Are you scratching your head and wondering what you can do to make traveling a little less painful for your travelers? For many people, one of the biggest pain points is getting through security screening. The lines are always long, and by the time you reach the front you have to take off your shoes, pull out your laptop and wait around (barefoot) to be called through the screener.
Somehow there are some people who get to use a quicker line and manage to get through with a lot less aggravation. So how do you make sure your traveler is one of those “special” people? The answer simple: make sure they apply for TSA Pre✓® (or Global Entry if they are international travelers).
Understanding the Pre✓® program isn’t hard, but there are some nuances to be aware of. World Travel, Inc. and the TSA recently hosted a webinar about this topic. Don’t worry if you missed it; we have provided the full recording along with the top 10 questions that were asked in this blog.
Top 10 Questions from our TSA Pre✓® Webinar:
Q: Can we get a copy of the presentation anywhere?
A: Yes! The full recording can be accessed here and the presentation is available for download here.
Q: How do I apply for Pre✓®?
A: Applying is easy. It takes less than five minutes to submit an online application and schedule an in-person appointment that includes a background check and fingerprinting at an enrollment center.
Before you apply, we recommend that you review the various DHS trusted traveler programs, such as the TSA Pre✓® Application Program, Global Entry, NEXUS, or SENTRI, to ensure you meet the eligibility requirements and determine the best program for you.
Q: Can you talk a bit about REAL ID and how that program interacts/impacts travelers who may have TSA Pre✓® but do not a driver's license from a "compliant" state?
A: World Travel, Inc. will be hosting a full webinar on this topic on Wednesday, March 8th, 2017.
In the meantime, we have a Whitepaper that covers the REAL ID Act and can be downloaded here.
Q: Explain the difference between the redress numbers and the Pre✓® Known Traveler Number (KTN).
A: The KTN should only be put in the Known Traveler Number field. If you put it in the redress field you will not receive TSA Pre✓®.
The redress field is for another purpose. Redress numbers are given to travelers who have similar names/PII to individuals who are on the terror watch list or no-fly list. In order to facilitate travel, these travelers are often given a number to insert into the redress field that will indicate they are a safe traveler.
Q: My personal information has changed. How do I update my information so that I can continue to receive TSA Pre✓®?
A: If you are a member of the TSA Pre✓® Application Program, you may call (855) 347-8371 weekdays between 8 am and 10 pm ET to make changes to your name, address, or other information contained in your records. You may also submit your inquiry online. You will be provided information regarding documentation needed to process the change.
If you are a member of Global Entry, NEXUS, or SENTRI, please submit an email, call (855) 873-4637, or visit the online information center.
Q: Where do we find the link that list the airports and airlines that participate in TSA Pre✓®?
A: The link can be found here.
Q: Can we use your chart to post on our travel site?
A: Absolutely, the chart can be found below or on slide 7 of the presentation.
Q: I've noticed some inconsistency in passengers that have Pre✓® and then make a change to their itinerary and lose Pre✓®. Is there something that needs to be done when the ticket is reissued to maintain Pre✓®?
A: If the traveler is enrolled in one of the DHS Trusted Traveler programs (Global Entry, Sentri, NEXUS or TSA Pre✓®) and they have included the KTN in their flight reservation and/or Frequent Flyer profile they should receive the TSA Pre✓® indicator even after making changes to the reservation. If they are not enrolled and just received the TSA Pre✓® indicator as a result of a flight-by-flight Risk Assessment, there is a very good chance they will not get it after making a change to their reservation. The key takeaway to ensure getting TSA Pre✓® 99.9% of the time: enroll in one of the Trusted Traveler programs!
Q: What about a traveler that has both TSA Pre✓® and Global entry? Which number goes into their airline booking?
A: Choose one number to put into your Traveler Profile and airline booking; ideally you would use the number that has the longest time until its expiration date.
Q: How do travelers re-enroll when membership is expiring?
A: For Global Entry, you will receive an email about six months before your enrollment will expire with a link to the GOES page. Hopefully, you kept your GOES ID and password and can log onto the site and fill out the information required to re-enroll. Re-enrollment takes much less time than the initial application. You will pay the $100 fee again and within a couple of weeks you will hear be notified whether or not CBP wishes to interview you again, or if your enrollment was extended without an interview.
TSA Pre✓® is still in its infancy stages, so the very earliest enrollments still have at least two years left on their enrollment. The exact re-enrollment process has not yet been defined by TSA.
