Hop Out of Line: TSA PreCheck
We love getting tips from those we work with in the meetings business, especially if it means you will benefit from it. So high praise goes to Jan Wachtler, Executive Director of the American College of Osteopathic Emergency Physicians, who called this to our attention. Says Jan, "If you have enjoyed complementary TSA PreCheck status from an airline, this complementary status will cease to exist January 1, 2015 and you will go through regular check procedures at all airports."
You will go through regular check procedures at all airports!! Those could be the most frightening words in the English language.
But where Jan sows despair, she also brings sunshine.
"TSA PreCheck is an easy system to complete and does require an in-person visit to your local TSA PreCheck office. The process is not onerous, in fact, I completed it in 15 minutes in downtown Chicago. But it does require you to complete an online form, which is then verified in person, at which time you will be fingerprinted and charged $85. The fee lasts for five years."
As Jan points out, "If you are a frequent flyer, it is a nice benefit. If you are pre-approved, you simply walk through the scanner. You don't have to remove your shoes and belts, but you do have to remove keys from your pockets. Items go through the scanner in your bags, so you don't have to remove liquids, computers or phones."
You can visit www.tsa.gov/tsa-precheck for more information. And, as much as we'd like to take the credit, you can thank Jan as you breeze through security.