TSA PreCheck adds 4 international carriers to program

Passengers flying with Air Europa, ITA Airways, Flair Airlines or Volaris El Salvador will no longer have to wait in long lines during security clearance at some U.S. airports.

The Transportation Security Administration’s TSA PreCheck expedited screening program will now include these four international carriers, the agency announced in a press release on Wednesday.

With this expansion, customers of Air Europa (Spain’s third-largest airline), ITA Airways (an Italian airline owned by the country’s Ministry of Economy and Finance), Flair Airlines and Volaris El Salvador (two low-cost carriers based in Canada and El Salvador, respectively) can now use TSA PreCheck for flights departing the U.S.

Related: What to do if a boarding pass isn’t marked TSA PreCheck

TSA PreCheck is currently available at 200 airports in the U.S. and now includes 87 airlines.

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Passengers who are U.S. citizens can apply for a five-year TSA PreCheck membership, which costs $85 per person. TSA PreCheck can be renewed six months before the membership expires, and renewals cost $70 for an additional five years. Members of other traveler programs like Global Entry also qualify for TSA PreCheck.

Related: The definitive guide to all airlines offering TSA PreCheck

While you can pay outright for your membership, know that there is a way to avoid out-of-pocket costs for the program. Certain credit cards offer credit card statement credits that cover the application fees for programs like TSA PreCheck, so you’ll be reimbursed when you enroll in and renew qualifying memberships.

Regardless of how you pay, once your application is approved, you’ll be issued a Known Traveler Number that designates your eligibility for TSA PreCheck. The KTN can then be applied to flight bookings for participating carriers at select airports, allowing you to skip long security lines.

A long line stretches into the shopping and dining corridor from the west TSA checkpoint at Orlando International Airport (MCO) on Thursday, April 15, 2021. JOE BURBANK/ORLANDO SENTINEL/TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE/GETTY IMAGES

As travel experienced a major resurgence this past year, TSA PreCheck has become an increasingly popular option for travelers. Since the pandemic, the TSA has seen an uptick in TSA PreCheck enrollments, with the number of total members increasing from 18.9 million in 2019 to 27.4 million in 2022.

Despite this spike, TSA PreCheck members still face short waits in security lines on average. Roughly 95% of TSA PreCheck members waited less than five minutes to pass through security in August 2022, according to the TSA.

Related: 12 key things to know about TSA PreCheck

Although there are some airlines that do not participate in TSA PreCheck, in the past year, the program has added a number of carriers. In addition to this latest international expansion, TSA PreCheck has grown to encompass airlines like Advanced Airlines and Eurowings Discover, plus Viva Air Colombia and Breeze Airways.

The agency also added its first international TSA PreCheck location at Nassau, Bahamas’ Lynden Pindling International Airport (NAS) in March.

Featured photo by Patrick T. Fallon/Bloomberg/Getty Images.