TSA PreCheck – the trusted traveler program that gets you into a faster security lane and allows you to leave your belt and shoes on and keep electronics and liquids in your bag – has expanded to even more airlines, including some notable carriers flying across both oceans.
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced Monday that it added four more international carriers to the roster of airlines participating in TSA PreCheck. That includes:
- Irish flag carrier Aer Lingus has made a name for itself with cheap transatlantic fares flying to Dublin (DUB) from more than a dozen U.S. cities, including new routes from Minneapolis (MSP) and Denver (DEN) plus a free stopover program, allowing flyers to stop in Dublin for up to seven days on their way to (or back from) elsewhere in Europe.
- Air New Zealand offers nonstop flights from several U.S. cities including Los Angeles (LAX), San Francisco (SFO), Houston (IAH), and New York (JFK) to Auckland (AKL) and beyond to other destinations in the South Pacific, with easy connections throughout the U.S. thanks to its Star Alliance partner United.
- Ethiopian Airlines offers nonstop flights from Chicago (ORD), Washington, D.C. (IAD), Newark (EWR), and New York (JFK) and Atlanta (ATL) to the West African nation, with short intra-Africa connections throughout the continent via its partner airlines.
- Saudia, formerly known as Saudi Arabian Airlines, flies between several U.S. cities and Saudi Arabia.
Travelers booked with these airlines need only add their Known Traveler Number (KTN) to their reservations to get into PreCheck lines before a flight. And that's the rub with PreCheck: Just because you've paid to sign up doesn't mean you'll always get PreCheck at the airport – your airline has to participate in the program.
Read next: Why TSA PreCheck Isn't Showing Up on Your Boarding Pass
Fortunately, the number of PreCheck-approved airlines has grown to nearly 100, including all the major (and many minor) domestic airlines. So do most big foreign carriers, including other recent additions like Iberia, Air Tahiti Nui, and more.
With Aer Lingus and Air New Zealand joining the fold, there aren't many glaring omissions that don't participate in PreCheck. A few notable exceptions include European budget carrier PLAY Airlines, EgyptAir, and major Chinese airlines China Eastern and China Southern.
Your first time using PreCheck, you’ll wonder why you didn’t join the program sooner.
It means you can hop in the TSA PreCheck lanes, which means lines are generally much shorter than the standard screening lines. And once you're in it, there's no need to remove your coat, shoes, or belt, nor do you need to remove electronics or liquids from your bag. That means the line often moves much faster, too.
It's gotten even cheaper and easier to sign up for PreCheck, too. After a price decrease a few years ago, it now costs just $78 for a five-year membership – and that membership allows any teens and kids to accompany their parents or guardians in the PreCheck lanes. Better yet, a growing number of travel credit cards will cover the entire cost of either TSA PreCheck (or Global Entry).
The PreCheck enrollment process includes an online application and scheduling an in-person interview.
Read next: Friends or Family Don’t Have TSA PreCheck? Here’s What to Do
Bottom Line
Aer Lingus, Air New Zealand, Ethiopian Airlines, and Saudia are the latest airlines to join TSA PreCheck, bringing the number of airlines participating in the trusted traveler program north of 100.
At this point, there aren't many major international airlines that don't let you use PreCheck.