As I recall, when purchasing the flight you have a choice to give your precheck number to assuredly get precheck status. You are NOT automatically enrolled at ticket time. That way you could control (to some degree anyway) when you get status. won't help if randomly picked, but if a particular airport consistently has problems you could minimize them to some extent.

I have precheck and thats's what I do to help my process.

quote:

Originally posted by JimTheo:
As I recall, when purchasing the flight you have a choice to give your precheck number to assuredly get precheck status. You are NOT automatically enrolled at ticket time. That way you could control (to some degree anyway) when you get status. won't help if randomly picked, but if a particular airport consistently has problems you could minimize them to some extent.

I have precheck and thats's what I do to help my process.

You’re making things unnecessarily complex. You don’t have to use the PreCheck line if it says PreCheck on your ticket. If PreCheck is longer than regular I just get in regular line.

quote:

Originally posted by tatortodd:

quote:

Originally posted by JimTheo:
As I recall, when purchasing the flight you have a choice to give your precheck number to assuredly get precheck status. You are NOT automatically enrolled at ticket time. That way you could control (to some degree anyway) when you get status. won't help if randomly picked, but if a particular airport consistently has problems you could minimize them to some extent.

I have precheck and thats's what I do to help my process.

You’re making things unnecessarily complex. You don’t have to use the PreCheck line if it says PreCheck on your ticket. If PreCheck is longer than regular I just get in regular line.

Oh, but sometimes the folks that work these gigs are not the brightest bulbs. I have Sky Priority as well and will usually choose the lesser of two lines but this one time I was floored when the prescreener that lets you in to Sky Priority told me I had to use precheck. I can't recall the airport now, but I was actually forced into the precheck line because I had precheck on my boarding pass. I began to argue with the imbecile, but then gave up and just went to the longer precheck line.

Edit: I remember now it was at MCI in Kansas City. I wasn't surprised after the rest of my experience at that airport...

quote:

Originally posted by sgalczyn:

quote:

Originally posted by mark_a:
Clear = $179.00 per year...

No thanks

And not in Philly, Newark or Chicago.........my primaries.

Too
Stupid for
Arby's

Yeah, like I said earlier, until they set up shop in Philadelphia, I don't really have the need for it yet. I rarely ever get jammed up in lines at SLC. Part of the reason for that though is that half the time I am taking red eye flights out of there to catch my ship the next morning, and the lines are nearly always non-existent at that time.

My average wait time through security this year by the way has been probably five to ten minutes. It just hasn't been an issue lately.

The one thing I do like about clear is that it is a private company. I also find it interesting that they are using it at a lot of the major sporting venues.

I don't attend games like that so it does't help but I do like the fact that the free market is providing a solution.

quote:

Originally posted by ubelongoutside:

quote:

Originally posted by tatortodd:

quote:

Originally posted by JimTheo:
As I recall, when purchasing the flight you have a choice to give your precheck number to assuredly get precheck status. You are NOT automatically enrolled at ticket time. That way you could control (to some degree anyway) when you get status. won't help if randomly picked, but if a particular airport consistently has problems you could minimize them to some extent.

I have precheck and thats's what I do to help my process.

You’re making things unnecessarily complex. You don’t have to use the PreCheck line if it says PreCheck on your ticket. If PreCheck is longer than regular I just get in regular line.

Oh, but sometimes the folks that work these gigs are not the brightest bulbs. I have Sky Priority as well and will usually choose the lesser of two lines but this one time I was floored when the prescreener that lets you in to Sky Priority told me I had to use precheck. I can't recall the airport now, but I was actually forced into the precheck line because I had precheck on my boarding pass. I began to argue with the imbecile, but then gave up and just went to the longer precheck line.

Edit: I remember now it was at MCI in Kansas City. I wasn't surprised after the rest of my experience at that airport...

Saw it happen recently in Birmingham as well. The guy in front on me was forced into the PreCheck line even though it was longer.

How sad that we have lost so much freedom we are arguing about how best to submit to a warrantless, baseless search by government officials. We're actually paying fees to be searched more efficiently?

On my recent anniversary trip I was given the precheck stamp due to having a military ID. It saved me a solid 30 minutes at BWI. I noticed that they were taking some people and moving them over to the precheck line, which kind of defeats the purpose IMO.

quote:

Originally posted by Fredward:
How sad that we have lost so much freedom we are arguing about how best to submit to a warrantless, baseless search by government officials. We're actually paying fees to be searched more efficiently?

I've been DESPERATELY trying to figure out how the TSA is NOT violating our 4th Amendment rights...

quote:

Originally posted by erj_pilot:

quote:

Originally posted by Fredward:
...

I've been DESPERATELY trying to figure out how the TSA is NOT violating our 4th Amendment rights...

You agree to all TSA does to you. When you buy a ticket you enter into a "Contract of Carriage" below is from United's Contract of Carriage.

RULE 20 SCREENING OF PASSENGERS AND BAGGAGE
Passengers and/or their baggage are subject to security screening, including but not limited to, security profiling, physical pat-downs and inspections, x-ray screening, manual bag searches, questioning of Passengers, and use of electronic or other detectors or screening or security devices, in the sole discretion of the government, airport or UA, and with or without the Passenger’s presence, consent or knowledge. Neither UA nor its employees or agents is liable for any damage, loss, delay (including refusal to transport), confiscation of property, injury or other harm relating to or arising out of security screening conducted by an agent of the airport or any local, state, or federal agency or a Passenger's failure to submit to or comply with such security screening.

Crap...forgot about what's on a ticket since I really haven't bought one in so long. In addition, I can proceed through Known Crewmember at participating airports since I will always have my company ID with me. I guess being in the industry, I don't get subjected to the same bullshit the "normal" traveler does. There have been moments, but they're few and far between...thank you Lord!

quote:

Originally posted by AirmanJeff:
On my recent anniversary trip I was given the precheck stamp due to having a military ID...

You can get Pre-Check every flight if you enter a number on your CAC into your DTS profile for official travel (I would also add it to each airline profile as well to cover personal travel). "Pre-Check" will/should appear on your boarding pass and you'll be GTG every time just like you paid for it.

http://www.defensetravel.dod.mil/site/news.cfm?ID=18

quote:

Originally posted by Sigmund:

quote:

Originally posted by AirmanJeff:
On my recent anniversary trip I was given the precheck stamp due to having a military ID...

You can get Pre-Check every flight if you enter a number on your CAC into your DTS profile for official travel (I would also add it to each airline profile as well to cover personal travel). "Pre-Check" will/should appear on your boarding pass and you'll be GTG every time just like you paid for it.

http://www.defensetravel.dod.mil/site/news.cfm?ID=18

I was on a personal trip, but lucky for me if you go on Spirit's website you can enter your CAC ID and print out boarding passes with the precheck label on them. And Spirit automatically gives military zone 1 boarding. I actually didn't mind Spirit at all, I paid extra for the big seats but it was still considerably cheaper than every other option.

quote:

Originally posted by AirmanJeff:

I was on a personal trip, but lucky for me if you go on Spirit's website you can enter your CAC ID and print out boarding passes with the precheck label on them.

Most airlines should allow you to do that.

And Spirit can go blow a horse. Just an absolute terrible company.

quote:

Originally posted by erj_pilot:
I've been DESPERATELY trying to figure out how the TSA is NOT violating our 4th Amendment rights...

The 4th protects against "unreasonable" searches. If you expect to get searched, then it's not unreasonable. Just like going to a concert or sporting event. Also, you can opt out of the search by not going/flying commercially.

We also have the 2nd amendment, except where we don't.

While I have PreCheck/Global Entry, it comes in very handy at the airports I frequent.

While Clear is usually $179 per person, there are ways to get that price down.

Using my Delta SkyMiles credit card for it cuts the price down to $79. From my account I then add my wife for something like $75.

With Orlando International (MCO) is my primary airport, the $150 is a small investment towards less aggravating travel.

Here are the 30 major airports that have Clear, I'm surprised ORD is not included:

https://www.clearme.com/where-we-are

We always start at our small airport in Moline IL (MLI) which has a separate Pre-Check line but is unlikely to get Clear. We change planes at ORD, the only time we go thru TSA there is inbound from CONUS and that's about once a year.

quote:

Originally posted by Balzé Halzé:

quote:

Originally posted by Dallas239:
This has happened to me a few times, especially at DFW, where the lines are usually short. The TSA is dumping everyone in precheck because they know that the whole body-scan, shoes off, liquids out, BS doesn't actually make anything safer.

Yup.

Something new that is now being enforced by the way is that any device larger than a cell phone must come out of your bag in addition to any laptop. I had to take my tablet and reader out the other day. Also for some reason, tsa was pulling aside any bags that they thought had food in it. Don't know what that was all about. They didn't take the food; they just wanted to look at it.

Supposedly food containers can look like a bomb on the x-ray machine. Ridiculous, I know.

CLEAR is run by a private company, it's an annual fee (as opposed to every 5/years) and is limited to only a handful of airports. If you're a frequent travel and your main airport has a CLEAR check, than its worthwhile. Hopefully your employer or, credit card can help off-set the annual cost as it's considerably higher than the other options. If CLEAR is too steep but you fly enough one should consider Global Entry or, it's TSA-run distant cousin TSA-Pre.

Back to OP: yes, TSA PreCheck lines have gotten longer. I think more people have figured out if you fly more than 4x a year, then getting either Pre or, GE is worth it. Also, TSA 'agents' will put seniors and overflow from the main lines into the PreCheck line...ergo watering down the benefits of an easy security check.