By Jillian Ryan on February 18, 2012 in
No one likes waiting in the security line at the airport and no matter how prepared you are, making your way through the checkpoint is never really a breeze. Take off your belt and jacket; make sure your liquids are outside your bag; shoes off; laptops out -- the process can really be a pain, although it is a necessary one. Earlier this month, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced an expansion of its PreCheck initiative. Designed to let a select group of pre-approved, low-risk passengers fly through the security line, the expedited program is at eight of the United States' busiest airports and there are plans to expand it to 28 other airports by the end of this year.
TSA Administrator John S. Pistole explained in a released statement that the program "moves us closer to our goal of delivering the most effective and efficient screening by recognizing that most passengers do not pose a threat to security."
So what is this program really about? And is it even worth it for the average flyer? We uncovered who can qualify for the program and at what price.
Who gets to fly through security?
Currently more than 336,000 passengers have been approved for the program. According to the Associated Press, this is less than one person for every 100 fliers. Not all airlines qualify for the program and currently only what the AP calls "high-level frequent fliers" of Delta and American Airlines are certified to receive an invite. TSA, for security purposes, cannot reveal what rank a frequent flier must be in order to be qualified. The AP claims, "if you only fly for holidays or the occasional vacation, don't wait by your inbox." Next on the list of included airlines, according to the Los Angeles Times, are US Airways, United and Alaska.
The AP also reports that there is "a backdoor" to the program and it comes with a price. For $42 to $100 for a five-year membership, U.S. citizens who are members of the Customs and Border Protection's Trusted Traveler programs, such as Global Entry, Sentri and Nexus, can go online and apply at www.globalentry.gov.
How the other less than 1 percent flies...
So what happens if you are one of the lucky flyers who is "PreChecked"? The Huffington Post explains that pre-approved members will have a dedicated lane at checkpoints. Their boarding passes will be specially marked. "A machine will read the barcode, and travelers... will... be allowed to keep on belts, shoes and jackets and leave laptops and liquids in bags when being screened."
The AP said that the TSA hopes to eventually have this program at every airport for every airline, but this will probably take years. In the meantime, experts are reportedly pleased. An aviation consultant and former TSA executive, Russell McCaffery thinks the program solves a big problem since it will no longer subject all individuals to a high level of scrutiny during the security process. However, public sentiment doesn't seem to be on the same page. The LA Times interviewed a handful of passengers who were not pre-approved and they were far from happy. One passenger even said, "Everybody should be treated equally... I put my money in just like they did; they should wait in line."
How do you feel about the TSA's newly expanded program?