TSA Pre-Check with family

[cedricandsophie]

You can't get an appointment in the Chicsgo area for Precheck because of the recent problems with long lines. There are only walk ins available for the next two months. We usually fly United and because of ,y premier status me and anyone traveling with me always gets Precheck automatically assigned. But I know that won't work with other airlines and we travel quite a bit so I'm definitely going to tske the whole famlily this summer to get it. Including my daughters best friend who we always take with us and my grand kids. Well worth the money

 

[tjmw2727]

We fly out on 5/30. I signed up on 5/11 for my niece and I. We had our appointment on 5/17 at 4:45pm. My niece received her number today, and it looks like I should get mine soon. So there should still be time.

Just fyiu Even if you haven't received the letter yet if you follow the link on your receipt and or the email you should have received after signing up your KTN should be there! It only took about 24 hours for mine to show up and one business day for my daughters, then the letter followed about a week later.

You then need to call or go online to update your information for the flight - I was able to update AA flights online but I had to call SWA.

 

[peanutmomma]

We applied last weekend - my approval and number were available online within 48 hours (Saturday to Monday.) DH is still pending, but he holds dual citizenship so there are probably a few extra security checks for him.

 

[pschro1]

Question for everybody. When we picked our enrollment center, the TSA site said that the company providing the service was IdentoGo. However the address listed on the TSA site does not show as a location on the IdentoGo website. Did anyone else have to visit an IdentoGo site?

 

[peanutmomma]

Our IdentGo location was inside an H&R Block office.

 

[pschro1]

Peanutmomma - Do you know if your location was listed on IndentoGo's website? I just don't want to show up and have it not be there.

 

[peanutmomma]

Peanutmomma - Do you know if your location was listed on IndentoGo's website? I just don't want to show up and have it not be there.

We completed all the pre-enrollment forms online and had a number of offices we could pick from in the KC metro area. I never looked at the IdentGo website specifically since we did everything through the TSA Pre-Check site.

 

[betterbutter]

I got the Pre-Check with my 21 yo DD in February. Make sure to add your KTN to your airline information when booking or before. Also, be aware that even if you have purchased Pre-Check it is not a guaranty that you will get it every time. DD just flew DTW to Paris on Sunday and did not get Pre-Check -- even after Delta looked up her KTN again. We were told about this when we registered to get Pre-Check, so I was not surprised. We flew to Mexico in March with Pre-Check, so I don't believe it was simply because her flight on Sunday was international.

I have never been able to use Pre-Check before boarding an international flight outside of North America.

 

[pschro1]

So yea.... I drove past the location I picked. Sure enough it's inside of an H&R block. This wasn't listed on the TSA website. So if anyone was confused like me, just look for a H&R block.

 

[tjmw2727]

So yea.... I drove past the location I picked. Sure enough it's inside of an H&R block. This wasn't listed on the TSA website. So if anyone was confused like me, just look for a H&R block.

LOL - glad you found it but not always H&R Block, ours was a truck licensing facility, luckily it was clearly marked!

 

[disneydeal]

Just wanted too add.. Don't accidentally try and carry your pool bag on as a carry on with a few cans of sunscreen spray like we did last year. Oops

 

[n2mm]

So yea.... I drove past the location I picked. Sure enough it's inside of an H&R block. This wasn't listed on the TSA website. So if anyone was confused like me, just look for a H&R block.

LOL, our center was up in the mountains in a little town. The office was located in a store that sold gas fireplaces and wood stoves....took us a while to find it and even asked a mailman that was driving around. Even he didn't know where it was. We were 1 hour late because we got behind a truck treating the roads for an upcoming snowstorm and no way to pass it. It was no problem as there was no one there. I got my number in 24 hours. My interview was around 3:00PM and had it the next afternoon. (Since I had worked for the USG for 30 years, and had a background check every 5 years for a high clearance level....they had everything they needed on me as my background check was still current) My husband's number took 1 week.

 

[goofy4tink]

I have never been able to use Pre-Check before boarding an international flight outside of North America.

Me either! TSA Precheck is good only for flying domestically! Flew to Mexico earlier this month...wasn't an option to use precheck!

 

[isabellea]

I was told we can use TSA pre-check when flying back from USA to Canada by the agent who interviewed us last February for the NEXUS card. Will test it when we fly to Las Vegas this fall.

 

[BenandMorgsMom]

Just an FYI...Pre-Check line out of Orlando is not always open. We fly back at night, last 2 visits it was closed and we had to wait in the regular line. The TSA officer stated it is not guaranteed. We were not happy the first time it happened but now we know so we plan accordingly.

 

[MIChessGuy]

My Pre-Check enrollment visit is tomorrow in suburban Detroit. Apparently no scheduling issues here, as I did the online pre-enrollment just a few days ago. I have an existing Southwest itinerary for late August, so after updating my online SW account (assuming I'm approved), I'll have to phone Southwest and have them add Pre-Check to that trip. It was a little worrisome to see language on the SW website suggesting they won't do that. However, reports here have been mostly positive so I will try to stay optimistic.

In my case, NEXUS was another option since it includes Pre-Check privileges and is apparently $35 cheaper. But it would have required a trip all the way to a U.S. border patrol station at the Ambassador Bridge, plus part of the application involves an "iris scan", but they don't have an iris scanner, but it's okay because some office in Niagara Falls ON or someplace has one.....and by this point my eyes were glazing over. Too bad really, because I'd probably visit Caesars Windsor more often if NEXUS weren't such a pain to get.

 

[MIChessGuy]

I may have been mistaken about the iris scan. According to the Canada Border Services Agency website, iris photographs can be taken at the Windsor Airport just across the border. I have seen no reference to this service anywhere else, only at the CBSA's site. If this is accurate, it may be a new thing. I can see how they might have been getting a lot of complaints from potential applicants in the Windsor/Detroit region who had no easy access to an iris scan. Maybe this is the result.

 

[MIChessGuy]

A little surprised to receive my Precheck approval in a TSA email early this morning. I guess the system is always operating, holiday weekend or no. Total time between in-person enrollment interview and receipt of KTN was eight days. Now I need to try to get the KTN applied to my pre-existing Southwest itinerary for this August. Also I noticed while adding my KTN to Southwest profile that my middle name and DOB were missing there; hopefully I can handle all this stuff over the phone. One of the Southwest FAQ's mentions sending a letter to a PO Box in Dallas or something, which I'd prefer to avoid, but I guess I'll find out.

 

[tjmw2727]

A little surprised to receive my Precheck approval in a TSA email early this morning. I guess the system is always operating, holiday weekend or no. Total time between in-person enrollment interview and receipt of KTN was eight days. Now I need to try to get the KTN applied to my pre-existing Southwest itinerary for this August. Also I noticed while adding my KTN to Southwest profile that my middle name and DOB were missing there; hopefully I can handle all this stuff over the phone. One of the Southwest FAQ's mentions sending a letter to a PO Box in Dallas or something, which I'd prefer to avoid, but I guess I'll find out.

Don't worry! I had to call SWA to add the KTN for my kids and it was a breeze, the agent was very helpful and it was fairly quick. They each had two flights booked and both were booked as one way instead of r/t due to points and credits and there were no issues.

Also if you had checked the link on the receipt you got when signing up my guess is that your approval and number would have shown up in as little as 24/36 hours!

 

[pschro1]

So my wife and I went to the enrollment center on Friday May 27th. I had my KTN on Sunday May 29th and she had hers on Monday May 30th. I was pretty impressed with how fast it was. When I went to call Southwest about adding our middle names to our reservation they asked for our KTN numbers (which I didn't have at the time). You can add the KTN numbers right through southwest.com though. What I did was click the link in the southwest confirmation email to add a rapid rewards number for my wife. Then on the top of the screen there is a link to add secure travel information. This is where you can add the KTN numbers.