American Advises on PreCheck

As I posted last week, TSA’s practice of managed inclusion and offering PreCheck to those that opt-in through an airline frequent traveler program is on the verge of being noticeably reduced. The critical mass of travelers has risen to such levels that it apparently no-longer makes sense to crowd the already taxed PreCheck lanes with those who have not yet paid to participate in a known traveler program. American Airlines confirmed as much in an email I received this afternoon.

“Hello Marshall,
AAdvantage® Gold Number: ABC1234

This month, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is making changes to the TSA Pre✓® Trusted Traveler Program that will impact which travelers receive expedited screening. If you’re not already a member of one of the Trusted Traveler programs like Global Entry or the TSA Pre✓® Application Program, you will probably see a decline in how often you receive expedited screening, even if you’ve previously “opted-in” through a frequent flyer program.

The best way to increase your chances of receiving TSA Pre✓® on a regular basis is to register for a Trusted Traveler Program with the Department of Homeland Security at dhs.gov/tt. Once you receive your Known Traveler Number (KTN) from TSA, be sure you update your AAdvantage profile.

To add your KTN to your AAdvantage profile:
Login to your account on aa.com and select My Account from the AAdvantage menu
Within My Account, go to the Information and Password tab
Add your Customs and Border Protection 9-digit PASS ID to your secure traveler information
For more information on TSA Pre✓®, visit tsa.gov/tsa-precheck.”

If you haven’t already, sign up for one of the known traveler programs. Personally, I went for Global Entry. While I don’t travel outside the country by plane as much as I used to, Global Entry is still wonderful have when returning home. Being able to participate in TSA PreCheck? Priceless. Better yet, American Express reimbursed my $100 registration fee as well as MrsMJ’s thanks to our American Express Platinum Cards.