Saturday, July 27, 2013

How to cut the airport line. From Mashable.com



For the Mashable article click here.

Its worth the $$$ and time to get the TSA Precheck certification. Example; traveling from MCO to DFW (Orlando to Dallas), I skipped a security line with several hundred passengers and went through the TSA Precheck lane and I was the only one in it. 30 seconds at most, start to finish.

If you fly often with one airline you can OPT-IN with that airline's TSA Precheck signup. Update your frequent flyer profile on-line. When you opt-in you are not notified when you are given the OK to use PreCheck. No feedback from airline or TSA. Just keep trying to get through the PreCheck lane. If you don't fly enough with an airline, they won't vouch for you to TSA to get the Precheck clearance. 

As I was flying several different airlines in 2012 I went for the Global Entry program where TSA is doing the checking and verifying you are eligible. Cost $100 and 10 minutes for on-line application and then a two month wait for an appointment at my hometown airport for a very brief verification of ID, photo and fingerprinting.

If you can't wait for the expansion of TSA Precheck to an airport near you, spend the extra $15 and go for the Global Entry program which has a lot more airports available.

Now I am setup by TSA for the Precheck lane no matter what airline I fly by putting my Global Entry number into my frequent flyer profile for all airlines. This in turn is printed on my boarding pass in the QR code which is recognized by TSA's computer scan of my boarding pass. (Exception Southwest Airlines doesn't participate in the TSA Precheck program or Global Entry right now.) 

So if you don't want to 'stereotype' your fellow passengers [watch George Clooney's character in 'Up in the Air' ) get yourself into TSA Precheck or Global Entry.



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