Get your TSA precheck, freebies ending...

[Farro]

The news is on in the other room and I hear "TSA PRECHECK IS ENDING!". So with all that's going on lately I wouldn't be surprised they were discontinuing it....they aren't.

What's happening is starting in February they are phasing out the randomly selected people who used to be eligible for precheck for free. Soon it will be only those in the program.

FYI.

 

[NH-to-FL]

We are frequent flyers on Southwest and would often get TSA Pre on our boarding passes.

Oh well, I guess we will have to dig out our birth certificates and come up with the $85 to get our official Precheck.

 

[Farro]

We are frequent flyers on Southwest and would often get TSA Pre on our boarding passes.

Oh well, I guess we will have to dig out our birth certificates and come up with the $85 to get our official Precheck.

I think it's worth it!

 

[supersnoop]

The news is on in the other room and I hear "TSA PRECHECK IS ENDING!". So with all that's going on lately I wouldn't be surprised they were discontinuing it....they aren't.

What's happening is starting in February they are phasing out the randomly selected people who used to be eligible for precheck for free. Soon it will be only those in the program.

FYI.

I think this is the third time that they've announced the end of randomly selected precheck. It hasn't seemed to actually happen yet.

 

[Farro]

Well, it's the first time I heard it.

 

[OKW Lover]

I've got GOES (Global Entry) which is only $15 more and gives me Pre-Check as well. I'm kind of glad they are discontinuing the free access. I fly frequently and its a little frustrating to be behind somebody that got pre-check but isn't familiar with the process so they are taking off their shoes and pulling laptops out of bags, etc. This happens often at MCO.

Yes, 1st world problems.

 

[DebbieB]

I paid for it last November, the process was easy. You do an online application, make an appointment to go to a center. At the center, you show your passport or ID, they take digital fingerprints and you pay the $85 (I used credit card). I got my number by email within 5 days. I used it 2 weeks ago, the lines were short at both PIT and DFW.

I really never understood why they allowed random people to use it when the program requires an application and finger prints (and I assume a background check). With increased security, it makes sense that random is ending. I was surprised to see a security guard with a large weapon standing at security, hadn't seen that since the days after 9/11.

 

[chicagodisneyfan]

I think pre-check is the best $85 I ever spent.
Has saved so much time!

Quick process - I think it took 10 minutes and I had my number in a week.

 

[bumbershoot]

I think this is the third time that they've announced the end of randomly selected precheck. It hasn't seemed to actually happen yet.

So true.

I've got GOES (Global Entry) which is only $15 more and gives me Pre-Check as well.

I have NEXUS and it cost $50 and I get easy Canada crossings, Global Entry, and prechek with it. Hoorah. And I'm pretty sure DS was free, being a minor. We often book separately from DH who has Global Entry (the dude refused to listen to me about NEXUS and went for the more expensive, fewer-options option) so I don't get pre when I do that, and DS will be 13 in May so his freebie time going through Pre with dad was ending.

It took a solid month to get the pre-interview stuff done on their end, and then a drive right up towards the Canadian border for the interview, and I still need to get back to Canada to do the iris scan and up to the Boeing airport to let them scan my California birth certificate (they had DH and DS's WA BCs but not mine), but I can still use the trusted traveler number for domestic flights.

 

[georgina]

I have NEXUS and it cost $50 and I get easy Canada crossings, Global Entry, and prechek with it. Hoorah. And I'm pretty sure DS was free, being a minor. We often book separately from DH who has Global Entry (the dude refused to listen to me about NEXUS and went for the more expensive, fewer-options option) so I don't get pre when I do that, and DS will be 13 in May so his freebie time going through Pre with dad was ending.

OK, I've read this paragraph 3 times and am confused. If you get precheck with your Nexus, then why don't you get pre when you book separately from your DH? And what options do you have that GOES doesn't? We were told we could use the faster lines to go into Canada with it (isn't that what Nexus is?) We go to Canada maybe once every 15 years.

 

[bumbershoot]

OK, I've read this paragraph 3 times and am confused. If you get precheck with your Nexus, then why don't you get pre when you book separately from your DH? And what options do you have that GOES doesn't? We were told we could use the faster lines to go into Canada with it (isn't that what Nexus is?) We go to Canada maybe once every 15 years.

We *just* got NEXUS. I grew tired of not getting Pre because I booked separately from DH (DS could follow DH into the line since he's still 12), but we booked like that so they could get upgraded with DH's status or so that DH could peel off from the family traveling-home plans in case work needed him before we got home. So now I don't have to worry about it.

And we had just flown Southwest, where even though we were all booked together I still didn't get it (neither did DS, but again, he could just go with his dad into the Pre line), which seems to be a SW thing. (on all other airlines if we are booked together we all get Pre b/c of DH's Global Entry)

DH thought he got fast entry to Canada by the driving lanes, but the site and the guys at the interview said that he can get back to the US by NEXUS lanes, but ONLY NEXUS holders can use the lanes into Canada. And we can't drop off DH to walk through, darnit. So he has to get NEXUS at some point before we can all drive through using the NEXUS lanes.

The international flight airport line stuff confuses me, so I'll figure it out when it applies to me.

 

[Simba's Mom]

What's happening is starting in February they are phasing out the randomly selected people who used to be eligible for precheck for free. Soon it will be only those in the program.

FYI.

Darn it! I used to get randomly selected for TSA Recheck a lot, it seemed like most of the time. What was funny was that, even though DH was a Gold member FF, I'd get recheck and he hardly ever did. It was nice, but not to pay for, for me. We avoid airports now and drive, anyways.

 

[pens4821]

My parents always got the pre, but we didn't. Have looked into purchasing it, but for the 5 of us to fly maybe twice in 5 years it doesn't work for us. If we flew a couple times a year, I'd certainly get it though.

 

[freewill]

Aren't GOES and Pre-Check annual programs and so those are annual fees? How do they work for families?

 

[Allison]

Aren't GOES and Pre-Check annual programs and so those are annual fees? How do they work for families?

TSA Pre is good for 5 years. It is not an annual fee.

 

[OKW Lover]

GOES is a 5-year period. https://www.cbp.gov/travel/trusted-traveler-programs/global-entry

 

[Ranger111]

As posted above....

I will believe they discontinue it when they actually do.

It's become sort of like "Your check is in the mail...."

 

[AngiTN]

We are frequent flyers on Southwest and would often get TSA Pre on our boarding passes.

Oh well, I guess we will have to dig out our birth certificates and come up with the $85 to get our official Precheck.

As a SW Frequent Flier it's very possible you get free TSA PreCheck through the frequent flier program with SW. I did. Of course, I'd already bought it but worth asking SW.

I really never understood why they allowed random people to use it when the program requires an application and finger prints (and I assume a background check). With increased security, it makes sense that random is ending. I was surprised to see a security guard with a large weapon standing at security, hadn't seen that since the days after 9/11.

I assume they gave it away to low risk people (determined by an algorithm of some sort I'm sure) in hopes of getting them to love it and buy it.

 

[supersnoop]

As a SW Frequent Flier it's very possible you get free TSA PreCheck through the frequent flier program with SW.

Some Frequent Flyer programs will offer pre-check to some of their members, but you still have to go through the screening process. Basically, they get to comp the $85 fee for a certain number of folks.

 

[AngiTN]

Some Frequent Flyer programs will offer pre-check to some of their members, but you still have to go through the screening process. Basically, they get to comp the $85 fee for a certain number of folks.

That's what I meant. Sorry, wasn't clear. PP said they liked getting it free so I wanted to mention it's possible they can get it free. I should have included, get enrolled for free