TSA Pre-Check - Worth Considering for Trip This Summer ?

[bumbershoot]

Nexus is cheaper - $50 vs 85 - but the processing is only done at the border. So you might not be able to go to the TSA office. Only you know if the convenience is worth $35

Depending on how many kids the OP has, though, it could be cheaper overall, as nexus is free for those under 18 and precheck isn’t.

DS and I applied while he was 12. Got it done months before his 13th birthday. It’s good for 5 years after the next birthday, so he’s got nexus until he’s 18 and it’s no longer my responsibility to pay for it for him. Woo!

 

[CarrieR]

They asked when I processed my Nexus if I wanted GE and I told them no. I got the impression I opted out - but maybe the lady didn't know what she was talking about?

And that's good to know about kids! Definitely makes it worth it then.

 

[Monykalyn]

Took us 5 min to get through precheck a few weeks ago at MCO...best 85$ spent.

Flew out of STL on new years eve eve with "travel warnings" of long security lines and to get to airport extra hour early. TSA precheck we breezed through less than 10 minutes. It has been lifesaver at MCO-into and out of in October security lines were >1hr. Took us <10 minutes.

I will say, many travel credit cards will reimburse you for it. I won't mention them at fear of "free advertising" but I have a card that covered the $85 and I love i

Was going to say this too-I have a travel card that covered the $85 as well. Would have been silly not to take advantage of that

 

[holden]

3 of us have precheck. I love it. Well worth the $ if you fly more than once a year. DD10 automatically gets it on her ticket because we have it.

 

[Miffy]

Totally totally worth it. Flew out of MCO about 3 weeks ago and the TSA Pre line took about 5 minutes, if that. The regular line was enormous. I was so happy I'd seen a thread here on the DIS about TSA Pre--and acted on it immediately!

 

[bumbershoot]

They asked when I processed my Nexus if I wanted GE and I told them no. I got the impression I opted out - but maybe the lady didn't know what she was talking about?

And that's good to know about kids! Definitely makes it worth it then.

Try it next time there’s a GE line available!

 

[TrishaK]

We cruised in June and had a ton of time to kill at MCO - and I spied the TSA PreCheck office. We snagged our passports from the Hyatt and hightailed it to their office! My husband and I signed up, and we're looking forward to using the PreCheck lines out of Midway and MCO in less than 2 weeks!!!

 

[Ress76]

We got PreCheck more for MCO than our home airport. In October, out PreCheck line was probably 15 minutes versus probably about 45 minutes to an hour for regular security.

 

[Pooh2]

TSA precheck was worth every penny! Especially at MCO!

 

[kristenrice]

Depending on how many kids the OP has, though, it could be cheaper overall, as nexus is free for those under 18 and precheck isn’t.

DS and I applied while he was 12. Got it done months before his 13th birthday. It’s good for 5 years after the next birthday, so he’s got nexus until he’s 18 and it’s no longer my responsibility to pay for it for him. Woo!

I'm debating between NEXUS and TSA-Pre but we live 2.5 hours away from the closest NEXUS interview site. I would need to get it for myself and two DD's, but since they are (currently) 14 and 12, they would be free and mine would only cost $50. I'm just trying to decide if the 5-hour round-trip drive to Detroit is going to be worth the $200 savings when the TSA-pre location is 10 minutes from our house. We aren't planning on going to Canada any time soon so there is really no benefit to NEXUS except for the financial savings.

Perhaps I will talk my sister into getting this for herself and her DD's as well (they have passports and they DO travel through Canada to get to New York) and we can make a day trip out of it...and hit up a Detroit Tigers game after we do the interview. It's just so hard for me to justify driving that far for something that we can obtain locally, even though it will cost quite a bit more. Ugh...decisions...

 

[bumbershoot]

It also gives you global entry, so if you travel internationally other than Canada it’s nice, too.

I’m not trying to force you to do it; it’s just something that isn’t widely known, and I want people to know of the option.

We drove from Tacoma right up the below the Canadian border for it. Made a day of it. If I’d gone with the King County Airport (not SeaTac) interviews I wound have waited for over three months. So we took a day to head up there for the better interview time. But we do travel internationally, hubby has global entry, and we wanted to match.

 

[kristenrice]

Depending on how many kids the OP has, though, it could be cheaper overall, as nexus is free for those under 18 and precheck isn’t.

DS and I applied while he was 12. Got it done months before his 13th birthday. It’s good for 5 years after the next birthday, so he’s got nexus until he’s 18 and it’s no longer my responsibility to pay for it for him. Woo!

I have a couple of questions about NEXUS...

1) How long are the interviews? Can I schedule them myself? We are going to try and go to a Tigers' game on the same day so we need to plan accordingly.
2) What exactly is involved in the whole process, particularly for the kids? I'm not concerned with my kids (they are old enough to answer questions themselves), but I know my sister will be concerned about her daughters who are only 9 and 6. Are they interviewed with or without the parent present? My husband might be with us, even though he is NOT applying for the NEXUS card. What will they do with him? Would he be allowed to accompany the kids or would I have to be the one to go with them, if required?
3) Do they take your picture for the card? I know that my picture will be ridiculous, but my daughters will want to make sure they are presentable for their photo shoot.

We don't travel more than once a year and we have no intentions of leaving the country any time soon. The security lines at MCO have been scary enough the last two times I've been through them and with two trips planned in the next two years, I am willing to finally put in a little effort and money to try and avoid them if we can. I'm just completely clueless about what to expect when it comes to this whole process and when I am unprepared, I get anxious. Any and all information will be appreciated.

 

[micheleq]

And it’s free for minors.

All of this! We got Nexus/Global entry a few years ago and it was very easy to do if you are in metro Detroit. My brother and his family live in Canada, and we fly several times a year so for us it was a no brainer. Our kids were free at that time so it was $100 for the four of us.

 

[micheleq]

I have a couple of questions about NEXUS...

1) How long are the interviews? Can I schedule them myself? We are going to try and go to a Tigers' game on the same day so we need to plan accordingly.
2) What exactly is involved in the whole process, particularly for the kids? I'm not concerned with my kids (they are old enough to answer questions themselves), but I know my sister will be concerned about her daughters who are only 9 and 6. Are they interviewed with or without the parent present? My husband might be with us, even though he is NOT applying for the NEXUS card. What will they do with him? Would he be allowed to accompany the kids or would I have to be the one to go with them, if required?
3) Do they take your picture for the card? I know that my picture will be ridiculous, but my daughters will want to make sure they are presentable for their photo shoot.

We don't travel more than once a year and we have no intentions of leaving the country any time soon. The security lines at MCO have been scary enough the last two times I've been through them and with two trips planned in the next two years, I am willing to finally put in a little effort and money to try and avoid them if we can. I'm just completely clueless about what to expect when it comes to this whole process and when I am unprepared, I get anxious. Any and all information will be appreciated.

This was a few years ago, but here’s my experience ...

1) The interview was a few minutes long. We were all together standing at the desk at the CBP office at the Ambassador Bridge. You schedule them yourself online. It took me a few tries to find four slots at the same time.

2) You apply online for everyone, wait a few weeks for the clearance, and then schedule your interviews. Very simple. Parents are present at the interview.

3) Yes they take a picture for the card. It’s similar to getting your drivers license.

HTH!

 

[cleopenn]

I have a couple of questions about NEXUS...

1) How long are the interviews? Can I schedule them myself? We are going to try and go to a Tigers' game on the same day so we need to plan accordingly.
2) What exactly is involved in the whole process, particularly for the kids? I'm not concerned with my kids (they are old enough to answer questions themselves), but I know my sister will be concerned about her daughters who are only 9 and 6. Are they interviewed with or without the parent present? My husband might be with us, even though he is NOT applying for the NEXUS card. What will they do with him? Would he be allowed to accompany the kids or would I have to be the one to go with them, if required?
3) Do they take your picture for the card? I know that my picture will be ridiculous, but my daughters will want to make sure they are presentable for their photo shoot.

We don't travel more than once a year and we have no intentions of leaving the country any time soon. The security lines at MCO have been scary enough the last two times I've been through them and with two trips planned in the next two years, I am willing to finally put in a little effort and money to try and avoid them if we can. I'm just completely clueless about what to expect when it comes to this whole process and when I am unprepared, I get anxious. Any and all information will be appreciated.

#1 - we didn’t really have an interview. My memory is we walked in, the agent checked our ids and took our pictures.

#2 - our son was 9 or 10yo at the time and we all stood together at a counter. The agent asked him a few questions about where he liked to travel and such, all very good natured and friendly. I got the impression they were just trying to make him feel important

#3 - pictures are small and sort of pixelated. My work Id and drivers license have much larger pics that my GE card.

 

[WDWNY]

I'm cheap and never was willing to pay for it, so someone paid the $85 for me as a birthday gift. I love it. I used it twice, and it was extremely helpful both times. My departing flight I left my house and I couldn't even get on the highway because traffic wasn't moving. Thankfully I live in NYC and was able to just take the subway, but since I got to the airport so close to my departing flight it was so helpful going through a short line. Then when I flew out of Tampa at 7am it was PACKED! Was so thankful for it then. Well worth it, and would recommend.

 

[AquamarineSteph]

Okay. Everyone here is cheering for spending the money on PreCheck. Just know up front that if you have PreCheck it does not always mean that you get to go through without a second thought. There may be a time when you or yours are selected for 'random secondary screening' despite the money you just paid. And sometimes that includes people touching you very intimately in that version of secondary screening.

That can happen anywhere when you are flying, of course. But I just don't want you to think that paying for PreCheck means you're forever absolved from anything other than moving through the line more quickly than anyone else.

I find it most useful at airports which are not my home airport where women seem to be singled out for extra screening even in the PreCheck line. Last time we went through there, it was an older lady who could not stand without assistance. I'm not even sure she knew what was going on, but her companions did.

 

[charmed59]

Today at MCO my daughter said the regular line was 30min at 5am. By the time I left the hotel at 9am the regular line was posted at 45 min.