When
traveling through an airport, and waiting in long queues at TSA, the Pre-check
advantage can certainly make for a more pleasant travel experience. So,
for nine months now, I've been part of the Happy Traveler's Club (i.e.
Pre-check), but I have not been able to use it once! Why? It turns out that not all airports
provide this accommodation; also, the Pre-check access line is not available 24
hours.
Recently, when I was at LAX for a 1:00am flight, I discovered that Pre-check closes at 11:00pm, (this was at 11:15pm). So, I had to queue up with the rest of the crowd. As a consolation, TSA simply called out for Pre-check travellers (you don't have to remove anything, but if you set off detectors, you have to go through a thorough wand search). Of course, this happened to me. And for reasons unknown, perhaps a piece of metal on my clothing, the length of time I spent with TSA was extended.
I
suppose that Pre-check can be beneficial, it certainly seemed that way,
whenever I watched other passengers breeze through TSA. I'm not a
frequent flyer, but I travel often enough to want to get through the crowd as
smoothly as possible.
To
qualify for Pre-check, through the Global Entry program, you must submit an
application, detailing personal and professional information, as well as your travel
history. There’s also a fee, and an
interview with a federal Customs agent at either LAX, or the Port Authority, in Long Beach.
As you can see, my commitment to being part of the Global Entry program, which
includes Pre-check, is greater than its commitment to me.
To learn more about these programs, check out the following links:
TSA PreCheck https://www.tsa.gov/tsa-precheck
Global Entry https://www.cbp.gov/travel/trusted-traveler-programs/global-entry/how-apply
TSA Blog http://tsa.eyestreet.com/aggregator/sources/1
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