The Transportation Security Administration has announced an expansion of TSA PreCheck access just as the busy summer travel season is about to kick off.
The agency said Monday that teenagers from 13 to 17 may accompany parents or guardians who are enrolled in PreCheck through security screening when they are traveling on the same reservation and when the PreCheck designation is shown on the teen’s boarding pass. Children 12 and younger had already been allowed to accompany adults without restriction and that policy remains in place.
See the full policy here.
TSA Administrator David Pekoske said Monday that the agency is prepared for this summer, touting better staffing levels than last year and higher pay for screening officers.
The agency has recently deployed new Credential Authentication Technology that allows officers to verify flyers’ identification documents without a boarding pass. So far, 2,054 CAT units have been deployed to 223 airports.
New carry-on screening technology is also being rolled out in airports. Computed Tomography (CT) allows officers to review a 3D image of a bag, cutting down on physical searches. The new technology also means passengers in CT lanes won’t have to remove liquids or laptops from their bags. TSA has deployed 678 CT units to 218 US airports.