Flying

[jimmykitefan]

Does anyone know how you get the TSA Pre-Screen with your airline ticket? Sometimes, my husband and I both get it on our airline ticket and sometimes, I only get it and sometimes, neither of us do. I can't figure it out. Our tickets are bought at the same time. Thns

 

[SaintsManiac]

I applied for TSA precheck online and paid the fee.

 

[jimmykitefan]

We've never paid or applied. sometimes it's just printed on our Boarding Pass.

 

[foodiddiedoo]

So, if you fly regularly you might often get it as you're seen as less of a threat. Before I applied for Global Entry I was getting TSA Pre on my tickets about 70% of the time. Also, if you and your husband are in the 55 and older age group, they tend to hand it our more freely as well.

 

[reluctantredhead]

I applied for TSA precheck online and paid the fee.

Me too. However, 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.

 

[AngiTN]

You buy it
Sign up at TSA online, go to interview, have your number in about a week (most of the time)

 

[AngiTN]

We've never paid or applied. sometimes it's just printed on our Boarding Pass.

That's the way they get you. Let you get a taste of it and you'll buy it most every time.
But there's nothing you can do to "get" it on there, without buying it.
Even then it's possible (slight but possible) they'll pick you for screening anyway. It's the opposite when you sign up. You get it all the time unless they select you at random for a full screening. In our years of having it, we've never been selected and not gotten it.

 

[Darcy03231]

I get it almost every flight by buying my ticket with that carrier's credit card. DH and I are also frequent flyers and are both over 55.

 

[Bjkandma]

I'm handicapped. I was given precheck several times. Last year, traveling to Disney arrived at home airport not having precheck. Spoke with representative at airline. She put something in computer.

I didn't have it leaving home airport and things didn't go well at the TSA ,security. At Disney I requested an earlier Magical Express departure time (to make sure we made it through security and on to flight). This was done several days before departure. When they printed boarding pass, I had precheck!!

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

If you have Precheck and it is not printed on your ticket go to the airline ticket counter and they will fix it. I had this happen once and another time my husband had it happen. The airline fixed it .

 

[Debbie Jean]

Like you, I would often... but not always... get TSA-precheck presumably because I'm old and fly the same routes several times a year, so low on the "threat" scale.

I finally decided to just go ahead and purchase it so I was sure to have it every time... the process was easy and straightforward... $85 for 5 years seemed like a fairly good deal to avoid the backups I often encounter at both Newark and Orlando.

 

[AngiTN]

If you have Precheck and it is not printed on your ticket go to the airline ticket counter and they will fix it. I had this happen once and another time my husband had it happen. The airline fixed it .

To be clear, not always.
TSA Precheck doesn't come from the airline. They can't make it appear if you are chosen by the TSA for regular line. But they can add it if it's left off in error.

 

[jec6613]

How it works is pretty basic:

Each airport terminal has a certain Pre line capacity, and it's known ahead of time (mostly) and a certain regular line capacity as well. They start putting passengers in the Pre line based on a risk assessment algorithm, taking into account age, sex, ticket type, number of passengers on your PNR or linked PNRs, and so on, with a random chance of it kicking you out to the regular line anyway. Having a Known Traveler ID number from the TSA, GE, or Nexus reduces your risk assessment significantly and puts you at the head of that line. Adding a KTID number at check-in can cause it to re-calculate, and there's a certain capacity flexibility to allow this to occur.

At some airports and times, the Pre capacity is so small relative to the number of TKID passengers that lots of people get dumped into the regular line, in others and at other times it's the reverse. At 5 AM at LGA's Central Terminal wing D, about 10% of all TKID passengers go through regular screening because of the heavy frequent traveler numbers, while at 11 AM almost 30% of non-TKID passengers get the Pre line.

The TSA published all of this a number of years ago in a congressional report, and it's remained the same.

 

[jimmykitefan]

So, it's pretty much random. And in this case, it might be good that we are close to be senior citizens and have purchased our tickets way in advance.
Thanks for the info. We just hope for the best and if it happens, we know Tink has already been there with her pixie dust.

 

[jec6613]

So, it's pretty much random. And in this case, it might be good that we are close to be senior citizens and have purchased our tickets way in advance.
Thanks for the info. We just hope for the best and if it happens, we know Tink has already been there with her pixie dust.

It is, but having a KTID does help your odds a ton.

 

[_19disnA]

So, it's pretty much random.

Yes. For those who have not purchased TSA pre-check, you might still get randomly assigned to it, but they never publically state the actual formula. Probably makes sense from a security stand-point that the formula isn't public knowledge.

 

[chicagodisneyguy]

If you are an international traveler you are better off getting Global Entry. It's $100 I believe and gets you through immigration coming back from overseas very fast. Global Entry comes with TSA precheck so for $15 more you get both.

 

[jec6613]

If you are an international traveler you are better off getting Global Entry. It's $100 I believe and gets you through immigration coming back from overseas very fast. Global Entry comes with TSA precheck so for $15 more you get both.

TSA Pre screening, Global Entry, and if you're along the Canadian border, Nexus, all get you the same result: a KTID. There are other ways to get it as well, but those are the most common.

 

[MikeOhio]

At less than $20 per year, pre check is a no brainer.

 

[fractalpotato]

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