Anonymous wrote:DH has precheck and DD and I do not. We always gets boarding passes with precheck privileges when all theee of us are on the same reservation.

That's only because you are part of one family and presumably made 1 reservation for all of you. This triggers the system to sometime mark pre-check on all the family members' tickets.

This will not apply to OP, where no one is related, and I'm guessing separate reservations were made.
OP- you all need to go through the regular check-in line together. Get there early. Don't risk losing a kid who goes through pre-check (very unlikely, but it would be entirely the fault of the supervising adult)

DH has precheck and DD and I do not. We always gets boarding passes with precheck privileges when all theee of us are on the same reservation.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've been in airports where they didn't allow Pre-Check customers in the regular security line, because it was too long (compared to the Pre-Check line). I don't think its a hard-and-fast rule, but something that I have seen on occasion.

I can't imagine that they won't make an exception for minors who would otherwise be separated from the adults they're traveling with thought, right?

Maybe if they were little kids, but teenagers are often taller than adults. You’re going to get (justifiable) eye rolls and a definite NO if you try to play up the “minor” card.

If you were trying to get people into the precheck line, I'd agree. But there's no law that says you have to use the precheck lane just because you have it. In hundreds of flights with precheck I have never seen an airport say that precheck requires you to use the precheck lane. Not saying it could never happen - but if it did, I think "that's ok - we are going to keep everyone together in the regular lane" should work just fine.

Anonymous wrote:Very frequent traveler here. There is no way they are going to let anyone go through the precheck line who does not have pre-check under any circumstances. If you want to travel together, you have to go through the regular check-in line. That’s it. End of story.

Yup, this.

My DS went on a school trip this year. The school made it very clear that they would stay as one group through regular security and basically said too bad for those with pre-check. Your supervision of children trumps convenience.

Anonymous wrote:Very frequent traveler here. There is no way they are going to let anyone go through the precheck line who does not have pre-check under any circumstances. If you want to travel together, you have to go through the regular check-in line. That’s it. End of story.

This is correct. But there is a reasonable chance that the risk assessment algorithm will see 3 people with precheck on the reservation and give precheck access to the teenagers as well. If you check-in online the day before you can know early if that occurred, and if you get precheck on all the boarding passes you all can use it. If not, then yes, you should all use the regular line and the people with precheck will be able to keep their shoes on.

Very frequent traveler here. There is no way they are going to let anyone go through the precheck line who does not have pre-check under any circumstances. If you want to travel together, you have to go through the regular check-in line. That’s it. End of story.

Pre-check means that individual has actually been screened through databases which would indicate that they are not of a certain threat profile. That is, they have actually been pre checked by the US Government.

I'm aware of small children being allowed on their parents pre-check, and from PPs it sounds like occasionally family members. But asking to take a large group of teens and adults through a line specifically geared towards a lower level of screening based on the fact that screenings have already occurred, defeats the entire purpose of pre-check.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've been in airports where they didn't allow Pre-Check customers in the regular security line, because it was too long (compared to the Pre-Check line). I don't think its a hard-and-fast rule, but something that I have seen on occasion.

I can't imagine that they won't make an exception for minors who would otherwise be separated from the adults they're traveling with thought, right?

Maybe if they were little kids, but teenagers are often taller than adults. You’re going to get (justifiable) eye rolls and a definite NO if you try to play up the “minor” card.

One time I tried to through the precheck line with a spouse who did not have it. The agent got super angry at me and said I would lose my precheck status if I did that again. Don’t do it.

It’s still worthwhile to enter in their numbers though. Other times when spouse and I were in the regular security line, the gate agent was asking people questions to manage traffic, I mentioned that I had precheck and the agent let us both go to the precheck line.

So if you tell the agent that 3 of the 6 members in your group have precheck, they might let you go through precheck together, or they might tell you to stay put and everyone waits in the regular security line.

I would just tell the kids that everyone should expect to stay together and you’re all going through regular security lines.

My teens often get pre-check on their boarding passes though we don't actually have it. They use it and we meet at the other side. NBD

Anonymous wrote:Teenagers are old enough to go through the pre line alone. Why should they not avoid the hassle? Just have them wait on the other side. You will probably see them the whole time and I assume they have phones.

Not the parent of a teenager (and probably depends on if these are 13 year olds or 17 year olds), but I agree with this as a frequent traveler. The DCA checkpoints have good visibility between pre-check and non, and benches on the other side where you could easily reunite. Not using pre-check when you have it is the worst. Must you?

Teenagers are old enough to go through the pre line alone. Why should they not avoid the hassle? Just have them wait on the other side. You will probably see them the whole time and I assume they have phones.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've been in airports where they didn't allow Pre-Check customers in the regular security line, because it was too long (compared to the Pre-Check line). I don't think its a hard-and-fast rule, but something that I have seen on occasion.

I can't imagine that they won't make an exception for minors who would otherwise be separated from the adults they're traveling with thought, right?

I'm sure that's true as well. I see no downside to adding the numbers - there may be a benefit, the whole group may end up with pre-check, etc. (you can get it randomly, though it's certainly not a given). Worst case, it takes a few minutes and gives you no benefit.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've been in airports where they didn't allow Pre-Check customers in the regular security line, because it was too long (compared to the Pre-Check line). I don't think its a hard-and-fast rule, but something that I have seen on occasion.

I can't imagine that they won't make an exception for minors who would otherwise be separated from the adults they're traveling with thought, right?

I can imagine it.

Anonymous wrote:I've been in airports where they didn't allow Pre-Check customers in the regular security line, because it was too long (compared to the Pre-Check line). I don't think its a hard-and-fast rule, but something that I have seen on occasion.

I can't imagine that they won't make an exception for minors who would otherwise be separated from the adults they're traveling with thought, right?