Travel Advice: Streamlining Security Lines And Other Travel Advice

Air Date:
Heard On The Larry Meiller Show

Larry Meiller learns seven ways to get through security faster, and how what you don’t know about air travel can hurt you this summer. Plus, advice for your upcoming trips as well!

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  • Reduce Airport Stress By Signing Up For Security Prescreening, Says Travel Expert

    One of the most frustrating parts about air travel is getting through the security checkpoints. But as one travel expert points out, their are programs that can get people through checkpoints faster.

    Rick Seaney, the CEO and Co-Founder of FareCompare.com, said both the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) offer such programs. For example, the TSA offers a program called Pre-Check. By going through an interview and paying $85 for a five-year pass, a frequent traveler can opt for a screening process that is less onerous, similar to how things used to operate before Sept. 11, 2001.

    The cost is low for the level of convenience that the TSA offers, Seaney said.

    “Your shoes stay on. Your liquids stay in the bag. Your computer stays in the bag. You go through a metal detector instead of a body scanner,” he said.

    While Pre-Check is a good option for domestic fliers, Seaney said that international travelers should consider the CBP’s Global Entry program. Enrollment is $100 for five years of coverage, but added benefits come with the slightly higher price tag: Seaney said that when travelers with Global Entry come back to the U.S., they “get to bypass the long lines at immigrations and customs.”

    He estimated that in the 18 months that he has had Global Entry, it’s saved him 20 to 30 hours in airports.

    An alternative is for travelers to gamble on getting randomly assigned to a TSA pre-screen line, but that outcome can’t be counted on. Moreover, while minors can join a person they’re traveling with in a pre-screen line assignment, other adults in a group aren’t guaranteed that “upgrade.”

    Regardless of what a passenger chooses, said Seaney, possibly the most important thing to do before embarking on a trip is to get updated on TSA rules.

    “A lot of people only travel once or twice a year, and the rules do change from time to time,” he said. “You need to be aware of those rule changes.”

    For more tips on getting through security quickly and efficiently, read Seaney’s article “7 Ways to Get Through Security Faster.”

Episode Credits

  • Larry Meiller Host
  • Judith Siers-Poisson Producer
  • Rick Seaney Guest