Question: How Did I Get TSA Precheck when I've Never Applie

[TheOtherMe]

The last few times I have flown I've been show the Precheck line and didn't know why.  Looked at my boarding pass yesterday after TSA told me I didn't have to remove my shoes or go through body scanner just medal detector.  

I know I never applied for Precheck because I don't fly often enough to justify the expense.  Now I'm trying to figure out how I got it after looking at the website today.

Any ideas?  Have I destroyed your faith in TSA yet again?

[vonna]

I didn't know you could apply -- we have been selected several times for the precheck line. I really don't know how they decide.

[wvugurl26]

As far as I know it's random. Not sure if they do it more when lines are longer or not.

[hoops902]

You're probably white..."precheck" sounds more friendly.

Are you old?  Kids and the elderly don't have to remove their shoes anymore, maybe that has something to do with it?

[justme]

Without paying you can get it by having first class tickets or being high on their frequent flyer program. Though you'll only get it with that airline. Well you can get it with others but if you don't pay for it it may just be one that decided to give it to you.

[imawino]

You can get assigned the Pre-check lane for any variety of reasons. It's not the same as the "Global Entry" program that you need to apply for - although once you are approved for Global Entry you should usually get assigned to Pre-check.

[Deleted]

Jun 23, 2015 12:22:18 GMT -5 hoops902 said:

You're probably white..."precheck" sounds more friendly.

Are you old?  Kids and the elderly don't have to remove their shoes anymore, maybe that has something to do with it?

I don't know about that. My frail, white, elderly mother in a wheelchair with a cane was made to go through the full body scan. They took away her cane & made her do the hands over head thing and she kept tipping over because she NEEDS her can to stabilize herself. They were jerks in my opinion & really need more training for dealing with people in a wheelchair or with issues that make it difficult for them to stand.

[vonna]

Jun 23, 2015 12:41:24 GMT -5 @rockit said:

Jun 23, 2015 12:22:18 GMT -5 hoops902 said:

You're probably white..."precheck" sounds more friendly.

Are you old?  Kids and the elderly don't have to remove their shoes anymore, maybe that has something to do with it?

I don't know about that. My frail, white, elderly mother in a wheelchair with a cane was made to go through the full body scan. They took away her cane & made her do the hands over head thing and she kept tipping over because she NEEDS her can to stabilize herself. They were jerks in my opinion & really need more training for dealing with people in a wheelchair or with issues that make it difficult for them to stand.

I'm sorry she had to go through that. 

Common sense seems so rare these days . . .

[nutty]

I am white and travel alone and ALWAYS get the extra stuff.

[vonna]

Jun 23, 2015 13:03:25 GMT -5 nutty said:

I am white and travel alone and ALWAYS get the extra stuff.

maybe because you are "nutty?"

[chiver78]

I got it at random a few times before applying for it. smile and say thank you

[Anne_in_VA]

I get it quite a bit when I travel, but sometimes I don't.  Haven't figured why though.

[Deleted]

There weren't enough paying Pre-Check members so they started expanding it at random to justify having separate lines. DH and I drive wherever possible. I have Lifetime Gold status on AA but just "regular" status on the others. I nearly always get Pre-Check even though I fly only about once a year, in Coach. Most recently, I got it on Delta, both going out and coming back home, last month. Haven't flown DL for years.

So, check your ticket.  The people who PAID for Pre-check get very annoyed when others in the Pre-Check line start taking out their Freedom Baggies and removing their shoes!

[justme]

I don't get annoyed because I paid for it vs people getting it for free. I get annoyed at them having to place MORE TSA people in the line to explain you don't have to do anything in this one, and the constant repeating of instructions at a yell (no they don't do this if they're not letting non precheck into the line, never any problems in DC where it's only every precheck), and then making all the idiots who do take off their shoes unpack their computer undo that because you don't have to in this line.

If everyone in the line knew what the hell to do it doesn't take much time to get through even a long line, but it takes forever to make it through when half or more of the line can't read the signs or listen to the instructions yelled twenty times before they get up there.

It's only certain airports that have royally screwed it up and that's probably keeping people from buying it.

[Deleted]

Jun 23, 2015 14:37:05 GMT -5 justme said:

I don't get annoyed because I paid for it vs people getting it for free. <snip>

If everyone in the line knew what the hell to do it doesn't take much time to get through even a long line, but it takes forever to make it through when half or more of the line can't read the signs or listen to the instructions yelled twenty times before they get up there.

It's only certain airports that have royally screwed it up and that's probably keeping people from buying it.

I agree- I should make a distinction between having the Pre-Check symbol on your Boarding Pass (which is what I was posting about) and being randomly waved over into the Pre-Check line even if there's no Pre-Check marking on your Boarding Pass. 

The first time I got a Pre-Check BP I cluelessly wandered up to the line with my computer and my Freedom Baggie out and my shoes off.  The TSA people looked at me funny and asked me why I was doing that. OK, so I learned and now I know how it works. I can see how people who don't follow the latest in air travel news might just think they're being waved to the pre-Check line because it's shorter.  Last week a friend told me about how his 90-something mother who was traveling with him was practically strip-searched because it never occurred to her to bring her driver's license with her to the airport.  Then she got annoyed when he took the middle seat between her and her husband- she'd counted on being able to stash her purse there.  No, Mom, things have changed.   

[wvugurl26]

The only time I remember getting it we were grabbed out of the line to present your id and boarding pass and sent to that line. There was nothing printed on our tickets. This was at BWI. I had no problems with the instructions. I think I may have gotten it at Houston but I don't remember.

[justme]

They're like lemmings in the line! One misguided person takes off his shoes then everyone does even though the TSA guy is saying in a loud voice keep your shoes and belts on and everything in your bag 18 inches from them. Smh

[TheOtherMe]

I am not yet old enough to not have to take off my shoes.  It was printed on the boarding passes that I printed out but I had no idea it was there the last few times I have flown.  I just went back in to the airline website and it says I have that status.  I belong to many frequent flyer plans but do not have status with any since I don't fly enough any more.   I was not flying first class either.

I flew from Philly yesterday and people who had paid were ticked because they made them get in line unless they were first class and wade through the hour long security line.  Didn't divide us into the body scanner or medal detector until after TSA had checked boarding passes.

There is an application on the TSA website to apply.

In Philly, I did watch them wheel an elderly lady to the body scanner.  They quickly told her what to do but she didn't understand because they talked so fast.  She asked if she needed to take off her bracelet and they told her no.  The answer is yes and the body scanner went off.  Poor lady was trembling trying to hold her hands over her head the first time and then she had to do it again.  

It might be best for the elderly who have difficulties standing to pat them down.

Then I get on the connecting flight after 5 hours at O'Hare and a cancelled flight.  I had volunteered to take the voucher and room and fly home this morning.  Didn't happen.  Woman in front of me takes my assigned seat.  I said that's my seat and she said, no, it's open boarding.  It hasn't been open boarding on that flight whenever I've taken it in the last 6 years.  When I did get seated, seat mate started laughing and said it hasn't been open boarding in at least 20 years on the flight.  

[whoami]

I got an email saying random prechecks were going away for most of the flying public and if you want to get it consistantly, you need to apply for it with the TSA.

Before I signed up for global entry, had Pre check probably 50/50, as did my DH who is an airline pilot.

Global entry was fantastic when I flew home from Venice earlier this week. There were about 10 million people in line at immigration (just a slight exaggeration) and it took me about 5 minutes to sail through the line using global entry. My credit card reimburses me for my application cost once every 5 years so it doesnt cost me a penny but even if it did, it is well worth the cost. I was able to clear customs and immigration in record time and then hop in the TSA line to get to my next flight.

[Anne_in_VA]

What does it cost to apply for precheck?  I fly 6-8 times per year and used to get it pretty regularly, but the last couple of times I didn't get precheck.

[zibazinski]

Mine was $80

[Anne_in_VA]

Thanks Zib!

[justme]

Jun 23, 2015 18:58:35 GMT -5 whoami said:

I got an email saying random prechecks were going away for most of the flying public and if you want to get it consistantly, you need to apply for it with the TSA.

Before I signed up for global entry, had Pre check probably 50/50, as did my DH who is an airline pilot.

Global entry was fantastic when I flew home from Venice earlier this week. There were about 10 million people in line at immigration (just a slight exaggeration) and it took me about 5 minutes to sail through the line using global entry. My credit card reimburses me for my application cost once every 5 years so it doesnt cost me a penny but even if it did, it is well worth the cost. I was able to clear customs and immigration in record time and then hop in the TSA line to get to my next flight.

What card reimburses you?

[whoami]

Jun 23, 2015 20:11:01 GMT -5 justme said:

Jun 23, 2015 18:58:35 GMT -5 whoami said:

I got an email saying random prechecks were going away for most of the flying public and if you want to get it consistantly, you need to apply for it with the TSA.

Before I signed up for global entry, had Pre check probably 50/50, as did my DH who is an airline pilot.

Global entry was fantastic when I flew home from Venice earlier this week. There were about 10 million people in line at immigration (just a slight exaggeration) and it took me about 5 minutes to sail through the line using global entry. My credit card reimburses me for my application cost once every 5 years so it doesnt cost me a penny but even if it did, it is well worth the cost. I was able to clear customs and immigration in record time and then hop in the TSA line to get to my next flight.

What card reimburses you?

Citi executive. 

[whoami]

Pay the extra $20 and get global entry. Its $100 every 5 years and includes precheck.

[justme]

That's actually what I have. I travel to Canada almost every year and it's so nice. Global entry let's me skip the security line in Canada too as long as you have the card.

I was just curious.

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

They do give it to random people.

I get it all the time as it comes with my NEXUS card.  But before I put myself into the system, I got it for about 50% of the flights that it was available for.

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

And as a PSA.....if you live near the Canadian border, go with NEXUS rather than Global Entry.  You get the same advantages for half the cost.

[wvugurl26]

I remember some comments on the Washington Post on Global Entry. They were totally offended you would give up your fingerprints. Um they already have them since I work for the feds.

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

Jun 23, 2015 12:41:24 GMT -5 @rockit said:

Jun 23, 2015 12:22:18 GMT -5 hoops902 said:

You're probably white..."precheck" sounds more friendly.

Are you old?  Kids and the elderly don't have to remove their shoes anymore, maybe that has something to do with it?

I don't know about that. My frail, white, elderly mother in a wheelchair with a cane was made to go through the full body scan. They took away her cane & made her do the hands over head thing and she kept tipping over because she NEEDS her can to stabilize herself. They were jerks in my opinion & really need more training for dealing with people in a wheelchair or with issues that make it difficult for them to stand.

I'm sorry.....this is not the norm in my experience.  I've gone though security a LOT in a wheel chair and if you cannot walk though, there are other things that they can do o get you through.

Theyve been nothing but helpful to me when I have explained my limitations, I get as much help as I need.