TSA Pre-check lines in the US?

[Lani]

I did too until I found a small airport in NC that didn't offer it. Really bothered me since pre-check is expensive and I don't fly much, so I want to get as much use out of it as I can. It's also really nice not having to take stuff out, that's the primary perk imo. I travel with "a lot" of electronics (Kindle, tablet and Nintendo switch is too much apparently) so I always somehow get flagged for extra screening if I'm not pre-check.

I've gone through airports that didn't have a dedicated Precheck queue, but they had laminated signs (think school hall pass) that the TSA agent looking at my ID gave me, that I was supposed to take with me through security. It said I didn't have to remove my shoes or my laptop or 3-1-1 bag.

[Kaadk]

I've gone through airports that didn't have a dedicated Precheck queue, but they had laminated signs (think school hall pass) that the TSA agent looking at my ID gave me, that I was supposed to take with me through security. It said I didn't have to remove my shoes or my laptop or 3-1-1 bag.

Never had that before. If that airport didn't have the facilities for PreCheck, then you had to follow all standard non-precheck measures (shoes, belt, 3-1-1, laptop, etc...) However, I have seen the laminated cards, but assumed they were used as a timing statistic, kind of like the ones used in Disney to determine how long the ride wait times are.

[nolegrl]

I've gone through airports that didn't have a dedicated Precheck queue, but they had laminated signs (think school hall pass) that the TSA agent looking at my ID gave me, that I was supposed to take with me through security. It said I didn't have to remove my shoes or my laptop or 3-1-1 bag.

This one just didn't have it at all and even if it was on your boarding pass, they didn't care. They, of course, flagged my bag for "residue" or whatever and had to take everything out and swab it. I understand the need for precautions, but if I've been pre-screened by the government to be a safe traveler, why do I have to go through that crap?

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[rabergnc]

I have been at a few airports without dedicated pre-check where they either will give you the laminated 'pass' or if you show the boarding pass with pre-check noted on it, will allow you to keep your jacket on, not unload your electronics, wear your shoes, etc. If you use airports at all, the money is well spent given the aggravation it can save you. Global entry, even more so.

[imperator]

Often small airports will accommodate you in the main line with 'partial compliance', I guess I would call it. Where you might only have to take liquids out but keep your shoes on...

DFW is the worst precheck experience by far. I got jammed up after the only precheck lane on the concourse closed at 6pm...on a WEEKDAY. Some concourses have no precheck lanes. Not what one expects of a world hub airport.

If you think you might travel just once overseas, Global Entry is a game changer. When you return back to the U.S., rather than stand in a long queue, you walk to an electronic kiosk that looks like an ATM. You provide your handprint/fingerprints, scan your passport... it spits out a receipt, which you show to the official... and you're done. 2 minutes from gate to airport exit. Amazing.

The last few times we flew international, this was how they were handling regular customs. Entered customs to a room full of what must have been 100 kiosks; took about 7 minutes to self-process our family of four. In Orlando, Atlanta, and Ft. Lauderdale. Since most of our int'l travel is as a family, GE made no sense to us.

The problems we get at customs are at the destination with analog stamp-wielding bureaucrats and queues out the door, a lot of good it does there...

[Hawaii]

KOA - Kona, Hawaii airport never seems to have dedicated line available when we clear security. They have a bit of a hybrid approach. There is a separate line before you get to the tsa guy who checks your ID and ticket. He/she decides when to take a next person from regular or TSA pre line.then you get a laminated card that allows you to keep your shoes on. Not sure about jackets as it is always too warm to be wearing one. You do need to take out liquids and computers though.
Agree with others, that GE more than paid for itself the first time we returned from Europe to SFO. ( the previous time it had taken us 1 hr to clear immigration). With it , it takes just a few mins, and you get express service through customs as well.

[moriond]

KOA - Kona, Hawaii airport never seems to have dedicated line available when we clear security. They have a bit of a hybrid approach. There is a separate line before you get to the tsa guy who checks your ID and ticket. He/she decides when to take a next person from regular or TSA pre line.then you get a laminated card that allows you to keep your shoes on. Not sure about jackets as it is always too warm to be wearing one. You do need to take out liquids and computers though.

Technically, both Kona and Hilo airports only support full TSA precheck when they have sufficient people to man this. In practice, for the last year and a half or so, I’ve found Hilo to always support full TSA precheck. Kona has gotten better — instead of never supporting full TSA precheck, I now occasionally get this (maybe 1 time in 4?), so I don’t have to pull out all electronics when I go through their lines with TSA Precheck on my ticket.

I also don’t rely on Hawaiian Airlines’ reservation system to correctly remember our Global Entry Trusted Traveler Numbers, even when it’s in my account profile. Of course, maybe this is only an occasional glitch, but after the second time the default boarding passes would come out without TSA precheck until I re-entered the number, I now make sure it’s manually entered for every single reservation. And if I’m on the same reservation as someone else, I need his or her trusted traveler number to also be encoded in the specific reservation, too.

I agree that Global Entry is totally worth it if you have any international travel.

HTH

moriond

[NClens]

Is the Kona airport still mostly outdoors" If so, I wouldn't mind being in the normal line there than the pre-check line at Logan airport.

[Lani]

Is the Kona airport still mostly outdoors" If so, I wouldn't mind being in the normal line there than the pre-check line at Logan airport.

For what it's worth, I LOVE the outdoorsiness of the airport. When I land there, I can almost smell the flowers!

[Hawaii]

Is the Kona airport still mostly outdoors" If so, I wouldn't mind being in the normal line there than the pre-check line at Logan airport.

YES!
I have never found the tsa line too long.

[imperator]

Some non-hub airports have longer Precheck lines than regular TSA. JAX has been like that for years, without a lot of tourism we have mostly routine business travelers who all tend to be precheck, and I think the airlines give precheck status to older customers on a one-off basis as well. It's still faster though.

The regular line recently started getting longer after Frontier added a bunch of flights, coaxing more irregular vacationers onto planes.

[Frank II]

Airlines do not give precheck. When the passenger lists are run through the government computers it might kickback precheck to some who don't have it officially.

Would you really want the airlines to decide who is and who isn't a security threat?

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