By Julie Muhlstein
Good luck, air travelers, if you hope to stretch out your legs or recline your seats these days. At least it’s easier for some to navigate security lines.
Thirteen years after the Sept. 11 attackers used passenger jets as weapons to kill nearly 3,000 people, airline passengers continue to be screened by the Transportation Security Administration, part of the federal Department of Homeland Security. Since 2010, each name on every flight to, from or within the United States has been matched against a watch list. To streamline security checks, the TSA now has several programs for people deemed low-risk, especially frequent fliers.
The TSA Pre-Check program is the one aimed at most travelers. Qualifying may not be a breeze, but if you live in the Everett area it’s convenient to apply.
Since the start of this year, two TSA Pre-Check enrollment centers have opened in Everett. One is at a Port of Everett security building, next to the Marine Terminals Security Gatehouse, at 2900 Terminal Ave. The other, in an area more people frequent, is at 530 SW Everett Mall Way, Suite 105.
In Everett alone, almost 3,100 people have applied for TSA Pre-Check since the port site opened in February, and the office near the mall opened May 8, according to Lorie Dankers, a Seattle-based spokeswoman for the TSA and Homeland Security in Washington and eight other states.
The TSA Pre-Check program began in 2011, but then only for travelers with clearance through the Global Entry program. Qualified travelers were invited into the program by airlines, Dankers said.
The application process for just about anyone started in December 2013. There are now 11 airlines in the TSA Pre-Check program, and 27 participating airports including Sea-Tac.
Since the enrollment centers opened in Everett, Dankers said, the port site has seen 2,014 applicants while 1,083 have applied at the Everett Mall Way center. Applicants may begin the process online, but must eventually appear in person to bring required documents and undergo a background check that includes electronic fingerprinting. There are also centers in Seattle, Mount Vernon and Fife.
Once cleared, Dankers said, travelers have a good chance — not a guarantee — of making it to a TSA Pre-Check line at the airport. The benefits are keeping your shoes, jackets and belts on, laptop cases closed, and toiletries can stay in your bag.
A successful applicant receives a Known Traveler Number to use when booking flights. The traveler’s TSA Pre-Check status will show up on boarding passes. Active duty military and National Guard members are already vetted and don’t need the program, Dankers said. And those who qualify may bring children 12 and younger in the precheck line.
What does an applicant need?
There is a nonrefundable $85 application fee, and TSA Pre-Screening benefits are valid for five years. There are a variety of documents accepted, including passports. A passport is not required, but it’s the easiest. Without one, more items are needed, including valid drivers licenses and certified copies of birth certificates. Names on documents must match exactly. Marriage certificates are needed when birth certificates show maiden names.
Some criminal histories permanently disqualify people — among them are convictions for murder, identity theft, espionage, treason or terrorism.
Once gained, a Known Traveler Number can be lost. “Having certain prohibited items can cause a precheck to be revoked for a period of time. All prohibited items are not equal,” Dankers said. For instance, a firearm is an obvious red flag. “People need to familiarize themselves with the rules for carry-on, and will be held accountable.”
Sometimes travelers without TSA Pre-Check status are steered toward fast-track security lines. On one trip, Dankers said, her 75-year-old father was deemed a low-risk passenger, yet on his return flight he was back in a regular line. “It’s not always based on age,” she said.
Dankers discounts any fears that the precheck program makes travel less safe. “Every passenger is still screened, they’re just screened differently,” she said. By shortening regular security lines, the program allows screeners to focus on those who haven’t been as thoroughly vetted,
“What I hear most is ‘I want to leave on my shoes.’ Travelers find it very convenient not to be taking things out of bags,” Dankers said. And as much as they like saving time, frequent fliers most appreciate being recognized for who they are — “a low-risk traveler.”
Julie Muhlstein: 425-339-3460; jmuhlstein@heraldnet.com.
TSA Pre-Check
There are two TSA Pre-Check enrollment sites in Everett:
530 SW Everett Mall Way, Suite 105, open 8 a.m.-noon and 1-5 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday.
2900 Terminal Ave., Port of Everett security building, open 8 a.m.-noon and 1-5 p.m. Wednesday-Friday.
Begin application process online: http://universalenroll.dhs.gov
Required documents: www.tsa.gov/tsa-precheck/required-documentation
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