Flying out of SEA-TAC a couple weeks ago, I had what I thought was a rare experience: I beat a fellow traveler through security by five minutes, even though he had TSA PreCheck and I didn’t.
Isn’t the whole point of TSA PreCheck to get through airport security faster (and not have to walk around in your socks like a child)? Yes, but when lines back up, TSA has been able to move non-members into the line. And as Forbes writes, travel companions of members can sometimes freeload on the benefits, further increasing wait times.
Don’t worry, Congress is on it. This month, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the PreCheck is PreCheck Act of 2018, a bill that looks to shorten wait times for TSA PreCheck users by limiting use by non-members.
Specifically, the bill would only allow exceptions for travelers “under the age of 12 or over the age of 75 … when traveling on the same reservation as a member of a trusted traveler program.” For everyone else, no matter how long the lines are, you’re out of luck.
Now, H.R.6265 is with the Senate, where it has been referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation. So hurry up and bite the PreCheck bullet if you haven’t yet.
And remember, not even trusted travelers get to pet the TSA dogs, but you can adopt them.
Photo by Anete Lūsiņa on Unsplash
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