How did I get TSA Precheck?

[cheezer]

I'm flying tomorrow and noticed I have TSA Precheck.  I've never had this in my life and I fly often.  I did not apply or pay the fee.  Where the heck did this come from?

[rikki]

Risk Assessments are conducted using TSA’s Secure Flight system to identify travelers who may be eligible for TSA Pre✓® screening using information already collected and provided to TSA by the airlines. This program is used on a flight-by-flight basis and does not require passengers to enroll in a DHS Trusted Traveler program. If a passenger is eligible for TSA Pre✓® for a particular flight, a TSA Pre✓® indicator will be embedded in the barcode of the boarding pass so that when scanned at the checkpoint, the passenger may be referred to a TSA Pre✓® lane.

[mtngirl]

My understanding is that they give it to certain (low-risk as pp stated) people randomly to entice you to pay to join.

[cheezer]

Interesting. I guess we'll see if I get selected again in the future!

[mariafromnj]

That is a great perk. I wish they would choose me.

[whitemerlot]

My whole family got this randomly both ways on a trip this month. It was so quick and awesome.

[libbride]

I got chosen once and it was fabulous!

[Balki.Bartokomous]

I got it once randomly when I flew by myself & it was great.

I don't anticipate that I will ever get it when I travel with DH, though. LOL.

[drloretta]

I got it for my last flight and it was amazing. Thanks rikki for the info

[LoveTrains]

They randomly put me in there last time I flew and it was amazing!!

[v]

Just had this conversation with a bunch of people at a conference last night -- many of them were randomly selected on their flights here. I think it is pretty common nowadays.

That said, cheezer, don't rest on your laurels here -- you NEED Global Entry.

[Muddled]

Delta does it for their frequent flyers. But that means I only get it on Delta flights.

[gt7301b]

May 20, 2015 6:26:26 GMT -5 v said:

Just had this conversation with a bunch of people at a conference last night -- many of them were randomly selected on their flights here. I think it is pretty common nowadays.

That said, cheezer, don't rest on your laurels here -- you NEED Global Entry.

Global Entry is the best thing ever, but even if you have it occasionally you don't get Precheck.  I thought Mr. GT was going to get sent to TSA jail the one time I got precheck and he didn't (we both have Global Entry).

[EmilieMadison]

I'd gotten it a few times randomly before getting Global Entry (which includes PreCheck). 

[EmilieMadison]

Oh yeah, and Global Entry is amazing.
While everyone else waited for over an hour for customs and immigration coming back to the US from France, I was through everything in less than 5 minutes.

[v]

May 20, 2015 7:34:08 GMT -5 Muddled said:

Delta does it for their frequent flyers. But that means I only get it on Delta flights.

That's being dialed back:

blog.tsa.gov/2015/03/tsa-pre-application-program-at-1_26.html?m=1

[v]

May 20, 2015 7:55:23 GMT -5 gt7301b said:

May 20, 2015 6:26:26 GMT -5 v said:

Just had this conversation with a bunch of people at a conference last night -- many of them were randomly selected on their flights here. I think it is pretty common nowadays.

That said, cheezer, don't rest on your laurels here -- you NEED Global Entry.

Global Entry is the best thing ever, but even if you have it occasionally you don't get Precheck.  I thought Mr. GT was going to get sent to TSA jail the one time I got precheck and he didn't (we both have Global Entry).

Pre-check is never a guarantee regardless of how you're enrolled though, right? I don't think that's unique to membership that was acquired through Global Entry.

That said, since I've gotten Global Entry, I've never not gotten pre-check on an eligible flight. Sometimes the lane is closed, but I think nowadays it is very common to get pre if you're eligible for it.
Never guaranteed, but still common enough that I wouldn't shy away from it.

[yentl]

Okay, now I need to know more about applying for Global Entry. I've been meaning to research it forever but I haven't gotten around to it. We usually travel internationally 1-2x/year. Is it worth it?

[Muddled]

May 20, 2015 8:40:11 GMT -5 v said:

May 20, 2015 7:34:08 GMT -5 Muddled said:

Delta does it for their frequent flyers. But that means I only get it on Delta flights.

That's being dialed back:

blog.tsa.gov/2015/03/tsa-pre-application-program-at-1_26.html?m=1

Bummer.

I suppose the good(?) news is that I don't travel all that much anymore.

[v]

May 20, 2015 8:45:29 GMT -5 yentl said:

Okay, now I need to know more about applying for Global Entry. I've been meaning to research it forever but I haven't gotten around to it. We usually travel internationally 1-2x/year. Is it worth it?

YES

Particularly because you get pre-check too, so there is often a benefit for domestic flights as well.

[gt7301b]

May 20, 2015 8:45:03 GMT -5 v said:

May 20, 2015 7:55:23 GMT -5 gt7301b said:

Global Entry is the best thing ever, but even if you have it occasionally you don't get Precheck.  I thought Mr. GT was going to get sent to TSA jail the one time I got precheck and he didn't (we both have Global Entry).

Pre-check is never a guarantee regardless of how you're enrolled though, right? I don't think that's unique to membership that was acquired through Global Entry.

That said, since I've gotten Global Entry, I've never not gotten pre-check on an eligible flight. Sometimes the lane is closed, but I think nowadays it is very common to get pre if you're eligible for it.
Never guaranteed, but still common enough that I wouldn't shy away from it.

Yup, never a guarantee. I've also always gotten pre-check and I fly more than Mr. GT, that fact was not lost on him while he was ranting

[mich1]

Not all airports have a Pre-check lane and if they do, they are not always open.

I have it through my NEXUS card, and it's great! But these days, about 50% of the airports I fly through don't have it so I still get to jump through the same ole hoops.

[cheezer]

Pre-check update: apparently they should stop giving it to random people. Some old guy in front of me kept trying to take out liquids, computer, & take off his shoes. There are signs people!

[Deleted]

Global Entry works out to about $20/ year....NO brainer.

[doctorsbaby]

May 20, 2015 13:11:32 GMT -5 cheezer said:

Pre-check update: apparently they should stop giving it to random people. Some old guy in front of me kept trying to take out liquids, computer, & take off his shoes. There are signs people!

The last few times I've been through airport security, the TSA agents spend a lot of time yelling at people to read the signs and that they should have nothing in their hands. Over and over and over... It kind of makes me want to stab myself in the eye.

[doctorsbaby]

May 20, 2015 10:36:16 GMT -5 mich1 said:

Not all airports have a Pre-check lane and if they do, they are not always open.

I have it through my NEXUS card, and it's great! But these days, about 50% of the airports I fly through don't have it so I still get to jump through the same ole hoops.

The airports that we've been through that don't have a precheck lane have handed us a colored piece of paper and say that we don't have the take everything out/off. I was hoping that was standard but I guess not

[mich1]

May 20, 2015 18:17:28 GMT -5 doctorsbaby said:

May 20, 2015 10:36:16 GMT -5 mich1 said:

Not all airports have a Pre-check lane and if they do, they are not always open.

I have it through my NEXUS card, and it's great! But these days, about 50% of the airports I fly through don't have it so I still get to jump through the same ole hoops.

The airports that we've been through that don't have a precheck lane have handed us a colored piece of paper and say that we don't have the take everything out/off. I was hoping that was standard but I guess not

They did this too, but the last time I still had to remove my shoes, take the liquids out and pull out my laptop.  I asked them why they bothered to give me the colored card, as I was treated like the rest of the line.....with one more thing to hold onto.

They were not amused......

[v]

I was grumbling earlier because I didn't get precheck for my flight today (maybe because I booked through KLM and couldn't add my known traveler number? But also, not sure my flight is eligible anyway).

At any rate, they had like 6 precheck lanes open and I got put in one by chance. Woohoo! They were making a huge deal of making sure people knew the precheck rules.

[ssmjlm]

DH got selected when we went to Disney (but he stayed with us). Then on the way home apparently all 3 of us had it, except the pre-check line in Orlando was a lot longer than security and the TSA agent mumbled something, so we just went through.

DH thought he got it b/c of his clearance, I'm like "lol, I have a clearance too" and I didn't get picked.