. Thank you! I'll investigate.

Note she has flown many times as a companion on SW and this has not been an issue before.

Ahh I think this may be because on the Companion Pass, a separate reservation is created for the companion- technically they aren't on the same reservation as you, although the reservations are "linked" in their system.

OP here! My husband and I have precheck, not global entry. Our kid travels with me as my companion on Southwest - or at least that happened this weekend...like I have a companion pass that someone can use for free for an entire calendar year. Maybe that's where the issue lies. Thank you! I'll investigate.

Note she has flown many times as a companion on SW and this has not been an issue before.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My 17 year old was allowed to board with me over spring break.

Just to clarify, TSA Pre was on her boarding pass.

Boarding the plane is different than going through precheck. Boarding is airline dependent, not TSA dependent.

I remember reading about this when I signed up. It is an uncovered gap and seems random. I haven’t had it happen to my 14y.o. yet, but I check our boarding passes carefully when I download them and make sure I see the logo for pre-check.

We just used it over spring break for my 13 year old. It was on her boarding pass and was no problem.
None of the kids can go through global entry though, since we haven’t signed them up for that.

Do you have PreCheck, or do you get PreCheck automatically because you have Global Entry? We have PreCheck through Global Entry and kids need their own GE at a younger age.

Anonymous wrote:My 17 year old was allowed to board with me over spring break.

Just to clarify, TSA Pre was on her boarding pass.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:TSA Pre wasn’t on her pass. This happens…every now and then they randomly put adults though regular instead of Pre as well. It happens.

Oh wait. That's a different issue OP. It has to say TSA pre on their boarding pass.

Yes almost surely a random thing. This isn't the main reason, but it's a benefit of global entry- kids are free now and they get their own KTN.

My kids always get pre check on their boarding pass because we do. How else would they get it on their boarding pass?

Anonymous wrote:TSA Pre wasn’t on her pass. This happens…every now and then they randomly put adults though regular instead of Pre as well. It happens.

Oh wait. That's a different issue OP. It has to say TSA pre on their boarding pass.

I have a 15 year old and we fly frequently as a family. Never an issue. Not only that he looks a good bit older and no one has ever even bothered to question him.

TSA Pre wasn’t on her pass. This happens…every now and then they randomly put adults though regular instead of Pre as well. It happens.

My 17 year old was allowed to board with me over spring break.

Flew this weekend with my newly minted 13 year old and was surprised to learn she could no longer accompany me through TSA precheck. It wasn't on her boarding pass and they said it's because she is 13.

I went to get her signed up for precheck and this is on the website: Children 17 and under can join an adult with TSA PreCheck® when the TSA PreCheck indicator appears on the child’s boarding pass.

What is the deal here? How old are your kids when they get their own number? TIA