TSA now scanning more than just laptops

[Schoifmom]

I'm not a frequent flyer, but I've received Pre-Check on every SW flight for about 5 years now. No, I don't know until I check in 24-hours prior to my flight if I'll have it again or not. But, so far, it's been there.

 

Coming home from FLL, travel companion and I were both in the pre-check line but they were doing the random hand swabs in that line, too. Friend got swabbed but I didn't.

 

I really don't have any problem with security doing what they're supposed to be doing. If my pre-check stops, I'll consider Global Entry. But I'm cheap. I'd rather stand in a line for 15 minutes than spend money. ;)

 

Global Entry and TSA Pre-check are different things, but related :)

 

I thought for a while that it was just too much money to spend for a little bit of convenience, but I do travel quite a bit for work. Once I understood that it was $85 every 5 years, it suddenly became "why haven't I done that before!"

[firemanbobswife]

Global Entry and TSA Pre-check are different things, but related :)

 

 

 

I thought for a while that it was just too much money to spend for a little bit of convenience, but I do travel quite a bit for work. Once I understood that it was $85 every 5 years, it suddenly became "why haven't I done that before!"

 

 

I know, right?! The people that say they don't want to spend the money to skip lines or because it's not worth it are probably the same ones that clamor over FTTF and have no issues dropping close to that amount per cruise.

[uksimonusa]

Global Entry and TSA Pre-check are different things, but related :)

 

I thought for a while that it was just too much money to spend for a little bit of convenience, but I do travel quite a bit for work. Once I understood that it was $85 every 5 years, it suddenly became "why haven't I done that before!"

 

 

BUT when you have Global Entry, $100 for 5 years, you also get TSA Pre-check, believe me, that extra $15.00 was money well spent coming into the country via ATL last month, Disney style lines for immigration, straight walk through for GE

[srlafleur]

I don't really care if they want to scan my Kindle, but I'll really be p.o.'d if they decide we can't carry electronics on at all! I mean, yeah, I can deal with just bringing old-school magazines and paperbacks, but can you imagine a long flight with kids (and even older) and no access to games, music, movies and all that? :eek:

I also know some business people who would probably stroke out if they couldn't bring their electronics. Isn't that a major complaint - folks who want to use their laptops not having room to work when the person in front of them has reclined their seat? Ugh. Think people are getting ugly now...

[Medtech2]

This may be more fitting in the North American Homeports section, but it applies to three out of the four sub-forums there and I didn't want to post it to all of them. So I thought I'd post it here since I'm familiar with Carnival and it affects airports in three of its home ports. I happened to see this article when I logged in to my AARP Rewards.

 

Airports affected (good or bad) by this new policy where Carnival home ports are located: Fort Lauderdale, Los Angeles, and San Juan.

Boston is the only other city affected that is also a home port to a cruise line.

 

http://travel.aarp.org/articles-tips/articles/info-2017/tsa-security-scans-more-than-laptops.html?cmp=EMC-DSO-NLC-TRVL-TRAVEL--NMCTRL-062017-F1-2212649&ET_CID=2212649&ET_RID=29857815&encparam=6+Zo3r60akHUrH3BEVYl7fzG53yYKadt4zqUnxjyMCQ=

 

 

 

My husband had his backpack stopped after the XRay because he had a large unopened bag of CostcoKirkland trail mix in it and apparently that looked suspicious. Probably muddied up the view...it would have been easier to pre-remove it for inspection so a concise list of what to remove would be helpful...

[coevan]

I don't really care if they want to scan my Kindle, but I'll really be p.o.'d if they decide we can't carry electronics on at all! I mean, yeah, I can deal with just bringing old-school magazines and paperbacks, but can you imagine a long flight with kids (and even older) and no access to games, music, movies and all that? :eek:

I also know some business people who would probably stroke out if they couldn't bring their electronics. Isn't that a major complaint - folks who want to use their laptops not having room to work when the person in front of them has reclined their seat? Ugh. Think people are getting ugly now...

 

 

It won't happen on U.S. domestic flights for all the reasons you mentioned. Airlines would lose a fortune and they know it

[Shaded Lady]

FYI- GOES can be free if you have the right kind of credit card... Amex offers a rebate for the whole $100 if you use their 'elite' card (I don't remember what they call it, I just know I don't have it LOL!) and I heard that Citibank offers a rebate as well. You pay for it and then the next billing cycle they refund the charge.

 

If you're considering the GOES program to get TSA Pre-Check, I'd suggest checking with your various credit card companies- call customer service and ask them if they offer the GOES/TSO Pre-check rebate.

[LibratPDX]

Thank goodness for TSA Pre-check :)

 

I was just thinking the same thing! I was vetted for work so it only took them a week to get me my KTN, I don't ever want to be without it!

[hapster85]

I agree with better safe than sorry.

I feel no more or less safe flying today than I did before 2001. What I do often feel, is annoyed, but I grin and bear it. 😬

[srlafleur]

I don't really care if they want to scan my Kindle, but I'll really be p.o.'d if they decide we can't carry electronics on at all! I mean, yeah, I can deal with just bringing old-school magazines and paperbacks, but can you imagine a long flight with kids (and even older) and no access to games, music, movies and all that? :eek:

I also know some business people who would probably stroke out if they couldn't bring their electronics. Isn't that a major complaint - folks who want to use their laptops not having room to work when the person in front of them has reclined their seat? Ugh. Think people are getting ugly now...

 

It won't happen on U.S. domestic flights for all the reasons you mentioned. Airlines would lose a fortune and they know it

 

Yes, you're probably right, but many of us fly internationally, and those can be some very long flights.

[Sparky2]

Make sure you look into Global Entry, for $100 you get Global Entry and TSA Precheck. They are slowly introducing Global Entry lines at cruise terminals, but for an extra $15 why not?

 

We will probably do that when our TSA Precheck expires in 2 more years.

[Sparky2]

FYI- GOES can be free if you have the right kind of credit card... Amex offers a rebate for the whole $100 if you use their 'elite' card (I don't remember what they call it, I just know I don't have it LOL!) and I heard that Citibank offers a rebate as well. You pay for it and then the next billing cycle they refund the charge.

 

If you're considering the GOES program to get TSA Pre-Check, I'd suggest checking with your various credit card companies- call customer service and ask them if they offer the GOES/TSO Pre-check rebate.

 

I have a Delta AmEX Platinum card. When I checked on the free rebate, it didn't apply to the Delta AmEx card but the card you'd get it free had a $450 annual fee.

[coevan]

This is one reason I ditched AMEX years ago. Many businesses in the Caribbean have stopped accepting AMEX because of their high merchant fees

[Steelers0854]

I have a Delta AmEX Platinum card. When I checked on the free rebate, it didn't apply to the Delta AmEx card but the card you'd get it free had a $450 annual fee.

 

 

 

Check out the Chase Sapphire Reserve. Great point transfer partners, 3 points per dollar on travel and dining out, $100 global entry rebate and $200 a year in travel expense rebates, makes the annual fee $150 with just that one benefit alone. Travel expenses are everything from parking fees to airfare (any airline), hotels etc. plus it has primary rental car coverage.

[Canadian_J]

Make sure you look into Global Entry, for $100 you get Global Entry and TSA Precheck. They are slowly introducing Global Entry lines at cruise terminals, but for an extra $15 why not?

 

I've always wondered the same: why not? Then when chatting with someone in the PreCheck line they mentioned they don't have a passport, so can't do Nexus/Global Entry. As a Canadian, I forget how many Americans don't have passports!

[Jdfireman]

Make sure you look into Global Entry, for $100 you get Global Entry and TSA Precheck. They are slowly introducing Global Entry lines at cruise terminals, but for an extra $15 why not?

 

Already have it great stuff

[hapster85]

I've always wondered the same: why not? Then when chatting with someone in the PreCheck line they mentioned they don't have a passport, so can't do Nexus/Global Entry. As a Canadian, I forget how many Americans don't have passports!

 

I know, right? We can drop a few hundred on a new smartphone every couple of years, but $130 on a passport every 10 is out of the question. Lol