Flying

[mickeynut1]

I found out on my last trip that Precheck isn't guaranteed, even when you have paid for it, gone through the security screening and interview, and have been approved and assigned a Known Traveler Number (I've had mine for a year and made 10+ trips since that time). I was surprised when my boarding pass didn't have it and asked about it at security at my airport, and the TSA officer told me they have to randomly sometimes not give you Precheck because it deters criminal activity that way. I guess I never read the fine print that it wouldn't always be granted, so I just wanted to pass that info along so that others wouldn't be surprised by it like I was.

I looked into it, but the bolded part above is the main reason I decided against it. My brother & SIL have it and my sister got it last year right before she and I took our niece to Disney in Oct. We had an early morning flight going out and when we got to the airport security line, pre-check was closed, so she had to go through the regular line with me and my niece. It was an early morning flight so it wasn't overly crowded, but there were a handful of people and a small line. Coming home we all had pre-check on our boarding passes, which I've randomly gotten the last few times I've flown without going through the process and paying for it.

Our home airport often has more people in the Pre line than not, and they only have one person doing the ID checks, so the Pre line ends up taking longer.

My DH found this to be true coming home from a work trip last week. He doesn't have pre-check but two co-workers he was traveling with do. My DH made it through security in a matter of minutes, but waited almost 10 minutes on the other side for the other two who went through the pre-check line.

 

[AngiTN]

I love Pre-check, but as it gets more popular, it loses value rapidly. Our home airport often has more people in the Pre line than not, and they only have one person doing the ID checks, so the Pre line ends up taking longer. Worse still, they tend to just lump Pre in with regular for the scanners, so I still end up having to take off my belt and unpack my laptop and VR gear (and camera if that's packed). Even worse if you have Pre, they won't let you get in the regular, shorter line, so it's actually kind of a negative. That said, Orlando has consistently been fantastic with it and that's worth it. Dealing with security is easier when going on vacation than coming home!

Matt

Inconsistent TSA is really a PITA.
We don't even have PreCheck in our local airport at all. It's only 5 gates and 1 lane for security, 1 checkpoint of any sort. So everyone goes in together. As one with PreCheck we get a card that allows us to leave our shoes and belts on. Since we have only 1 bag scanner lane we do have to remove electronics and liquids (they'd have no way to know who should still have them and who shouldn't) but leaving shoes and belts on at least helps that part. I'm surprised that your airport doesn't have something similar when you get to the scanners. That's where they have such consistency problems.

 

[fractalpotato]

Inconsistent TSA is really a PITA.
We don't even have PreCheck in our local airport at all. It's only 5 gates and 1 lane for security, 1 checkpoint of any sort. So everyone goes in together. As one with PreCheck we get a card that allows us to leave our shoes and belts on. Since we have only 1 bag scanner lane we do have to remove electronics and liquids (they'd have no way to know who should still have them and who shouldn't) but leaving shoes and belts on at least helps that part. I'm surprised that your airport doesn't have something similar when you get to the scanners. That's where they have such consistency problems.

That's how it's supposed to work, and I've gotten that card before, and it clearly indicates that I shouldn't have to remove the belt and shoes, but the TSA agents insisted anyway on multiple separate occasions, I politely protested twice, first time got me a shrug, second time got me a "do we need to step out of line to resolve this?" and I haven't bothered to try since. Last thing I need is some uppity TSA agent getting me tossed in jail for trying to follow instructions.

Matt