Precheck or...

[Best Aunt]

Do to logistical issues (I live in the middle of nowhere) getting to a precheck office to enrol is difficult.

What are the similar programs? Maybe I will have better luck getting to one of those offices when I am nearer a big city. I just can’t remember the names.

 

[goofy4tink]

TSA Precheck is at the bottom of the list as far as how easy it is to get. They seem to have the most options for places to go in order to get one. I have an office that is about 20 mins away. However, Global Entry is a different story...you have to go to the airport in order to get an appt. That's almost an hour away and paying for parking, etc.
I have no idea what the situation in your case would be....I guess you would have to go online and see where various offices are. But, I don't think there are options that don't mean having to travel a bit.

 

[bumbershoot]

Clear, global entry, and nexus are the other programs I know of.

 

[ibob52]

There is a TSA Pre enrollment office at MCO ~ Orlando International Airport

it looked like no waiting so probably no appointment needed.

• Phone number(866) 289-9673 .. for General TSA Pre Questions

 

[Capt_BJ]

TSA PRE has recently greatly expanded where you can complete the process. Where I live you can do it at the county tax collector (auto tag) office .... I also read that soon you'd be able to do it at STAPLES!!!!

https://www.tsa.gov/travel/frequently-asked-questions/how-can-i-find-enrollment-center

Global Entry still requires a trip to an 'international airport' since the interview is with an ICE officer. In Orlando the waiting time for an appointment was months a couple of months ago ... but at Sanford Airport I got an appointment in days ....

 

[Shanti]

Do to logistical issues (I live in the middle of nowhere) getting to a precheck office to enrol is difficult.

What are the similar programs? Maybe I will have better luck getting to one of those offices when I am nearer a big city. I just can’t remember the names.

I recommend looking for Pre-Check locations in a city nearby.

 

[Best Aunt]

The closest precheck location is at an airport 90 minutes away, and my flights are always too early or too late. It’s not worth driving that far just for this purpose.

 

[bumbershoot]

The closest precheck location is at an airport 90 minutes away, and my flights are always too early or too late. It’s not worth driving that far just for this purpose.

If you're heading to MCO, though, did you see the mention that MCO has an office with no appointments needed? If you scheduled a flight in or out that would allow a stop there, it might help you out.

 

[n2mm]

TSA PRE has recently greatly expanded where you can complete the process. Where I live you can do it at the county tax collector (auto tag) office .... I also read that soon you'd be able to do it at STAPLES!!!!

https://www.tsa.gov/travel/frequently-asked-questions/how-can-i-find-enrollment-center

Global Entry still requires a trip to an 'international airport' since the interview is with an ICE officer. In Orlando the waiting time for an appointment was months a couple of months ago ... but at Sanford Airport I got an appointment in days ....

I agree. When it started our closest place was about 90 minutes away. My granddaughter just did hers in April after turning 13. There were many locations now, some at our dmv offices, but the closest was at a tiny office at a weigh-station for trucks on interstate 81! Crazy, but true.

 

[Allison]

The closest precheck location is at an airport 90 minutes away, and my flights are always too early or too late. It’s not worth driving that far just for this purpose.

I dont know how often you travel but after having precheck for awhile now, that drive would be worth it to me.

 

[Jimsig]

https://www.tsa.gov/travel/frequently-asked-questions/how-can-i-find-enrollment-center

Global Entry still requires a trip to an 'international airport' since the interview is with an ICE officer. In Orlando the waiting time for an appointment was months a couple of months ago ... but at Sanford Airport I got an appointment in days ....

There are plenty of other places other then an "international airport" that you can get the interview. There are a number of U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office's you can go to. Maine, Vermont and NY are a few I know of off hand. There is also one in New York City itself and in D.C. it self.

 

[Jimsig]

One option for people when flying would be to get an appointment the day you are flying out, if your airport has a location. Of if flying into an airport that has it, such as MCO. Granted you would not have it for that flight, but you might just get it in time for the flight back, especially pre-check as most people report getting approved quickly. I know of a few people who have done just that. It's usually been for Global Entry but can't see why it would not also work for the other's including pre-check. A couple were heading to NYC for work anyway and were able to get quicker appointments their than at home.

 

[Best Aunt]

Thanks for advice. When flying to/from Orlando, the one nonstop flight out is so early the office isn’t open yet, and the one nonstop flight back is so late that the MCO office is already closed. I tried to do it online and schedule for when I would be in nyc on vacation but i did it too early and could not make an appointment as far out as the date i needed. There doesn’t seem to be a way to go back in and schedule an appointment later. The nyc office is a disaster. Too many people, too few employees. If no appointment the wait would be at least 2 hours.

 

[Keacc]

During the summer, the TSA opened several mobile locations in our area. I can now travel 15 minutes to a mobile location at a local shopping center, rather than an hour to an airport location. Re-check TSA to see if they have mobile locations in your area.

 

[Best Aunt]

During the summer, the TSA opened several mobile locations in our area. I can now travel 15 minutes to a mobile location at a local shopping center, rather than an hour to an airport location. Re-check TSA to see if they have mobile locations in your area.

Ooh, interesting. Thank you.

 

[bumbershoot]

When flying to/from Orlando, the one nonstop flight out is so early the office isn’t open yet, and the one nonstop flight back is so late that the MCO office is already closed.

We drove up to the Canadian border, from south of Seattle, to get our nexus interviews done in a timely fashion.

Getting to an airport early to catch the office while it’s open seems worth it to me.

Though if you live in NY (since you mentioned nyc), if Canada is close to where you live, look into nexus. Cheaper and gives you more. Just more of a pain to get. But you can go to Canada.

 

[Best Aunt]

We drove up to the Canadian border, from south of Seattle, to get our nexus interviews done in a timely fashion.

Getting to an airport early to catch the office while it’s open seems worth it to me.

Though if you live in NY (since you mentioned nyc), if Canada is close to where you live, look into nexus. Cheaper and gives you more. Just more of a pain to get. But you can go to Canada.

Good thoughts. Thank yoy.

 

[monorailsilver]

There are plenty of other places other then an "international airport" that you can get the interview. There are a number of U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office's you can go to. Maine, Vermont and NY are a few I know of off hand. There is also one in New York City itself and in D.C. it self.

My dh is looking into global entry as he is possibly/probably going to the Middle East as soon as he can get it done. We are 45 min south of Hartford but there is no appt at bradley any time soon so he will have to drive up to Northern VT to get it done, aka a 6hr Drive north and then a 6hr Drive south when done.

 

[twodogs]

Global Enrty offices often have cancelations so I would book and keep rechecking the site. They often open up extra slots. You can do it all online including moving the appointment to a different date. This is such a worthwhile service for us.

 

[extreme8]

My dh is looking into global entry as he is possibly/probably going to the Middle East as soon as he can get it done. We are 45 min south of Hartford but there is no appt at bradley any time soon so he will have to drive up to Northern VT to get it done, aka a 6hr Drive north and then a 6hr Drive south when done.

It took me 4 months to get an appointment at Bradley. It appears that it's just one person working in a small office in the international terminal. Quick and easy once I got there though.
Has he checked for appointments in NYC (Bowling Green, near the Wall Street bull)? 90 minutes on a train beats 6 hours driving in my book.