So, I’m not long back from a great trip to the States, featuring the total eclipse. I feel like I could start a lot of threads on things from the point of view of a Scottish, middle-aged solo traveller which you might find interesting (observations on driving in the US, drinking and dining and a whole lot else), but I thought I’d start with this one.
The day after the eclipse I was flying from Nashville to NY La Guardia. I’d saved up for this trip for a looooong time, so was flying First Class on Delta. So, after the joys of the Priority check in, I was directed to Priority for security. At this stage there was a clear, separate lane for TSA pre-clearance.
(Note that I fly within the UK an awful lot for business, and have the whole liquids and laptop/ipad thing down to a fine art).
As I approached the actual screening, it was clear that the “priority” lane was closed off, and anyone that had come through that way was directed to “TSA pre-clearance”. I looked for the plastic trays to do the usual separation of my hand luggage, but there weren’t any. I then noticed the sign that said that using this lane meant you didn’t have to take anything out of your hand luggage - liquids, laptops, ipads - because you were in TSA pre-clearance.
Except I wasn’t. I’m not even a USA citizen, but I managed to circumvent the standard security measures in place at just about every airport I’ve ever flown through, purely by buying a First Class Ticket.
Now, I know that airport security is mostly window-dressing, but it did strike me as extremely odd. Is this normal? Remind me what class the 9/11 hijackers were flying?
People are randomly sent to TSA Precheck now and then (probably a marketing ploy), so I don’t see a problem with sending first class passengers through that line. You wouldn’t be able to predict in advance you’ll get that opportunity, so I don’t think it helps terrorists plan.
Moreover, the security effectiveness of TSA Precheck is probably 99% as effective as the other line.
Ha ha, are you going to ask me about declawing cats and circumcision? I may post my observations on tipping in another thread.
Back to the airport security thing, the random thing makes some kind of sense. It was just surprising to me because the hand luggage rules are enforced 100% in the UK - no such thing as pre-clearance. You then might get randomly selected for a full hand luggage search, or a pat down. But everyone has to comply with the liquids and laptop/iPad handling rule.
This doesn’t really answer anything but I’m bored. I almost always get precheck on my flights (I always fly Delta) but a few weeks ago was the first time I flew first class. I got the precheck logo on my boarding pass and wondered if all first class tickets get precheck. I asked the woman at the Delta counter checking me in and she said it’s just random.
Similar to my experience. Over the past few years, my wife and I had ALWAYS been assigned pre-check, whether coach or 1st class. No idea why, as we had not paid for/requested any special clearance. Wondered if it had anything to do with my being a federal employee w/ a security clearance, but never looked into it.
Then a couple of trips ago, we were NOT designated pre-check, despite being 1st class. But on the following trip we were.
So if it is truly random, the odds have been in my and my wife’s favor something more than 90% of the time.
Depending on the day/airport, pre-check/priority can be a pain in the ass, as far as unclear instructions, surly TSA staff, requirement to empty articles, etc. It is all bullshit.
Another addition on the UK side of things, I have Trusted Traveller status through the Global Entry scheme which (allegedly) guarantees me TSA-Precheck via any airline that supports it. Consequently, I got TSA-Pre on my recent Virgin flights in their upper class, and priority with an internal American Airlines flight as well.
At other times, I’ve had TSA-Pre or priority through the airline or through booking business/first class tickets.
Also, I tend to not pay too much attention to the various BS categories when running the TSA gantlet, but I believe on occasion I have been in smaller airports, where they lacked a “precheck” lane, so I instead was directed through “priority.” Priority didn’t impress me as much different than standard, as the TSA employee was unable/unwilling to tell me whether I needed to take out toiletries and such.
Priority/precheck; to-may-to/to-mah-to. Just get there plenty early, bring a good book, and be prepared to have your time wasted, all in the name of wasting money and time while giving the appearance of accomplishing something.
Priority is the same as standard, but you get to move to the front of the line faster. Precheck allows you to keep your shoes on (even if smaller airports without a precheck line–they give you a card to show the screener) and keep your liquids and laptop in the bag.
Regarding “random” and first class, it could be that by random they mean “let’s give precheck status randomly to 90% of first class passengers.” That would explain the high incidents people are report and still remain faithful to the “random” concept.
Thanks. I honestly don’t clearly recall specifics of my one “priority” experience. Actually, I try to dial my awareness way down on all TSA occasions, because if I didn’t, it would just piss me off too much.
(My standard thought is that I’ll do whatever they ask of me. Hell, I’d strip naked, if I knew that is what they demanded. I just wish they would provide clear signage or clear instruction as to what you were required to do. Instead, in OHare (my local airport) you have these apparently angry, armed TSA folk yelling at the cattle, in a context where you may be subjected to greater indignities and inconveniences should you have the temerity to ask any questions…)
In this smaller airport, they did not have pre-check, so I was directed to priority. *(Being a smaller airport, there was no line at regular security - tho the TSA guy hassled my BIL because he had a single antacid in his pocket! :eek:) * Unclear what I needed to do, I asked the TSA screener if I needed to pull out my toothpaste and meds, take off my shoes and belt… I was surprised when she gave me no clear guidance. Essentially mumbled something like “You can if you want, but we might open the bag or require that you go through the scanner again.” Not wanting to have that happen, I chose to pull out of my luggage anything that could be misinterpreted, empty my pockets, and shuffle through in stockingfeet while holding my pants up…
Isn’t the random TSA precheck a thing of the past? I thought I had heard that that was just to give people an idea of what it would be like, and then they’d end it.
We did like it, and so we went ahead and paid the $80 and went for a security checkup, and now have five years of TSA precheck.
I don’t believe so but I don’t really understand it myself. My 15 year old daughter has gotten TSA pre-check every time we have flown for the past 2 years. She never applied for it and I still don’t know why that is. Unfortunately, it is virtually useless because her 11 year old sister and I do not usually get it and she is travelling with us so we all have to go through the same security line anyway. The only thing I can think of is that she went on a field trip to Washington DC just before it started happening and maybe they did a background check on the students that ended up in some central database.
We recently got the random “Pre-checked” thing. I didn’t know there was such a thing. Didn’t matter much as the Pre-check line was closed. I think they knew that would be the case. I didn’t have to take my flip-flops off, though.
Small note, Dinsdale: The 47,000 TSA checkpoint screeners are angry but not armed and not even deputized LEOs. They do have armed response agents but their number is comparatively tiny and you would not have them doing the “head 'em in, round 'em up” routine. The screeners are usually backed up in case things go pear-shaped by a detail of whatever’s the policing agency responsible for the airport.
As mentioned, priority and pre-check are supposed to be two different things: priority is the airlines’ perk, for getting you to the front of the line; pre-check is TSA’s call, to let you hold on to a semblance of vestigial dignity. You *can *have one without the other.
But what often happens is that due to staffing or other time/space or equipment (e.g. one of the two bodyscan machines broke and they only have the metal detector on that side) constraints, the lanes get consolidated.
Heck, not too long ago I was at the airport where TSA apparently said “f*** it” and were treating *everyone *as pre-check, nobody had to remove the toiletries or electronics or shoes. And this was in the SJU/JFK route, not some sleepy milk run. Must have been a backlog to make up for.
Thanks. Shoulda known that. Seems to be no shortage of riot geared cops w/ heavy artillery around OHare. Makes me overly - uh - sensitive to the entire situation.
I’ve always thought it’s odd that many foreign residents aren’t eligible for TSA Pre-check, even if they’ve got a US visa.
I’ve always been impressed by the efficiency of the security at Changi Airport in Singapore, though - it’s still “take your laptop out and get your bags X-rayed” but last time I went though earlier this year, they told me to leave my wallet, phone and keys in my pocket, waved me down with the wand when I set off the metal detector, then sent me on my way. The whole thing literally took less than five minutes from showing up at the security area to being in the departure lounge.