Travel smart with Trusted Traveler programs

If your future travel plans include flying somewhere, this might be the perfect time to apply for one of the Trusted Traveler programs. Long lines at security can result in a rough start to your trip, with tempers tested long before you actually board an airplane. But you do have options.

The Department of Homeland Security sponsors several programs including TSA Pre-check, Global Entry, NEXUS and SENTRI. Each has its own eligibility requirements and application fees, so you need to determine which works best for your needs. https://www.dhs.gov/trusted-traveler-comparison-chart

TSA Pre-check: The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) manages and operates TSA Pre-check, an expedited security screening process. Upon approval, you can move through security more quickly and easily in a dedicated line, which is almost always shorter than the regular security line. The line generally moves faster because you don’t have to take off shoes or jacket or put your baggie of liquids or computer in the bin, which saves a lot of time.

This is valid for departures from more than 150 participating U.S. airports. Because TSA randomly selects non-enrolled travelers for this privilege, you could be lucky and get Pre-check occasionally without paying the $85 fee (good for five years), but with TSA Pre-check you’re almost always guaranteed a spot in the short line. www.dhs.gov/trusted-traveler-programs

You can pre-enroll online, then visit an enrollment center to verify ID and provide fingerprints.

Global Entry: If you travel both within the U.S. and internationally, your best bet is Global Entry. A five-year membership is only $100. This program provides expedited processing through customs at airports and land borders upon arrival into the U.S.  Trust me, after you’ve endured a long flight to get back on American soil, you’ll be relieved to skip the long lines at customs.

For Global Entry, you will also have to schedule a personal interview (can take weeks or months in some locations) and must provide a passport or permanent resident card.

NEXUS: U.S. and Canadian citizens or permanent residents of either country can apply for NEXUS, an expedited process for airports and land borders between those two countries. Application is similar to Global Entry, and a five-year membership is $50.  It includes Global Entry and TSA Pre-check for travel between those two countries.

SENTRI: Travelers frequently arriving in the U.S. from Mexico, should consider enrolling in SENTRI. The process is similar to NEXUS, and the program requires proof of citizenship and admissibility documentation. Five-year membership fee is $122.25.

Be a smart traveler: Once you have received approval for any of these programs, be sure to enter your Known Traveler Number or PASS-ID into the passenger information section for the airlines you’ll be traveling on, or provide that number to any agent or company that books flights for you. I also double check before checking in for a flight to make sure that number is correctly and currently noted at the airline’s website. If for some reason, it isn’t, you won’t get the benefits due you—and the agent at the airport can’t change the notification (or lack of it) on your ticket.

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Austin airport now screens applicants for TSA PreCheck program

If you travel by air several times a year—and you get impatient waiting in long security lines—there’s good news for Austin travelers.  On January 14, Austin-Bergstrom International Airport joined 38 other U.S. airports in offering the U. S. Transportation Security Administration’s PreCheck program.

Pay $85, and you can skip potentially long security lines for five years. Even better you won’t have to take off your shoes, jackets, or belts. You can leave your laptop and baggie with allowable liquids in your carryon bag.

Of course, since the federal agency recently announced that it has enrolled more than two million passengers in the expedited security screening program, those lines may start getting longer, too. But with the major growth currently being experienced at the Austin airport, participating in the program should still save passengers time.

U.S. citizens and permanent residents are eligible to apply for the program, which requires an in-person visit at an application center. Fingerprints and required documentation is required for the process. Approved PreCheck travelers receive a “known traveler number” as soon as five business days after their interview that can be used when booking travel.

The program began in Oct. 2011, and now has 356 application centers around the country, including 39 on-site offices at airports. Austin has had a downtown PreCheck enrollment center since 2014, but the airport site will be more convenient for many travelers.

The $85 application fee for PreCheck applicants covers an extensive background check as certain criminal convictions — such as federal crimes or certain state felonies — within the past seven years can disqualify applicants.

If you travel internationally, check out the Global Entry program, which is offered through U.S. Customs and Border Protection. I have been a member since 2014 ($100 for five years), and it greatly expedites passing through customs in countries that participate in the program and especially saves time when re-entering the U.S. after foreign travel.

Once you have signed up and been approved, fill in information with your “known traveler number” on airline websites so the designation will be noted on your boarding pass. On rare occasions it might be omitted, in which case you’ll have to join the masses in the regular (longer) lines.

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