Trust But Verify

Last Friday’s trip from Atlanta to Seattle featured the best security experience ever at an airport thanks to TSA Pre Check and the Trusted Traveler program … I just feel odd having to pay extra for the experience.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and other government agencies have experimented with different types of “expedited security” programs. There were even a few attempts by private businesses like the now defunct CLEAR, running a separate security line for those willing to pay for the experience.

Today’s version is the “Trusted Traveller” program, which ties into Global Entry (short line entry to US customs) and TSA Pre Check (short line security which doesn’t require removal of shoes, liquids or laptops). All you need is two forms of ID, one application, one interview and one hundred dollars.

Until recently, I didn’t feel the need to participate in these programs. I already pay for a lot of TSA infrastructure, thanks to fees attached to each segment of flights I book within the United States. Travel at my previous job had scaled back to a point where the extra money wasn’t worth it.

With my new job, the travel has picked up a lot. My six-trip first quarter finally makes the $100 a reasonable sacrifice to the travel gods. I received my magic card, complete with horrible picture, just in time for my trip to Seattle.

And it does work. It works very well. But it’s not perfect. Here’s the upside/downside list:

DOWNSIDE: Limited Airports. Great idea, but at this time there are only a handful of participating airports. This works like a charm in Atlanta (if you fly Delta) but the TSA agent in Seattle had never heard of the program. Check the TSA FAQ before you apply.

UPSIDE: Short Security Line. No waiting. No shoe removal. Laptop stays in the bag. The war on moisture skips over my quart sized bag of toiletries. And … the best part of all … no semi-nude pictures from millimeter wave scanners. I have been working out, but not the point where I want to model for strangers.

DOWNSIDE: Interview Locations. The fine folks in the federal government want to see you before you’re “trusted”. They take your picture, grab some biometric data and check various forms of identification. But they only do this at select US airports. Very few of the offices exist outside of an airport, so it’s not entirely convenient. Also, it’s a government agency, so the hours aren’t that great.

UPSIDE: Quick Customs Entry. The short security line at the start of your flight has a counterpart at the US Border. This is where your biometric data (aka digital scans of fingerprints) gets used to confirm you belong in the express lane to America. Fortunately the list of airports with Global Entry kiosks is longer than those participating in TSA Pre Check.

DOWNSIDE: $100. This is the non-refundable application fee which covers things like your background check and hologram-embossed card. The non-refundable part means you don’t get the cash back if you fail that background check.

UPSIDE: Automatic at Check-In. The government is good at assigning numbers to people. Put this newly minted $100 numerical sequence into your frequent flyer profile and every boarding pass gets the magic code for short security. It even works with the QR-code boarding passes on your cell phone.

DOWNSIDE: More Of Your Data In Some Database. Sure, we all know the government has all these crazy no-fly lists that your check-in data gets compared to. Yes, they scan your passport and have some record of where you fly. If you care about the “gummit” getting more personal data, this is not the program for you.

Overall I’m happy with the results at the TSA (for once). I’ll update you in a few weeks after I try Global Entry at US Customs.


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