Free TSA PreCheck for Travelers: Travelers who want faster airport security now have some good news. TSA has expanded TSA PreCheck in a new way, and some Americans can now get it for free. The best part is that they can save both time and money when flying. TSA PreCheck lets approved travelers use faster security lanes at many airports, and the lane is usually much easier because people often do not need to take off shoes, belts, light jackets, laptops, or approved liquids. Gold Star families are now part of the group that can get this benefit at no cost.
Gold Star families are the relatives of U.S. military service members who died while serving the country. TSA and the Department of Homeland Security announced the change to honor military families. The program already helped active-duty service members, National Guard members, reservists, and many other military personnel through Department of Defense ID information. Now that free access is being widened even more.
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Veterans can also get help
There is another travel benefit too. Under the VETS Safe Travel Act, some veterans with serious service-connected disabilities may also enroll in TSA PreCheck for free. VA says this applies to veterans who are enrolled in VA health care and who have qualifying disabilities such as permanent blindness, loss of a limb, loss of use of a limb, full paralysis, or partial paralysis, and who need a VA-issued wheelchair or prosthetic limb because of that disability.
Veterans still need to go through the normal security checks. That means they must meet TSA’s background check and other standard rules. VA says approval is not automatic, and some applications can be denied if information is wrong or if there are security or criminal issues.
How to use?
To use the fee waiver, eligible veterans must download the TSA PreCheck application fee waiver letter from their VA account and show it during enrollment with an approved provider.
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TSA PreCheck Benefits
For many people, TSA PreCheck is not just a nice extra. It can make a big difference at busy airports. TSA says most PreCheck passengers wait less than 10 minutes at checkpoints, even during crowded travel periods. That matters most when airports are packed in summer and around holidays. TSA also says the program now serves millions of travelers at more than 200 U.S. airports and works with dozens of airlines.
TSA says it is preparing to screen nearly 18.7 million air travelers from Tuesday, June 30, through Monday, July 6, and it expects more than 3 million on Thursday, July 2. In the middle of that heavy travel rush, the agency said: “The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is honored to play a role in helping travelers reach their destinations to celebrate our nation’s 250th anniversary of independence.”
