TSA precheck

Flying BA non stop to London last month, we also received Precheck. It was honored when we left Denver but not coming home from Heathrow. Lufthansa worked the same way last May.

We were a group of 8 and all but one got TSA precheck from NY to Seattle. We all have flown multiple times, but it was only his second flight in the past 15 years and the previous flight was to China for a funeral. I don't believe in coincidences.

Yes, you can go through the Precheck line. Probably a combination of circumstances, could be your age, the fact that you travel regularly, but more likely that you sprung for Business Class. I have never paid for Precheck, but get it nearly every trip.

And just to comment on something a previous poster mentioned, you will not get it on your return flight...European airports have a shortage of TSA officers...so no TSA Precheck (OK, they really don't have TSA anyway)

Just for clarification, on TSA Pre... You may also get it coming back to the USA, not a strong probability in England. But we did get it in Brussels to USA, just this last month.

Thanks, everyone. A new experience for tomorrow. I wonder if it is better than priority security line.

You will have extra time at the airport to enjoy a cup of coffee instead of standing in a long line, removing your shoes!

We signed up for TSA Precheck a number of years ago before you were required to pay for it. We are frequent fliers with Hawaiian Airlines and Delta. It's "hit or miss" with HA. Last Spring on our way back from Maui my husband had Precheck, I did not. We both have had Precheck flying to another U.S. City (Delta) on our way to Europe and flying back to U.S.

TSA is still giving out TSA pre-checks for free on a per-flight basis, so congratulations. When you get to your airport look for the TSA pre-line. It should be faster than the priority line (even though sometimes it looks longer because you don’t need to remove your laptop, take off your shoes, or take out your liquids. There are some occasions when I have had TSA pre and the line isn’t operating, so I always have my liquids bag handy so I don’t have to scramble. That usually happens at smaller airports.

SandyO is correct above.

TSA does indeed sprinkle Precheck dust on random passengers who are not otherwise qualified for it. They like to randomize things so nobody gets too comfortable with their routine. But there is a flip side to their predilection towards randomization: they also deny Precheck to a small number of randomly-selected passengers on any given flight who actually are qualified for it. So what the TSA deities giveth, they also taketh away. Enjoy it if/when you get it, and do not waste any brain cycles trying to figure out the wheres and whys. The TSA moves in mysterious ways. Because they can. And because they like it that way.

Like you I have had PreCheck appear on my boarding pass too and I've never applied for any of that sort of thing...PreCheck, Global Entry, etc.

Sometimes the "PreCheck" shows up, other times not. Does it depend on the way you fly, Economy, Premium Econ. Business, etc ...I don't know . I always fly basic Economy. I just go into the line directed by the first TSA person I encounter.

As I've stated on another post, enjoy it while you can. A bill is going through Congress that will allow only those with Known Traveler Numbers to get Pre-Check. It's already passed the House.

And TSA is a U.S. government agency. It does not run airport security in foreign airports.

It means you will get on the TSA Precheck line from your departing US airport. In theory, it should be a shorter line than the regular security line but that isn't always the case as TSA precheck status is being given out quite a bit as we see from your example. I hope it is quick for you.

When you return to the US, you will still have to wait on the regular immigration lines.

Following up on David's point that the TSA likes to randomize:

My mother and I were given Precheck on a flight when we did our online check in (we don't ordinarily have it). Then, in the line, she was "randomly selected for additional screening" and had to be wanded. So, they giveth and they taketh away - sometimes at the same time!

I always get Precheck when flying Business Class even if my husband is not with me and usually get it when flying with my husband(who is Global Entry). And honestly, even if I still get wanded, it sure beats removing my shoes and my liquids bag.

I don't know about British Airways in other American airports, but in Boston it's really "Precheck Lite". You don't have to take your shoes off but it's the same line as everybody else.

When the TSA thinks that screening lines will be extra long at a given airport on a given date, they've often given out Pre for free to passengers who they think are low risk in the name of getting screening line traffic to move more efficiently as a whole.

Thanks, everyone. Security was a breeze!

For a few years, even though we had TSA pre-check, our local airport said the machine was "broken" and we had to take off shoes, etc., just like the other non-pre-check people. It was finally "fixed" and what a relief!

At our airport, everyone uses the same scanner & X-ray lines, they just let the Pre-Check folks (they check the pass) go through with shoes on, and the rest. So it doesn't seem to be a matter of equipment.