You can now pay less for TSA PreCheck. What are the perks?

Eric Risberg/AP

Travelers can pay less for the perk of expedited security screening ahead of what’s expected to be a hectic holiday travel season.

The Transportation Security Administration is lowering the TSA PreCheck enrollment and in-person renewal fee from $85 to $78, the federal agency announced in a Nov. 4 news release.

The price to renew online will remain $70, officials said.

It usually takes 3 to 5 days to receive a Known Traveler Number, which secures your enrollment in the program. Some applications may take up to 60 days, according to the TSA website.

Those who enroll get a five-year membership with the federal program, which offers “low-risk” travelers expedited security screening at the airport, according to the TSA. The agency said 93% of TSA PreCheck passengers waited fewer than 5 minutes in security lines at airports nationwide in September.

Other perks include:

  • Faster moving lanes

  • Less physical contact

  • No need to remove shoes, jackets, belts and other accessories

  • Electronics and 3-1-1-compliant liquids can remain in carry-on bags

More than 10 million people have TSA PreCheck, the agency said.

Demand for travel surged this summer, and experts predict even more people will travel this holiday season, HuffPost reported.

“While I still think 2022 holiday season travel numbers will lag behind 2019, they will be well above 2021 and 2020 totals,” Phil Dengler, co-founder of The Vacationer, told the news outlet. “On most days, TSA checkpoint numbers are only slightly behind the equivalent day from 2019.”

A recent survey by PricewaterhouseCoopers also found that 47% of Americans plan to travel for the holidays despite COVID concerns and rising costs. Of those travelers, 46% said they plan to fly – a 40% increase from last year.

For more information on TSA PreCheck, visit the TSA’s website.

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