More People Are Paying For #Pre-Check at the Airport

I was holding out on applying for pre-check, as I had automatically gotten it so many times at the airport. However, one of the last times I was at the airport around 6:00 AM, I had to wait in line to go through the screening process for about 45 minutes. I had flown six times last year, that means going through security 12 times. Of those 12 times, I got pre-check four times. It seems like I am getting it less and less and the lines are getting longer and longer.

What are my advantages with having pre-check:
Why should you join TSA Pre✓®?

• TSA Pre✓® provides trusted travelers with expedited security screening for a better travel experience.
• Plan your travel with confidence and enjoy a more predictable experience.
• It’s a convenient, more efficient security screening process.
• It’s available at more than 150 airports with 12 participating airlines.

No need to remove:

• Shoes
• Laptops
• 3-1-1 liquids
• Belts
• Light jackets

How Do I Apply?

Complete the online application or you can complete the entire process in person at an application center.
Schedule an appointment online or by calling (855) 347-8371 weekdays, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. ET. Walk-ins are welcome but appointments take priority.
Visit an application center to:

1. Provide required documentation and fingerprints. Bring your current U.S. passport or a driver’s license and birth certificate. See other acceptable documents.
2. Pay a non-refundable $85 fee valid for five years with a credit card, money order, company check or certified/cashier’s check.
3. You can check your status online at any time.

How do I add my KTN to my frequent flyer profile on one of the participating carriers? Ask your carrier(s) to update your profile information and/or saved Secure Flight data. By updating your airline profile, you still have to notify your carrier to make sure your KTN/Secure Flight data is in each reservation correctly, with the same information used when applying for one of the trusted traveler programs.
How will I know that I have been cleared for TSA Pre✓®? Participating airlines will print a TSA Pre✓® indicator directly on the boarding pass.

I realized that the money I would spend on getting the pre-check option would be well worth it as the designation is good for 5 years. So I made my decision to apply.

When I went on-line to find out what I needed to do, I found that there were two options:
Pre-Check or Global Entry. Global Entry gave more benefits and was only $15 more, but I had to go to the airport for an interview to fulfill the requirements.
I applied Global Entry. As a pre-screened Global Entry member, I check-in at the Global Entry kiosk when I enter the US and I'm on my way.
Other reasons to apply for Global Entry are:

• No processing lines

• No paperwork
• Access to expedited entry benefits in other countries
• Reduced wait times

I opted for Global Entry. I went online to

1. Global Online Enrollment System (GOES) and signed up for an account.
2. Filled Out the Application and paid $100
3. I waited to see if I was pre-approved. I was in about a week.
4. Online I signed up for an interview with TSA. The first appointment was about a month away.
5. My appointment was at 10:15 at airport Terminal 1 by baggage claim carousal #2 .
6. On appointment day, I left early.
7. I parked in the short term parking and made my way to the office.
8. When I got there, I signed in and took a seat. I was called at 10:20.
9. The appointment lasted 15 minutes. They reviewed my application, took my pictures and fingerprints and I was on my way.
10. I will get my card in a few weeks.

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