View Full Version : Has anybody else suddenly been TSA 'Pre-Approved'?
Katys Grandad
19-11-2013, 09:20
I flew out of JFK a few days ago and from Dallas yesterday. On both occasions my Boarding Pass was marked 'Pre-Approved' and when it was checked before the security search I was told that I didn't need to take my jacket/shoes/belt off or remove my laptops from my carry-on. Sure enough, I went through search by just placing my bag on the belt through the scanner.
I'm reluctant to explore why this has happened because it might be a mistake so I'm wondering if it's a wider new development not being made public and security is being relaxed a bit?
mary and colin
19-11-2013, 10:36
We flew back on Sunday and they were walking up and down the line at Imagration asking if anyone had a pre approved notice on there ticket, if so go to a seperate line that was almost going straight through. This was at MCO and the line for going through was very long taking around half hour. We did notice a poster saying about this and the airlines listed that were using the pre approved, Virgin America was on it but not Atlantic.
I think it must be random as the family behind us said their children had been approved but they had not, being nosey i was listening when they asked if they could go through the quick line with the children and the guy said no your ticket had to be approved so the children could go but not the parents !!!! as if you would let little ones go through on their own.
It certainly was a lot faster for those using it.
Mary
Katys Grandad
19-11-2013, 11:04
I think it must be random as the family behind us said their children had been approved but they had not, being nosey i was listening when they asked if they could go through the quick line with the children and the guy said no your ticket had to be approved so the children could go but not the parents !!!! as if you would let little ones go through on their own.
It certainly was a lot faster for those using it.
Mary
That's interesting and I think your hunch that it's random is probably right. I'm hoping that it's not random to the extent that every time you fly you might or might not be approved and that once you have it you keep it. I'm traveling again this coming weekend so I'll see what happens.
As you say, it's not a lot of use unless everybody in your party gets it.
I think it's a way of trying to reduce the lines - everywhere I turn, someone is voicing that they've been stuck at security recently.
... And reducing the lines may mean they get to keep their body-scanners, to which they'll attribute the line reduction.
Something similar happened to us a year or so ago flying from MCO (6 of us). As we stood in the queue, one of the agents beckoned us out and took us to a separate line, where there was no searching etc and we went straight through. We weren't in any way pre approved. My assumption was they were just very busy so picked harmless looking families out to shorten the lines.
Katys Grandad
24-11-2013, 23:41
It seems to be completely random.
My wife and I flew from Miami yesterday and she was pre-approved and I wasn't so we decided that she would go through with our carry ons. Even though I was travelling in First, had no bag and could use the Priority line she still got through around 20 minutes before I did. I politely pointed out to 1 of the TSA staff that it wasn't much good if families travelling together weren't all approved. He said that the TSA staff completely agree and they find that most people in that situation don't use it all so the desired effect was much diluted.