Nobody fancies airport delays, especially when it involves emptying your bag or taking off your shoes or belt for security checks. Security check-in lines can be a while, and finding ways to reduce the security process and save time is one way to go around it. And it’s why many people don’t mind paying good money for a TSA PreCheck membership.
People also opt for TSA PreCheck to get an exclusive security lane at the airport, which is often shorter than the regular one. While this sounds great, things can still go awry, which may deny you all that. Your TSA PreCheck status may not be on your boarding pass and a few things can be a reason for that. Lucky for you, it’s nothing you can’t fix.
Let’s find out how!
Why Your TSA PreCheck Status Isn’t On Your Boarding Pass
As a trusted traveler program, TSA PreCheck is quite popular. After a series of processes, you can get your Known Traveler Number (KTN) which saves you time at the airport and sometimes prevents you from the rigorous security checks when checking in.
The good thing is that a TSA PreCheck membership can last for five years before you need to renew, so that is money well spent. However, the sad part is TSA PreCheck isn’t a guaranteed service, as mistakes and glitches can happen. Often, they’re avoidable and can be easily remedied.
Here are reasons your TSA PreCheck status isn’t on your boarding pass:
● Your KTN wasn’t included during the flight reservation
One of the reasons your TSA PreCheck may not be on your boarding pass is that your airline didn’t receive your known traveler number (KTN) when booking. In some cases, some airlines may not ask you to input your KTN when buying a ticket. In some other cases, an error may prevent the KTN from transferring from your frequent flyer profile to the flight reservation.
If you can input your KTN when making your first reservation, the airline will probably document it, so it fills automatically the next time you want to book. However, you must always input your KTN for every airline you book for the first time.
● Name irregularities on your ID and boarding pass
Another reason TSA PreCheck may not appear on your boarding pass is if there’s a discrepancy between your ID and boarding pass. Name irregularities during booking or TSA PreCheck could be due to different reasons. For example, if you recently got married and didn’t change your name, this could cause an issue with your TSA PreCheck.
Also, if you misspell your name, omit your middle name, or abbreviate it during booking, your boarding pass may not carry TSA PreCheck. Therefore, booking your flights yourself and crosschecking details before booking is often best.
● If the airline doesn’t participate in TSA PreCheck
Not all airlines participate in TSA PreCheck. Also, booking a flight from a nonparticipating airline on a participating airline may prevent the TSA PreCheck on your boarding pass. While nonparticipating airlines are dwindling, you should consider confirming whether your chosen airline does before booking your flight.
● Expired TSA PreCheck Status
TSA PreCheck memberships usually last five years, which seems long. However, time flies, and losing track of your TSA PreCheck membership is easy. You may not notice your membership expire until you book a flight and realize that the TSA PreCheck isn’t on your boarding pass.
Before panicking, ensure you double-check your membership status. You shouldn’t panic, as you can always renew your membership when you pay the fee and enjoy your trusted traveler program benefits.
● You didn’t attach your KTN to your airline account
Your boarding pass may not have TSA PreCheck if your frequent airline doesn’t list your KTN. While you might have entered it the first time you traveled with the airline, you should always double-check your frequent flyer airline profile to confirm that your KTN is populated to the right fields in your account.
Always check it early enough so you can easily remedy it in time to reprint your boarding pass, which will now carry the TSA PreCheck.
● Traveling with an infant
Sometimes, your boarding pass may not have TSA PreCheck if you’re traveling with an infant. Therefore, you shouldn’t panic if your boarding pass doesn’t have it when traveling with an infant. Instead, you can speak to TSA support or the airline’s front desk.
● If the TSA PreCheck lanes aren’t open
If the lanes aren’t open, you may not get a TSA PreCheck on your boarding pass. Note that the TSA PreCheck lanes aren’t open 24/7, and the opening and closing time varies at different airlines. Booking your flight at an oddball flight time may result in arriving at an unmanned lane.
However, you can show your TSA PreCheck boarding pass at the airport to receive expedited screening in a standard lane if the designated lane isn’t available. You can also confirm when the TSA PreCheck lanes will be available at your airport.
● Your kid is 12+ years old
If you have a 12-year-old kid or older who you’re traveling with, don’t be surprised if they don’t get a TSA PreCheck boarding pass like you. You should know that kids who are 12 years and above need their own TSA PreCheck membership to get through the lane with you.
● You have the “SSSS” on your boarding pass
If you’ve got the dreaded SSSS on your boarding pass, you can’t get the TSA PreCheck. Having SSSS on your boarding pass causes some travelers to worry, as it’s not really a good sign. The SSSS signifies Secondary Security Screening Selection. This is a security measure placed on certain travelers for additional inspection.
The sad part is it’s done randomly, and why this may appear on your boarding part is a mystery, though some people have certain theories regarding that. With SSSS on your boarding pass, you’ll experience thorough inspection from TSA agents, so you better be patient.
● Random selection for extra screening
The TSA doesn’t guarantee that all TSA PreCheck members will always receive the PreCheck every time they travel. Often, they take extra security precautions. Sometimes, this results in random selection for extra screening at the airport. Therefore, this might be a reason you don’t have the PreCheck on your boarding pass.
6 Things To Do If Your TSA PreCheck Status Isn’t On Your Boarding Pass
TSA PreCheck doesn’t always guarantee expedited screening. Meaning you could have the membership and not the PreCheck on your boarding pass. On the other hand, it could be due to an error on your side through missed expired memberships and irregularities during booking.
Thankfully, most situations can be easily remedied, and you can check in through the TSA PreCheck lanes. It’s also important to fix such situations quickly and not too close to your flight; otherwise, you may have to travel without the PreCheck.
Here are the things to do if your TSA PreCheck status isn’t on your boarding pass:
1. Check your membership status
The first thing you might want to do if the TSA PreCheck isn’t on your boarding pass is to check your membership status on the TSA website. The membership expires in five years, and you might’ve lost track of the last time you renewed it. Therefore, you should confirm your membership status instead of getting angry or taking it up with the airline.
It might not be too late to renew your membership and get the PreCheck on your boarding pass. However, on the other hand, you can go through the regular check-in lines for your flight and sort out your membership after your flight.
2. Rectify from the airline’s website
Another thing to do if the TSA PreCheck is not on your boarding pass is to rectify it from the airline’s website. The airline may have missed it when you were booking, or you may have omitted that during reservations. If you are still away from the airport, you can check the airline’s website, enter your KTN and reprint your boarding pass.
However, this will only work if your flight time is not too close. If that does not work, you can always try other solutions that will enable you to catch up with your flight.
3. Speak to the airline’s desk agent
Of course, the first thing to do is to check your membership status. It may be on the airline if you have confirmed that your membership has not expired. Noticing that you don’t have the PreCheck on your boarding pass after arriving at the airport can be disappointing but can be rectified by the airline. However, first, check if you can reprint a boarding pass with the TSA PreCheck.
If this doesn’t work, speak to the airline’s desk agent. Ask them to add your Known Traveler Number (KTN) for you and reprint your pass. This might take a few minutes, so you should be patient.
4. Try to rectify the situation over the phone
Another thing to do if the PreCheck status isn’t on your boarding pass is to rectify the situation over the phone. You don’t have to go to the airport or wait till your flight is near before fixing it. This is a good solution if your flight isn’t near or you don’t know what to do.
Call your airline and talk to them about the missing TSA PreCheck on your boarding pass. They’ll fix it on their end, and you can reprint your boarding pass. You can also use social media to reach out to the airline or TSA. They’ll respond, and you can fix the missing PreCheck situation.
5. Add your TSA PreCheck number to the airline’s website
Another option to try if you’re in this situation is to enter your TSA PreCheck number into the airline’s website. Of course, it’s important that you do this the first time booking with the airline and confirm from time to time that they still have it right. Add your number to your profile on the airline’s website.
Then, recheck in via the airline’s website or mobile app, refresh your digital dashboard, or reprint your pass at one of the kiosks at the airport. Always check your dashboard on the airline’s website when booking to confirm that your number is still updated.
6. Reach out to the TSA’s help desk
You may not have the time to input your number on an airline’s website or not be at the airport yet for your flight. Something you can try if your PreCheck status is not on your boarding pass is to reach out to the TSA help desk.
Suppose after checking your reservation and confirming your Known Traveler Number (KTN), date of birth, and name that your membership is still valid but your pass is still missing the TSA PreCheck. You can submit an online form on the TSA website asking them to look into why your boarding pass doesn’t have the PreCheck.
Normally, the TSA asks regular flyers to complete and submit the form three days before they travel to give them enough time to troubleshoot the situation. However, this can be challenging since you can’t check in online for more than 24 hours before your flight.
In that case, you can contact them through Facebook or Twitter for a more timely solution.
Wrapping up
Having a TSA PreCheck status isn’t a given for expedited screening at the airport, and sometimes it may not appear on your boarding pass. This can happen due to various avoidable reasons. However, it’s nothing to worry about, and you can easily fix it in time for your flight. The simplest way is to ask the airline through a phone call or from the help desk but ensure your TSA PreCheck membership is still valid. However, the best thing to do when booking is to always confirm your details and input your KTN, birth date, and name spellings correctly to avoid issues. You should also confirm the validity of your membership