The TSA Pre✓® program is an expedited security screening process for travelers departing from U.S. airports with faster security lanes. Passengers considered low-risk who qualify for the program can receive screening, ei- ther as a member of the program or another specific trusted traveler group. The following airlines offer TSA Pre✓®: Air Canada, Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Hawaiian Airlines, Jet Blue Airways, OneJet, Southwest Airlines, Sun Country, US Airways, United Airlines, and Virgin America. There is a $85 cost for a five-year membership when you apply for the TSA Pre✓® program.
Once you have applied and been approved for the TSA Pre✓® pro- gram, you will be given a known traveler number (KTN) to use when making flight reservations. Participating airlines will print an indicator on your boarding pass. The program is good at more than 150 U.S. airports. When you arrive at the airport, look for the signs for the TSA Pre✓® lanes. Participants in the program will also no longer need to remove shoes, laptops, 3-1-1 liquids, belts, nor light jackets — and the line for the program participants is usually much shorter.
Global Entry Program
For an additional $15 ($100 total cost for a five-year membership with the TSA Pre✓® program), you can apply for the TSA’s Global Entry Program that allows expedited processing through Customs and Border Protection at airports and land borders upon arrival from another nation into the United States. This program includes the benefits of the TSA Pre✓® program. Par- ticipants in this program entering the United States proceed directly to Global Entry kiosks, present their machine readable passport or U.S. permanent resident card, place their fingerprint on the scanner for ver- ification and complete a customs declaration. The kiosk issues the traveler a transaction receipt and directs them to baggage claim and the exit, and eliminates processing lines, requires no paperwork at the airport, offers expedited entry benefits in some countries, and reduces wait times at many major U.S. airports. A current U.S. passport or permanent resident card is required to apply for the Global Entry Program; applicants undergo a rigorous background check and in-person interview before enrollment; and participants may still be selected for further examination when entering the United States.
