TSA to ‘Significantly’ Reduce PreCheck Access for Non-Enrolled Travelers

The U.S. Transportation Security Administration is “significantly” reducing who can use PreCheck lanes at the nation’s airports.

The agency said that most travelers who have received access to the PreCheck trusted traveler lanes at airport security checkpoints without being enrolled either directly in the PreCheck program or in a Department of Homeland Security trusted traveler program such as Global Entry will no longer get PreCheck privileges starting February 1 of this year.

This includes travelers who have received PreCheck in the past by virtue of their elite status with an airline.

Passengers at a PreCheck security checkpoint do not have to remove shoes, belts, and light jackets during the screening, and can leave laptops and liquids in their carry-on luggage.

PreCheck is available at over 180 airports in the United States as well as at some foreign airports with preclearance centers.

Anyone enrolled in Global Entry, Nexus, Sentri, or the TSA PreCheck program is eligible to use PreCheck security lanes, as are active duty U.S. military personnel.

Almost all U.S. airlines and four million travelers are participants in the program as well as a dozen non-U.S. carriers including Air Canada, Etihad, Lufthansa, and Virgin Atlantic. U.S. carriers include Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Hawaiian Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Southwest Airlines, and United Airlines.

(Photo: Accura Media Group)