Marc Serafino
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) added 11 new airlines to TSA PreCheck®, bringing the total number of airlines participating in the program to 30. The expansion spans both foreign and U.S.-based airlines, including (in alphabetical order) Aruba Airlines, Avianca, Boutique Airlines, Emirates, Key Lime Air, Miami Air International, Southern Airways Express, Spirit Airlines, Sunwing, Virgin Atlantic, and Xtra Airways. Passengers flying those airlines will have the opportunity to experience expedited screening, which makes the entire process much more seamless, to say the least.
For those of you who haven’t heard about it, TSA PreCheck® is an expedited screening program that enables trusted travelers to enjoy a (much) more efficient screening experience at more than 180 U.S. airports. Travelers signed into TSA PreCheck® do not need to remove shoes, laptops, 3-1-1 liquids, belts or light jackets, resulting in screening that typically lasts less than 5 minutes.
“Partnering with 11 additional airlines to offer TSA PreCheck® will significantly increase our trusted traveler population, and reflects our commitment to implement the most effective aviation security,” TSA Acting Administrator Huban A. Gowadia said in a statement. “By collaborating with our partners in industry and the aviation community, we will continue to increase the number of airlines participating in TSA PreCheck®, enabling more eligible travelers across the country to experience expedited screening.”
The 30 carriers participating in TSA PreCheck® include:
Aeromexico Air Canada Alaska Airlines Allegiant American Airlines Aruba Airlines Avianca Boutique Airlines Cape Air Delta Air Lines Emirates Etihad Airways Frontier Airlines Hawaiian Airlines JetBlue Airways | Key Lime Air Lufthansa Miami Air International OneJet Seaborne Airlines Southern Airways Express Southwest Airlines Spirit Airlines Sun Country Airlines Sunwing United Airlines Virgin America Virgin Atlantic WestJet Xtra Airways |
The TSA PreCheck® participation costs $85 for five years, or $17 per year. It is, however, available for free for members of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Trusted Traveler programs, such as Global Entry and NEXUS for Canadian citizens. Also, some of the better, travel-focused credit cards include a credit that can be used towards buying your entry into the TSA PreCheck®, or — better yet — the Global Entry program (which will let you apply for a free TSA PreCheck® membership). You can get one of those cards by checking our list of the best travel credit cards — it’s linked below this article. Check them out…
