3 Reasons To Get TSA PreCheck Now

I had been hearing my dad talk about precheck for years because he flew frequently for work, but I really had no idea what all it entailed. Then again, I didn’t travel nearly as much as I do now. I recently enrolled for TSA Precheck and if you travel often, then it’s one of the best investments you can make for a quick and easy airport process. Here’s why:

1. It cuts down on pre-flight time.

Because I fly out of Richmond (RIC), an airport that’s generally not busy, I usually don’t have to be at the airport super early for a flight, but if there’s anyway to cut my wait time down even more, then I’m going to do it. On my last trip, I arrived at the airport just 45 minutes before boarding and I was able to park, get through security, eat and get to my gate in that amount of time because I had precheck.

I learned that with precheck, I didn’t have to remove my shoes, any electronics, or toiletries from my bag. I just put my suitcase and personal item bag on the belt and walked right through. You also are not required to take off light jackets or belts. In addition to not having to remove anything from my bags or my body, the precheck line is always considerably shorter than the general passenger line, which also cuts down on wait time.

2.It’s inexpensive.

TSA Precheck cost me $85 and it’s good for 5 years, meaning you’re only paying $15 a year for something that you’ll use regularly if you fly often.

3.The enrollment process is simple.

For me to enroll, all I did was fill out some personal information online and request an appointment. The day of my appointment, I presented my drivers license, passport and credit card, then I was fingerprinted and my photo was taken. That was literally it- five minutes in and out. I’ve heard mention of an interview where you’re to be asked some basic questions during the enrollment appointment, but that was not the case for me. I received my KTN in about a week and from there, all you have to do is enter this number each time you book a flight. Precheck is as simple as that.

Global entry is also a slightly more expensive option that allows easier entrance through customs and it includes precheck; however, I don’t typically have anything to declare at customs. While global entry may not be for me, I would definitely advise you to weigh your options in terms of which is more applicable to how you travel. As for this post, more than 200 airports and 80 airlines allow you to use TSA Precheck so I think it’s incredibly practical and worth it if you plan to travel often or you simply just hate waiting in the airport for longer than necessary.