As pleased as travelers are with cheap airplane tickets and cheap vacation packages, many complain about the amount of time it takes to pass through airport security checkpoints. To address this problem, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) wants to expand its pre-check program for airline passengers willing to provide personal information.
TSA began testing its domestic only pre-check program in October at airports in Atlanta, Dallas, Detroit, and Miami. This program will be expanded to Las Vegas in December and Los Angeles and Minneapolis-St. Paul early in 2012.
TSA views this expansion as an ongoing process and sees The goal to expand it as broadly as possible while maintaining the highest level of security, all on a voluntary basis.
The pre-check program is part of TSAs plan to move towards risk based screening which focuses attention on passengers considered the most serious potential threats. Other parts of this strategy include:
TSA personnel trying to indentify risky passengers through their behavior, by engaging passengers in conversation while checking their identification and boarding passes. This approach is being tested at the Boston and Detroit airports.
Allowing pilots to avoid screening lines at specific airports.
Minimize pat downs on children under the age of 13.
Currently in order to be eligible for the pre-check test program travelers must be frequent fliers with American Airlines or Delta Air Lines, or belong the U.S. Custom and Border Protections trusted traveler program.
Participants are allowed to go through a different security line and keep on shoes and light jackets while going through security. TSA retains the right to do conduct random security measures and does not guarantee expedited screening.
To date, 45,000 passengers have gone through the program at the four existing airports. www.cheapfares.com