I'm in the "TSA-Pre" program. It was a pain to enroll in. I had to first enroll in the "Global Entry" program, get interviewed by Homeland Security, pay money, etc. but it was worth it. I used it for the first time last Saturday at Dulles Airport. There's a separate brand new screening area there. I got to keep everything in my backpack. There was no shoe removal, no jacket removal, no naked body scanners, no groping, I just walked right thru a metal detector and was on my way. It was like airport security in the 70's. No line either. I was the only one using it.

Walker: blackminded: Walker: I'm in the "TSA-Pre" program. It was a pain to enroll in. I had to first enroll in the "Global Entry" program, get interviewed by Homeland Security, pay money, etc. but it was worth it. I used it for the first time last Saturday at Dulles Airport. There's a separate brand new screening area there. I got to keep everything in my backpack. There was no shoe removal, no jacket removal, no naked body scanners, no groping, I just walked right thru a metal detector and was on my way. It was like airport security in the 70's. No line either. I was the only one using it.

So I just checked the website. I have to be invited to the program as a "frequent traveler" of certain airlines? In other words, get back in line you poor piece of shiat, this line is for the wealthy?

/rats

Keep reading the site. I'm neither wealthy, nor a frequent flier, and was not invited to join. Just sign up for the Global Entry program. There's a $100 application fee and the Global Entry card is good for 5 years. Entry in that program gives you free entry to TSA Pre program. Be poor. Feel wealthy. Be treated like a SUPERSTAR.

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If you live near the Canadian border (or if you go to Canada frequently), sign up for NEXUS. It's $50, gets you expedited entry into Canada and you get Global Entry and TSA Precheck (US citizens only) free.

If you're a member of SENTRI (The US-Mexican expedited entry program), you also get Global Entry and TSA Precheck (US citizens only) for free.

Girion47: It's bad enough some of us don't get compensated for travel time, and have to put travel time on ourselves so it doesn't intrude on billable hours.

I would be super pissed if any of my contracts required travel on my own time. Hell it's illegal for me to NOT bill travel hours to the client.

/happy dance
//but seriously, I feel for you.

Since my contracts were so long, the accommodation my company made was to let me get corporate apartments. It meant less going home on weekends. But it also meant I could fly light. I could leave my suits (and heavier clothes needed in winter) in DC. I also saved a ton on food since I could buy groceries and cook instead of eating out.

slykens1: Global Entry on its own is totally worth the money, even if you had to pay. I arrived at JFK a few months ago to Delta's disaster of a terminal 3. The passport control line was halfway back to the plane with probably 500-700 people waiting. I walked past all of them, used the kiosk, and cleared passport control in under two minutes. It's totally awesome and has the potential to save an hour or more on every use depending on where you fly into.

This +1000 if you fly internationally. At IAD, even the new international arrivals area can have an hour long immigration line if you arrive mid-afternoon during jumbo jet rush hour, particularly if you get in after the flight from Mexico City or one of the filghts from the middle east. Global Entry and Pre Check have saved me HOURS of my life I otherwise would not have gotten back. Last time I went through PDX, where they have Pre Check, I timed how long it took me to get from the start of the security line through the metal detector to having bags (including laptop and liquids) back in hand. Answer: 49 seconds. Prior to Pre Check I'd waited half an hour in that security line at the wrong time.

MBrady: "Cooperation of government agencies" - pure bullshiat.

My company paid for my investigation. The government probably knows more about me than I do, and yet I would have to pay them $100 for them to do through the same process? Arseholes

Makes me wonder - again I stopped traveling for work shortly before 9/11 (thank god). But one of my DC contracts was with DoD and my company paid for my security clearance screening to work on it.

So I would have been A-OK to go to my meetings at the Pentagon, but would have to pay extra to get cleared by the dumbfarks at TSA? Ridiculous.

Girion47: willfullyobscure: gutterman: Avonmore: Diogenes: I wonder if I were still traveling 100% for business if my company would pick up the tab.



If you were still travelling 100% for business, there wouldn't be a tab to pick up. High level frequent fliers are automatically enrolled in Pre-Check. I use it all the time, never enrolled, no interviews, I just fly 100k miles a year.

Now that I think of it, the above is only true for people who fly AA or Delta, but it's still nice.

This is how I got in. I don't tend to originate at airports that have the program live yet, Austin is supposed to be getting it next year. Did get to use it going out of LGA last week. SOOO nice to be treated like a passenger and not a suspect. Bag on conveyor, phone and watch in bag, and that's it. Through security in 30 seconds.

And fark you too, you asshole.

Look, some of us have jobs that necessitate air travel. Just because we take advantage of easing the pain of air travel, doesn't make us assholes.

THIS.

It's bad enough some of us don't get compensated for travel time, and have to put travel time on ourselves so it doesn't intrude on billable hours.

Avonmore: Diogenes: I wonder if I were still traveling 100% for business if my company would pick up the tab.



If you were still travelling 100% for business, there wouldn't be a tab to pick up. High level frequent fliers are automatically enrolled in Pre-Check. I use it all the time, never enrolled, no interviews, I just fly 100k miles a year.

Now that I think of it, the above is only true for people who fly AA or Delta, but it's still nice.

Yeah, I'm not a "high level frequent flyer" so that's why I had to do it thru the Global Entry program, which costs money and you have to visit a US Customs office to be interviewed, have your picture taken, etc.

For those wondering how to enter the TSA Pre program you can get details here or just read this:

Q. How can someone sign up to participate?

A. Currently, only those passengers who opt-in will have the opportunity to volunteer to participate.

Participating airlines will permit some of their frequent flyers, based on TSA criteria, to opt-in through the airline's system. Participating airlines have contacted eligible frequent travelers with an invitation to opt-in. Once the passenger opts in, the airline identifies the individual as a participant when submitting the passenger reservation information to TSA's Secure Flight system.

Current members of U.S. Customs and Border Protection's (CBP) Global Entry, SENTRI or NEXUS programs are already eligible to participate in the TSA Pre✓™ concept if they are flying on a participating airline at a participating airport. Those passengers need to place their PASS ID in the 'Known Traveler Number' field while booking their reservation. Interested passengers who are not eligible through their airline and are not already a member of a CBP Trusted Traveler program may still be able to opt-in to TSA Pre✓™ by applying for one of the CBP eligible programs.

It's a good thing that being an intrusive pain in the tukus doesn't convince customers to avoid your product or service.

Walker: I'm in the "TSA-Pre" program. It was a pain to enroll in. I had to first enroll in the "Global Entry" program, get interviewed by Homeland Security, pay money, etc. but it was worth it. I used it for the first time last Saturday at Dulles Airport. There's a separate brand new screening area there. I got to keep everything in my backpack. There was no shoe removal, no jacket removal, no naked body scanners, no groping, I just walked right thru a metal detector and was on my way. It was like airport security in the 70's. No line either. I was the only one using it.

I wonder if I were still traveling 100% for business if my company would pick up the tab.

And speaking of my company, we have insane security requirements. WTF is wrong with the TSA not encrypting this shiat? If they want to shake the stigma of the "illusion of security" for real security, this is a lousy way to go about it.