What is TSA?
The US government created the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to develop policies to help secure nationwide transportation systems, including airports, highways, railroads, buses, and mass transit systems. TSA personnel/agents are responsible for screening of commercial passengers and their luggage. It includes passengers going through body scanner, sorting and limiting the amount of liquids they can carry, hand luggage being checked, testing liquids they are carrying. This airport security process is a long and time-consuming process.
What is TSA Pre-Check?
The TSA Pre-Check application program membership allows travelers (and their children-12 years of age and younger) to through an expedited airport screening process. Using TSA Pre-Check, travelers can bypass the slow-moving security lanes and they don’t have to go through extensive screening, like they do not have to remove shoes/jackets/belts, or take out smartphones/tablets/laptops out of their bags.
TSA Pre-Check Eligibility?
If the parent or guardian has TSA Pre-Check, their children ages 12 and younger may use the TSA Pre-Check lane. This membership is only open to U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals and lawful permanent residents. In case a traveler has committed certain violations of federal security regulations, such as interference with security operations, access control violations, providing false or fraudulent documents, making a bomb threat, or bringing a firearm, explosive, or other prohibited item to an airport or onboard an aircraft, his TSA Pre-Check is cancelled for some duration. This duration is based on the gravity of the violation committed.
The TSA Pre-Check program was earlier available only for domestic flights, but now is available in over 160 US airports. It has also expanded its reach to some international flights departing from US airports. Detailed information can be found here: https://www.tsa.gov/precheck/faq
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