TSA Pre-Check Application info: what to expect & name changes

[mamabunny]

Hey everyone - just wanted to give a quick heads-up about something we learned this past week!

As many of you know, my hubs works for a Major Airline, so he already has a super-spiffy extra super duper clearance for when he flies (which, ironically enough, is NEVER unless he has to go out for an AOG... LOL he just loves a good old-fashioned road trip, complete with a paper atlas and a cooler in the trunk!)

But our daughter and I fly A LOT, both for business and pleasure trips. Our daughter has gotten a promotion (yay!) and has been flying around the country for work on a regular basis, and she decided she wanted to go over and get her TSA Pre-Check so that she would have that for business trips.

So, we went to the TSA website, filled out everything online as instructed, and made the appointment to have our fingerprints done, and our paperwork checked out.

Here's what we learned from the helpful folks at our local site:

- Make an appointment if you can; walk ins can, and often do, wait up to 2 hours during busy times.
- Be on time for your appointment; busy locations don't typically allow you to "work in" just because you were late.
- Make sure you have (minimally) your current Drivers License and/or Passport and/or Birth Certificate (instructions are on the TSA website); don't bring an expired DL; apparently that's a real no-no.
- They will scan your documents into the system.
- The Examiner I worked with, and the one our daughter worked with told both of us that it is a one-shot deal; if you are turned down for Pre-Check for any reason, you will not be allowed to apply again. So make sure you have everything in order!
- They also told us that basically it's the same process as an FBI background check. I don't have anything to hide, so I'm cool with that. Just a heads-up.
- You will be fingerprinted.
- The cost is $85/person and it's good for 5 years.
- You don't get a card with your KTN (Known Traveler Number) on it; you just get a letter, so save it to your smartphone (a lot of people make a Contact for it, or put it in a password-protected Note) and don't lose that number!
- The program is just now turning 5 years old, so no one really knows yet if they are going to be sending out renewal notices or not; our local office suggests making a calendar reminder in your smartphone for 3 months prior to expiration. (So 4 years & 9 months from when you apply).
- Final interesting tidbit: If your current legal name does not match what is on your birth certificate, and/or Passport, you will need to bring the supporting documentation to show HOW, WHY and WHEN the change was made. Mostly, this will affect women who get married and change their last name. In my case, my last name changed when I got married, so I had to present my Birth Certificate, my Marriage License (which showed when, why and how my name was changed) and my current Drivers License. I was very lucky that I happened to call over to our local office and ask about it before we drove all the way there; I had a hunch, even though it really isn't spelled out on the TSA website. Otherwise, I would have had to go home, get our Marriage License, go all the way back and wait to be worked in...

Hope this is helpful; TSA Pre-Check can really speed things along, even at MCO, and I'm all for anything where I don't have to take my shoes off at the airport!

 

[SueM in MN]

Another thing I’ve read is that just because you have applied for and received TSA Precheck does not mean you will actually have Precheck status for every single flight.

And a funny story.
My sister was traveling from another city along with her daughter and our mother. When she made the reservation for them all, she put down her maiden name for herself by mistake. She called the airline, but they said she could not change it and to just bring whatever documentation she could.

She was divorced, with children from her first marriage, then remarried. Her chain of names and proof was:
- her daughter’s birth certificate which included both her maiden name and first married name. Her daughter had a driver’s license as ID to show that it was her birth certificate and both the daughter and our mom vouched that she was who the birth certificate showed she was. (Our mom’s ID proved who she was).
- her divorce certificate from her first marriage which showed the same name for her and her daughter’s father (she kept that name because of her children from that marriage)
- her marriage certificate that showed her first married name as the ‘starting name’ for the second marriage and showed she changed to her new husband’s name.
- her driver’s license that showed her second married name.

TSA said they had never seen anyone bring their mom and daughter as proof of identity before, but they laughed and accepted it.

 

[Hoodie]

While I've heard that even if you get the KTN that you may not get the Pre-Check, it seems that in most cases where that has happened, it was because the name wasn't EXACTLY the same. While most airlines allow you to add your KTN to your frequent flyer account or travel account, it doesn't verify the name.

The KTN was issued with my first name, middle initial, last name. I called the airline directly to see if my middle initial was on my account (it wasn't). She added it to my account and to the existing reservation. She also confirmed that had I not, I likely would not have had the PreCheck for that trip. Everything else was the same, but the middle initial would have been enough to not have the PreCheck go through.

 

[mamabunny]

Since I used my middle name on my application, it sounds like I need to make sure I use that on all of my reservations! Thanks for the heads up!

And I LOL'd at @SueM in MN's story - it sounds like something I would do!!!

 

[LadyD]

While I've heard that even if you get the KTN that you may not get the Pre-Check, it seems that in most cases where that has happened, it was because the name wasn't EXACTLY the same. While most airlines allow you to add your KTN to your frequent flyer account or travel account, it doesn't verify the name.

The KTN was issued with my first name, middle initial, last name. I called the airline directly to see if my middle initial was on my account (it wasn't). She added it to my account and to the existing reservation. She also confirmed that had I not, I likely would not have had the PreCheck for that trip. Everything else was the same, but the middle initial would have been enough to not have the PreCheck go through.

This is something I was wondering about how particular they are about the name matching. My last name is hyphenated and it looks like the paperwork for the TSA precheck requires me to hyphenate it, but most airlines won't hyphenate my last name on my reservations. I worry that is going to end up being an issue for me being able to use TSA precheck. Good information to know though! Thank you for sharing

 

[Starwind]

This is something I was wondering about how particular they are about the name matching. My last name is hyphenated and it looks like the paperwork for the TSA precheck requires me to hyphenate it, but most airlines won't hyphenate my last name on my reservations. I worry that is going to end up being an issue for me being able to use TSA precheck. Good information to know though! Thank you for sharing

Call and ask your airline how you should handle it. They may have you enter the last name without the hyphen, for example.

SW

 

[Starwind]

Since I used my middle name on my application, it sounds like I need to make sure I use that on all of my reservations! Thanks for the heads up!

And I LOL'd at @SueM in MN's story - it sounds like something I would do!!!

We made sure our frequent flyer program had our full names the same as they were for our NEXUS card (which for us is also same as passport). When we buy our tickets it pulls the info from our frequent flyer info, so usually no adjustments are needed.

But yep, for buying tickets through third parties make sure the full name is there.

Also, different airlines handle how you add the KTN information, so check with your airline how they do it so you ensure it is attached to your specific itinerary. WestJet, for example, adds it at checkin. Some other airlines let you add it beforehand or even when you buy the ticket.

SW

 

[EvilOne]

Hi, I work for a major airline out of BOS. And your right, and it stinks...even if you are TSA Pre-Check does not guarantee you will have pre check every time.
What TSA does is ha Dsw out random free TSA pre checks to guests who do not have it, my guess is to drum up business for them. As someone who has paid for it
I believe this to basically suck. Luckily I have gotten it every time

 

[EvilOne]

This is something I was wondering about how particular they are about the name matching. My last name is hyphenated and it looks like the paperwork for the TSA precheck requires me to hyphenate it, but most airlines won't hyphenate my last name on my reservations. I worry that is going to end up being an issue for me being able to use TSA precheck. Good information to know though! Thank you for sharing

Hi, the airline I work for tends to put the first, last and middle name basically all together. It’s very hard to read each passport I’m looking at when this is done. So to have a hyphenated name, I don’t think it would show on a ticket as such.