Anyone on the same itenerary as a person with TSA Precheck also gets Precheck | Hacker News Reader

Anyone on the same itenerary as a person with TSA Precheck also gets Precheck

arring.net

PreCheck can be given two separate ways - one is via the the public program (what you do when you enroll) the other is via the airline basically saying "yeah, this person is frequent enough that we don't think they are a problem" or they are traveling with someone who doesn't trip any of our flags.

There is a cost that the airline takes (I've never heard exactly what it is) for each person they refer to the TSA as pre-cleared, which I assume means there is a separate lookup against TSA lists, etc. It's at the discretion of the carrier. United does it all the time, Delta somewhat, and Southwest almost never in my experience.

So: a) Airlines can suggest pre-clearing you. b) There is some sort of match that the TSA also does. c) But just spend the money and get the full list.

Almost all security is doctrine and kabuki theater. 9/11's big problem wasn't security screening, it was that the doctrine of hijackings at that point was that the threat was hostages and negotiation, and therefore the best thing to do was to comply with hijacker demands.

Actually I think the airlines may still need to pay something, even if you’re formally enrolled.

For example, Norwegian Airlines, a discount provider doesn’t “participte” in TSA precheck. So although I’m enrolled, there’s no way to get precheck if you’re flying Norwegian. (At last that was the case last year, maybe it was just that their systems weren’t capable.)

It's still the same case now, Norwegian Airlines doesn't participate in PreCheck (just flew to Europe last week).

However, you can sort of mitigate that if you're also a member of Clear. At my local airport Clear lets me use the PreCheck lines even if the ticket isn't PreCheck (which is contrary to my understanding of how it's supposed to work, but I'm not complaining!).

The third way is automatic enrollment via certain security clearances.

Yep. Not as cloak and dagger is just getting Global Entry, which also covers TSA: Pre. Even better is that some European countries reciprocate, and you can use expedited lanes going through customs.

Nexus is even better: $50 gets you all 3 programs for 5 years.

Yes! Nexus is the magical trusted traveler program that few people know about because all the enrollment centers are only found at Canadians airports and land crossings near the Canadian border. Only U.S./Canadian citizens + permanent residents qualify however.

It is so much better than Global Entry and TSA Precheck in that you get both of those AND Nexus (which even works like Precheck for domestic Canadian flights!) for $10/year.

Global Entry also lets you access the Canadian domestic trusted traveler lines, FWIW.

Was a nice surprise when I last flew out of YYZ. Although had to have the Global Entry card on hand. Almost wasn't going to carry it with me since its not all that useful when flying.

Unfortunately global entry sucks for Indian citizens - if you reside in the US you have to go back to India to complete the process. I finished all of the steps in December 2017 and have yet to get India to submit the paperwork to the authorities...not sure they ever will.

To top it off, none of the fees are refundable, even though the processing in the United States has not even started.

What clearances would those be? I had a TS/SCI and didn't have Precheck.

Not sure if that's what they're referring to, but it used to be that a DoD ID/CAC card number worked as a TSA precheck number.

Only for active duty military. However,

1) not all active duty military have security clearances

2) most people with CACs aren't active duty (civilian employees and contractors have them too.)

3) not everyone who has a CAC has a security clearance.

So has nothing to do with security clearances.

No, DoD civilians just have to opt-in, it's automatic for members of the military.

https://www.tsa.gov/travel/frequently-asked-questions/how-ca...

TSA screenings don't protect anyone from anything[0]; they are pure security theater and a great way to control the flow of people around the USA. TSA PreCheck is simply a revenue stream for the TSA.

[0] https://abcnews.go.com/US/tsa-fails-tests-latest-undercover-...

I'm not sure that's a secret to anybody, but it's worth $20/yr for me to be treated like a normal human. It's absolute extortion and it's reprehensible but I fly too much to take a stand.

I figured it was a PR thing. After a bunch of abuse/mistreatment scandals, the TSA noticed that willingness to complain about poor treatment was strongly correlated with wealth.

Paid pre-check lets them easily weed out the people who would actually make a fuss, while continuing to abuse the people who they know will just sigh and keep their heads down.

TSA precheck is not about security- it's about allowing the privileged, wealthy, etc to not have to wait in line with everyone else. It's one of many "pay for access" systems growing around us today.

$20 per ride toll lanes on the highways. "Express pass" at the amusement park. Global Entry at US Customs. They're all just more ways of saying that the rich don't need to wait around with the plebians.

All congested systems ration access. Price is a pretty straightforward way to handle rationing. It's not very interesting or novel to notice that a lot of systems ration this way.

It's a bit weird when governments do it, though, especially for matters of "security" (or in the case of Global Entry, actual security!) There's a bit of a difference between waiting in line at Walt Disney World and having to go through customs.

It's different when these things are provided by the government, though.

There's nothing new or sinister about price discrimination. What is suspect, however, is that the source of the delays and inconvenience in the airline security regime are introduced and controlled by the same actor who sells the upgraded access -- and they have a conceivably unlimited mandate to make the unprivileged experience bad, in the name of security.

Also known as a racket.

TSA precheck is relatively cheap (less than $20/year) and only takes a few minutes to sign up for...

And only a few nationalities are eligible...

From: https://www.tsa.gov/tsa-precheck/eligibility

"The TSA Pre® program membership is open to U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents."

seems reasonable.

Of course the number of terrorists trying to do something on domestic flights is vanishingly small.

there were 631 million people flying in 2010, for example (I did a quick google, I'm sure there are more up to date numbers somewhere). There were 6 terrorist incidents in the US, per wikipedia. Of those 1 involved a plane, which wasn't a passenger jet.

Now, maybe all the security theater is keeping terrorists from trying to do something, but given the fact that terrorists are blowing up markets and other buildings in iraq and nothing would really prevent that, I'd say the number of terrorists in the US is just incredibly small.

But yeah, it's amazing that the US government can treat everyone as a suspicious individual, get them to pay to not be as big of a suspect, given how little terrorism there actually is.

We spend billons of dollars on terrorism that could probably save a lot more lives applied to things like safer cars or reducing medical mistakes.

I have a friend who is ineligible for PreCheck due to prior criminal history, and he has had the same thing happen to him. His wife got PreCheck and suddenly every time he flew with her he got it also.

Having known him and his family for years, he's not a security risk at all but it still seems like that probably shouldn't happen. Especially if the individual is already disqualified for PreCheck.

I guess the mistake here is thinking that PreCheck provides any kind of additional security. Best I can tell it's a way to bribe the TSA to remove some of the inconvenience of going through their security checkpoints.

IIRC, specifically because wealthy people are much more likely to kick up a scandal when mistreated, because they've learned to expect better. This lets them weed out most of the complainers without actually having to improve their policies.

TSA precheck is one of those things I should use my credit card to be reimbursed on. I fly sporadically, mostly within the continental US, and once had a very uncomfortable search by a TSA agent.

A guy put on gloves, fondled my balls, my butt cheeks, hell he put his hands inside my pants and went to town (luckily no finger in my butt, I don't think I would have handled that well). I stayed pissed at this molestation for weeks afterwards, and I would be surprised if the government hasn't exempted itself from lawsuits and lawmakers from this shitstain process.

I'm a naturalized citizen, I vote for anyone who even hints at reigning in the TSA, DHS, ICE, etc. Please do the same.

“Reigning in” means something completely different than what you intended! (“Reining in” is what you wanted.)

Thanks, much appreciated! English is not my first language but after some time complacency has definitely settled in and this one is so subtle I never would've known!

I think about this sort of thing every time I get on a greyhound.

I only ever need to go to Chicago and Boston from NYC, so I guess I'm lucky. The TSA is despicable.

I've been random searched on a few greyhound rides but nobody has ever put their hand on me. They just go through a bag or put it through a machine or the dog will sniff it or whatever. I'm a happy greyhounder tbh.

Get global entry instead. Comes with pre and you can use it for international travel by air or by land.

The only gov system that sucks more than TSA is Immigration system. Imagine what TSA would do if there were no voting right to Americans.

TSA is so despicable that I would rather drive 7 hours to Vegas than catch a $99 flight.

All Pre tells me is that everyone else is going through more "security" than even the TSA deems necessary for absolutely no reason. I refuse to enroll in it mainly because of that.

The problem with pre-check and things like it is that it exempts those who would otherwise complain the loudest and have the political clout to get the system changed ie: politicians, frequent business travelers etc...

Doesn’t work all the time. I have it, but my wife doesn’t; we were both denied precheck on one pair of flights. Maybe this is how they incentivize us to get it for her too.

EDIT: typo

I had an agent once tell me that "you only get pre 80% of the time". So I just paid for a chance at precheck?

In quite a few years of having it, I've never "missed" on Pre except when flying a non-participating overseas airline from a US origin.

Security theater, my friends...

hasn't worked for me on the last several trips on Southwest. (I'm PreCheck, my wife isn't; same itinerary.)

Yes, I have seen this not work on Alaska as well. Def works on United though.

Yes. Agreed! It is definitely airline dependent in my SWA experience as well.

Worked for me on Delta.

definitely has not worked for me in the past, either. I think I was on Alaska at the time.

If anyone has an American Express platinum credit card, Amex will reimburse you for Global Entry or TSA Precheck. You get Precheck automatically with Global Entry so I'd recommend opting for Global Entry. It also lasts for a few years. The Amex Plat has a pretty hefty annual fee but comes with a bunch of perks like an annual $200 airline credit, access to airport lounges, and more. Totally worth opening for the points and perks and then downgrading imo.

Is there a comprehensive list of the programs (Tsa pre, global entry, nexus, whatever) with the list of costs, perks, and eligibility?

Even a part of this information?

Is this a recent change? Last summer my teenage son was given Precheck randomly. My wife and I did not and had to go through the regular line. We gave him all of our electronics and all three of us sailed through security even though two of us had to go through the standard line.

Could somebody please kill this story before the wrong bureaucrat realizes this is happening and I lose my precheck status when I fly with my wife? Snitches get stitches.

omerta

a back door into security theater!

I heard Indian temples have fast lanes to see gods. This is a similar system to create a fastlane. If you pay $99, you don’t have to take your shoes off.

It makes sense if you think the person who has undergone the background check vouches for the others on their itinerary.

This really should work the other way around.

Anyone on the same itinerary as a person without TSA precheck does not get TSA precheck? I think that already happens today..

fwiw I travel frequently and have observed the exact opposite : one or more pax on the same locator as me have "Pre" status on their boarding pass. TSA staff make me go separate from them, through the regular line.

true. happened to me few days ago on an int'l flight.

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