So when are any of you going to tell us what this TSA pre-check is?
I just got back from a trip Tuesday. TSA Pre Check. Most larger airports have separate pre check lines so you don’t have to wait in their awful, long lines. Denver had about a 1/2 hour regular line. Precheck was walk right through. You don’t have to take your shoes off or laptops/tablets, etc. out of your carry on. Just put them in the bins and they scan them. A lot faster.
Assuming this is an honest question:
You register, pay a fee, have a background investigation and an in-person interview (similar to the minimum background investigation for federal employment). You then get to bypass the main lanes and the unpacking at security. (They can still pick you out for regular screening). There's a companion program that gets you in the express lines for international travel - "Global Traveler". Global Traveler costs a bit more, but includes all PreCheck benefits.
An airline can give out pre-check passes to frequent, unregistered travelers on a single flight basis - a reward for good customers, and marketing for the program. I've gotten several of the single flight passes over the years. If I still traveled a lot, I'd go for the Global Traveler program.
Tsa precheck is mafia like business model run by the government to extract $85 from you. First they make “security” screening an obnoxious, intrusive an very time consuming process. Then for the aforementioned $85 they let you go back to the previous rules for 5 years. If you fly Southwest on a regular basis Southwest airlines will usually put you on the prescreen list for free.
You pay a fee, they do a background check and the you get fast tracked at the airport security.
You pay a fee, they do a background check and then you get fast tracked at the airport security.