Many of us have TSA PreCheck thanks to a free benefit offered by credit cards to sign up for Global Entry. Thanks to this benefit, the Michael W Travels family are all enrolled.
Recently there’s been a couple of new ways to get TSA PreCheck for free. JetBlue gave Mosaic members TSA PreCheck enrollment vouchers. Another way to get the service for free is by redeeming Southwest points for a code.
If you apply for TSA PreCheck it will cost you $85. The membership lasts for 5 years so if you travel a bit you’re looking at $17 per year.
Once you apply online, you then need to schedule an appointment to go in-person to do a background check and fingerprinting. TSA.gov says that the appointment only takes 10 minutes.
T+L says that “One of the toughest—or at least most tedious—parts about obtaining TSA Precheck status is getting to the airport and enrolling“.
The amount of enrollment centers are limited so “if you don’t live in the vicinity of one of these places, you’ll have to plan it into one of your trips to a participating travel hubs“.
That sounds like a real pain but the TSA is trying to help with the problem over the summer by running 13 pop-up enrollment centers over the summer.
Here are the dates, locations of the pop-up centers: (from IdentoGO)
- July 11 – 29 | New York | Penn Station – United Airlines Storefront
- July 12 – 16 | New York | Hilton NY JFK Airport
- July 12 – 16 | New York | Newark Airport Marriott
- July 19 – 23 | Dallas | DFW Airport Marriott South
- July 19 – 23 | Miami | Hilton Miami Airport
- July 26 – 30 | Chicago | Hyatt Place Midway
- July 26 – 30 | Orlando | Hampton Inn Orlando Airport
- Aug. 2 – 6 | Los Angeles | Los Angeles Airport Marriott
- Aug. 2 – 6 | Denver | Hyatt Place Cherry Creek
- Aug. 9 – 13 | Seattle | Seattle Airport Marriott
- Aug. 9 – 13 | Las Vegas | DoubleTree Hilton Las Vegas Airport
- Aug. 16 – 20 | Atlanta | Courtyard Atlanta Airport South
- Aug. 16 – 20 | Boston | Boston Marriott Copley Place
- Aug. 23 – 27 | Minneapolis | Hilton Minneapolis Airport Mall of America
- Aug. 23 – 27 | Houston | Houston Airport Marriott at George Bush Intercontinental
Online appointments are available three weeks before each pop-up enrollment center opens.
Find out more about the TSA PreCheck pop-up enrollment centers here.
Jim- That’s a great question. You should send a message to the TSA through Facebook Messenger. I wrote a post about it which you can check out. I don’t think the pop-up is also for Global Entry. You can call (855) 347-8371 to double-check.
I have PreCheck due to my Global Entry membership. IMO you should’ve applied for Global Entry which would’ve then got you Pre.
Two questions: I’ve already applied for TSA PreCheck and Global Entry. I’ve been approved with an appointment not until Oct 18 here in Denver. Can I go to the Pop Up and complete the process there here in Denver during the time its open? Also are these Pop-up locations handling Global Entry too?