Should You Ditch Your Companion at TSA if You Have PreCheck and They Don't? A Travel Expert Answers

Would you say goodbye to your travel partner at airport security to enjoy the luxury of TSA PreCheck?

It’s a divisive question for the efficiency-obsessed traveler. On the one hand, you get a hassle-free security experience, but on the other, you may end up causing a rift with your fellow passenger after chasing them away in perhaps the most chaotic part of the airport.

The Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) PreCheck status speeds up the screening process, making it easier for travelers to get through the security routine in just minutes. PreCheck users can also skip some of the hassles of the regular security line, such as removing shoes and removing laptops from bags.

Although PreCheck has been around since 2013 and is offered at more than 200 airports in the United States, it requires an application process and fee that puts off some fliers.

But is it actually rude to leave your partner if you have PreCheck and they don’t? PEOPLE spoke with travel consultant Nicole Campoy Jackson of Fora Travel for the answer.

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TSA PreCheck sign. Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty

According to Jackson, ditching your travel partner or group to use the PreCheck line really comes down to “getting to know your audience.”

“If you’re traveling for work and one or some of you have PreCheck and the others don’t, go ahead. There is no need to wait in line unnecessarily,” she explains.

On the other hand, “If you’re a honeymooning couple, leaving your loved one safe may not be the best start.”

She adds that if you’re the one traveling without PreCheck, you need to “introduce yourself” and talk about how you’re a concerned traveler who’d rather be company during the sometimes stressful security process, if that’s the case.

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However, it gets a little more complicated when you’re traveling as a family.

According to the TSA’s official website, children 12 years of age or younger are allowed to accompany an enrolled parent or guardian with PreCheck “without restriction.” Children ages 13 to 17 can also join their parents as long as they have a TSA PreCheck indicator on their boarding pass.

“Multigenerational travelers can debate — grandparents have PreCheck? Great, let them go,” Jackson says, adding the caveat that you shouldn’t “make grandparents walk your kids through insurance without you unless you’re sure everyone can handle it.”

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People are waiting in line at the airport.

izuzek/Getty

While it would be completely unacceptable to leave a partner on insurance, Jackson mentions any situation where someone needs help with the process.

Some examples he gives include, if someone “can’t easily lift that carry-on bag on their own, they’re a very nervous or less experienced flyer and need your support.” Leaving a “spouse alone with small children or an elderly parent who is getting slower these days” is also not for Jackson.

She adds that it’s only acceptable to “decline” if your traveling partner is “fully capable” of going through the line on their own.

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Elijah Nouvelage/Bloomberg via Getty

“I think you can push back once and say ‘please, let me keep the laptop in my bag, I’m begging you.’ But if they insist, then I would suggest that you respect that they want or need you this time for whatever reason,” she explains.

If a PreCheck passenger does decide to leave their partner after being asked not to, Jackson says their companion then has “every right” to be angry. However, they shouldn’t let it spoil their trip.

“It’s a safety line, it’s not meant to be fun, bonding or memorable. If you’re the one left behind and you feel your partner needs to fix it, I recommend making him jump in line at Starbucks with all his ‘extra time’ and make sure he gets your order right,” she jokes. .

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Asked if PreCheck is worth it to regular travelers, Jackson says, “A thousand times yes. If everyone in your group has it, then this conversation (and any potential drama) is a moot point.”

The application process can be started online and costs $78 for a five-year enrollment. After that, it will be an additional $70 for an online renewal or $78 for an in-person renewal. At the check-in point, passengers are expected to have their fingerprints taken and present the necessary documents, photos and payment.

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Source: HIS Education