TSA pre-check with kids?

[egesicki]

So I saw an ad to use miles to pay for five years of pre-check. I fly multiple times a year and am seriously considering it. My question is, if you fly with your kids who are not TSA pre-check, can they go through security with you? TIA!

 

[PrincessShmoo]

So I saw an ad to use miles to pay for five years of pre-check. I fly multiple times a year and am seriously considering it. My question is, if you fly with your kids who are not TSA pre-check, can they go through security with you? TIA!

I believe that children 12 and under can go through pre-check with you. Children 13 and over, or children traveling with someone who doesn't have pre-check (if not traveling with you) cannot participate - they have to use the regular TSA lines.

 

[cheermom2four]

Yes we just flew two weeks ago for our cruise last week and our 5 year old doesnt have precheck but our 16 year had to have it though. The 5 year old just went with us and actually southwest printed tsa precheck on her ticket since our flights were all booked together.

 

[adamki]

Shmoo and cheermom have it right; here's the info from the TSA FAQ:

I am traveling with my family; can they also use the TSA Pre✓® lane?

• Family members ages 12 and under traveling with an eligible parent or guardian with a TSA Pre✓® indicator on their boarding pass can participate in expedited screening.
• Family members 13 and older must go through standard security lanes or should apply for a DHS trusted traveler program.

 

[disneymagicgirl]

Yep!
We were buy 3 get 3 free for precheck.

 

[SharonLowe]

No wonder recheck is getting so crowded. ;-)

 

[coloradocutie]

Oh my goodness, TSA precheck is wonderful!!! Go for it! It completely changes the security experience!

Yes, as mentioned above, children go through with the parents. We chose to purchase TSA precheck after seeing a photo of the security lines at MCO. DH got his cost reimbursed through AMEX platinum- sounds like you can get it with miles . The process was quite easy... it included a 15 minute security check at a background check place a few minutes from where we live. We have been thrilled with it. However when it expires, we will likely go for Global Access instead, which includes TSA precheck (but the benefit of Global Access does not pass down to children as TSA precheck does.)

 

[Dug720]

Do be aware that if you're flying at "off hours" (very early or very late) the pre-check line may not be open and you'll have to go through with us common folk.

 

[aggiedog]

We have Global Entry and while it is great, I'll second that maybe 20% of the time I've been unable to use it. Certain security lines don't have it at all, or it's been too early/late.
I do love I don't have to get my liquids out, take off my shoes, etc, when it is available.

 

[firepuppy]

We has pre-check for our last cruise and it was great.

 

[jo-jo]

Do be aware that if you're flying at "off hours" (very early or very late) the pre-check line may not be open and you'll have to go through with us common folk.

How early is too early? I've just convinced my DH we should get it and we usually our flights is 6-7 am. We had booked a 6 am, but Southwest changed it to 5:40. Are we going to have issues? This would be out of Phila.

 

[Dug720]

How early is too early? I've just convinced my DH we should get it and we usually our flights is 6-7 am. We had booked a 6 am, but Southwest changed it to 5:40. Are we going to have issues? This would be out of Phila.

I haven't flown out of Philadelphia, but it wasn't open that early in Newark. I wouldn't call it "problems" though - you can still go through the regular line. They don't say "Oh, sorry. You have to wait until pre-check is open." You just go through like people did before pre-check.

 

[DLgal]

How does the TSA enforce the "12 and under" if kids under 18 don't need ID to fly?

 

[aggiedog]

I believe you need to put their birthday in when you book the ticket? So perhaps there is some way for the agent to know their age when they scan the ticket in.

We flew this weekend. There was an older gentleman ahead of us in the pre-check line, with his wife in a wheelchair, and two large carryons. It was quite a production even moving up the line. He got to the TSA agent, and found out he was pre-check but the wife was not. They moved them both over to the regular line. So I suppose if you try it with an over-12 kid, the same could happen.

 

[seashellmama]

I recently randomly selected for pre-check at LAX-- I was flying with my two children, ages 14 and 11. The 14yo also had her boarding pass marked as pre-check, but the 11yo did not so we went through the regular line (because I didn't know that 12 and under could come with me in pre-check). Because 14yo and I had pre-check marked, though, we did not have to remove our shoes. We did have to separate our laptops for the xrays. Because 11yo was 11, she didn't have to remove her shoes, either. We all went through the metal-detector and not the full-body scanner. So in the regular line, it ended up as a kind of hybrid-regular/pre-check thing, and that's basically what the TSA agents said (but they did NOT mention the part where my 11yo could have gone with us in the pre-check line, which was substantially shorter- I only discovered that when I looked up pre-check after we had landed).

 

[kevdad]

Best $85 I've ever spent. Great for business travel, even better with the family in not having to stand in line for 15-30 minutes. We've never had an issue with our kids ages (11, 11, 8). They have asked them individually their ages most every time.

 

[kevdad]

And if there's any chance that you're considering getting the new Chase Sapphire Reserve card they comp the TSA precheck fees as part of the deal...