Why not say goodbye to your travel partner at the airport security checkpoint to enjoy the luxury of TSA PreCheck?
For travelers who value efficiency, this is a divisive question. While it provides a more hassle-free security experience, it can also cause a rift with your companions after leaving them behind in perhaps the most chaotic part of the airport.
Transportation Security Administration (TSA) PreCheck status expedites the screening process and makes it easy for travelers to complete their safety routine in just minutes. PreCheck users can also skip some of the hassles associated with regular security lines, such as having to take off their shoes or take their laptop out of their bag.
PreCheck has been around since 2013 and is offered at more than 200 U.S. airports, but its application process and fees put some travelers off.
But is it actually rude to leave your travel partner behind if you have PreCheck and they don't? For the answer, PEOPLE spoke with Nicole, a travel advisor at Fora Travel. We spoke to Campoy Jackson.
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Ditching travel partners and groups to use the PreCheck line comes down to “knowing your audience,” Jackson said.
“If you're traveling for work and one or several people have PreCheck and others don't, do it. You don't have to wait in line unnecessarily,” she explains. .
On the flip side, “for couples on their honeymoon, leaving a loved one behind in a safe place may not be the best start to things.”
She recommends that if you travel without pre-screening, “know yourself”, voice being a nervous traveler, and sometimes accompany her during the stressful security process. I added that you need to say what you like.
However, things get a little more complicated when you're traveling as a family.
According to the TSA's official website, children 12 and under are allowed to travel with a registered parent or guardian on PreCheck “without restriction.” Children ages 13 to 17 can also participate with their parents as long as their boarding pass has the TSA PreCheck symbol.
“Multi-generations of travelers can talk about it. Does grandma and grandpa have a pre-check? OK, let them go,” Jackson says, adding, “You can make sure that everyone can handle it. “Don't ask grandpa or grandma to take your children to the security room without you unless you know,” he added, warning.
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When it comes to situations where leaving a travel partner alone at a security checkpoint is never acceptable, Jackson points to situations where someone definitely needs help getting through the process.
An example she gives is “if you are not able to easily lift your carry-on baggage yourself and are very nervous or inexperienced on a flight and need your assistance.” Jackson also can't tolerate “leaving a spouse alone with young children or elderly parents who are slowing down these days.”
She added that it would only be acceptable to “push back” if a travel partner is “fully capable” of passing through the queue on their own.
“I think once you push back and say, 'Please let me put my laptop in your bag, please.'” But if they insist, this time for some reason they want you. , or need,” she explains.
Jackson said if a traveler with a PreCheck decides to leave their partner behind despite the partner asking them not to, then the companion has a “natural right” to be angry. I say there is. But don't let that ruin your trip.
“This is a security line and is not meant to be fun, bonding, or memorable.'' “I recommend spending all your time waiting in line at Starbucks to make sure your order is accurate,” she jokes.
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When asked if PreCheck is worth it for the average traveler, Jackson says, “A thousand times yes.” If everyone in your group has it, this conversation (and all the drama that may ensue) is moot. ”
The application process can be started online and costs $78 for five-year registration. After that, it will cost him an additional $70 for online renewal and $78 for in-person renewal. At the registration point, travelers will be fingerprinted, present the necessary documents, a photo, and be asked to make a payment.
