Have you stood in line for what seems like forever at an Austin-Bergstrom International Airport security checkpoint? The airport is making it easier to sign up for a faster way to pass through security.
Tech company IDEMIA just rolled out an initiative that offers onsite TSA PreCheck enrollment for departing passengers without the need to schedule an appointment.
The airport says TSA PreCheck enrollment takes five minutes or less. During enrollment, a passenger must supply a government-issued photo ID, proof of U.S. citizenship, and fingerprints. Most passengers will receive their Known Identity Number, which enables someone to go through TSA PreCheck, within three to five days.
TSA PreCheck is designed to speed up the security process for low-risk passengers. Airports with TSA PreCheck set up special lanes for passengers who have a Known Identity Number.
The onsite enrollment service “has proven popular with travelers at the airports where we have deployed this new option, and now those through Austin can take advantage of this new convenient service,” says Donnie Scott, CEO of IDEMIA I&S North America.
The service kicked off June 23 in Austin. IDEMIA’s TSA PreCheck enrollment “ambassadors” are stationed just past airport security checkpoints in easy-to-spot uniforms and with specially equipped carts to enroll passengers.
“As our airport welcomes more travelers this year than ever in our history, increasing access to TSA PreCheck gives AUS travelers more options for an easier experience,” says Jacqueline Yaft, the airport’s CEO. “We have been working hard with our TSA partners to improve passenger processing, and look forward to our continued partnership and shared goal of delivering an excellent airport journey.”
AUS is expected to welcome a record-breaking 22 million passengers this year.
Gilbert Almaraz, TSA’s federal security director in Texas, says 94 percent of TSA PreCheck passengers waited less than five minutes last month in lines at airport security checkpoints. TSA PreCheck passengers aren’t required to take off their shoes and belts, and they can leave TSA-compliant liquids and laptops in their bags.
TSA PreCheck costs $85 for a five-year period.
