TSA pre check

With all the horror stories about long lines at TSA checkpoints causing missed flights and unwarranted stress. Is it worth it to sign up for the TSA pre check which to my understanding gets you quicker through security. I am told the fee is $85. Who has used it? Did you feel it was worth the cost?
Please advise!! We want our trip to be as smooth as possible!

Thanks!!

mitchruss

It certainly is if you fly several times a year. Over the past 2 years we have randomly got the pre-check (usually one or the other), but after a couple of long lines we opted to invest in it. Signed up over the internet, made an appointment and it took about 20 minutes. its good for 5 years, so its a pretty minor expense spread over that time period. Never taken us longer than 15 minutes to go thru pre-check line.

Got mine via email the next morning, my wife's came in the afternoon.

TSA pre check is perfect. You breeze through the line. I read in the paper this a.m. that due to all the current problems in the regular lines, 16,000 people a day are signing up for pre check and TSA is having a hard time keeping up with the requests and it is taking a while to get finalized. You would probably want to do it pretty soon before it gets any worse.

As said, it is well worth it. Very easy.

My husband kept saying "get us signed up" years ago.
But, out of sight, out of mind, I didn't know the process, thought it might be scary.

Finally one day after flying home, he steered us into the Pre-Check office at the airport. Of course we didn't have the necessary documents, but they gave us the web site information, told us how it would work, etc.

Went to the web site, got the info, signed up for an appointment time.
You do the web for each person, and based on your answers it tells you the documents you'll need to bring to get signed up.

Got our documents together.
Walked in, nobody else there so we got through it all in about 15 minutes.
Next day or so we both received e-mails with our KTN (Known Traveler Number), and also got letters with same.

Documents: Everybody needs picture ID and Birth Certificate.
I needed those plus copy of marriage license since that resulted in my name change.
That's all.

Note: An article in our paper yesterday said that after all the recent publicity, the Pre-Check sign up has gotten 'backed-up' in some major areas as there was a rush of people signing up, and they had not staffed the offices to accommodate. Sound familiar? So, do make an appointment. Those with appointments get priority over walk-ins who do not.

A current passport is all you need.

You don't even need a passport. They accept other id.

Pre-check is worth it especially in Vegas. We fly out of Indianapolis so not really needed here. However the one time we flew out of Miami I thanked my lucky starts for pre-check. That airport is a mess if you have to use regular security lines. One couple in our party who did not have pre-check missed the flight home. I originally signed up paying the $85 but have recently discovered that being retired military I will get pre-check for free in the future by using the number on my ID Card. My daughter is a Federal employee and was told that her number on her Federal ID also can be used to obtain pre-check. Sounds good to me.

I've noticed when using frequent flyer miles, I've been given TSA Pre-Check.

Lisa, my last 200+ flights have been with "miles" and one of us always seemed to have pre'check, but almost never both at the same time. Made it worth paying the $80 each. And with the increasing number investing in it, I would not be surprised that the "free" prechecks decline.

Using TSA Pre-Check in LAS took about 10 minutes TOTAL. The first class line was backed up.