Is TSA PreCheck still worth it?
Travel :
In case you’re unaware, TSA PreCheck is the expedited travel program launched by the US Transportation Safety Administration that effectively allows passengers to travel by airplane without all the safety check hassles. For example, TSA PreCheck members undergo an advanced screening process (including criminal records, background checks, etc.). Once cleared, these passengers are then deemed safe for travel. Not only are they then allowed to skip ahead of most travelers during the airport screening process, but they also don’t have to remove their shoes, take out their electronics, or succumb to other safety measures most travelers are required to endure.
Once upon a time, TSA PreCheck was a time-saving life-saver for travelers wishing to avoid long security lines following the 9/11 attacks. However, according to the TSA website, more than 15 million Americans have now joined the program. Additionally, some airlines have paid for the privilege for their most elite travelers to skip ahead of the rest of us peons and be given “PreCheck” for a day simply because of who they are. In short, PreCheck has since become a crowded mess.
With that said, is TSA PreCheck still worth it? Sadly, no.
At certain airports across the country, TSA PreCheck lines have become just as long as standard security lines. This means that the perk of being a member no longer carries the advantages it once did.
So, what’s the modern-day solution to still get you through the security checkpoint in a breeze? CLEAR is the answer!
In case you’re unaware, CLEAR is like Precheck but just better.
While most people are crowded in the PreCheck line, the CLEAR line is usually almost always empty. As a CLEAR member, you simply stand in front of a machine and allow biometrics to confirm your identity. After scanning your pupils or your fingerprints, a CLEAR agent ushers you ahead of the PreCheck line to the TSA agent and tells them you’ve been “cleared.” You’re then waved through security to the next step of sending your carry-on bag through the x-ray machine.
CLEAR is what PreCheck used to be. It has fewer members, and it ushers you to the front of the line with zero hassle.
TIP: The best travel bonus is to belong to TSA PreCheck AND CLEAR. Having both memberships is your ticket to VIP treatment at almost any airport in the country.
OK WASSUP! discusses Travel:
Is TSA PreCheck still worth it?
Didn’t know about PreCheck or CLEAR (I fly as little as needed).
PreCheck does sound like it’s “a crowded mess” now and a waste of time. While CLEAR appears to be a more efficient system.
Frankly, I think both methods gives Us, the flying public, a false sense of security. I don’t have faith in either. I just pray coming and going!