'Registered Traveler' Program

[Steff]

 

WASHINGTON - The government wants to offer airline passengers the chance to avoid extra security checks.

 

The Transportation Security Administration plans to make a "registered traveler" program available nationwide, agency chief Kip Hawley said Thursday in prepared testimony to Congress. The initial rollout is scheduled for June 20.

 

The program, which was tested at five airports, allows people to avoid random pat-downs if they pay a fee, clear a voluntary background check and provide some form of biometric identification, like a fingerprint. It's designed to let people who travel often avoid delays and to free up screeners to focus on other travelers.

 

"We believe that a nationwide registered traveler program can provide expedited screening for many travelers and enhance aviation security as well," Hawley told the House Homeland Security subcommittee on economic security.

 

Hawley said the TSA is considering adding benefits to the program, such as letting registered travelers keep their shoes and their jackets on, or setting up special screening lanes.

 

The government will conduct the background checks but Hawley said the plan is to use private companies to enroll travelers, issue ID cards that would be shown at airports and promote the program.

 

In January, the TSA plans to issue guidance on collecting and storing biometric data and to unveil an appeals process for people who are rejected as registered travelers.

 

The registered traveler concept is not embraced by everyone. Some security experts say it's a way for terrorists to find out if they're on government watch lists. The American Civil Liberties Union said it forces passengers to pay for convenience and give the government access to their personal information.

 

"Those who don't want to give up this information — or who can't afford the costs — will have to deal with other airport screening lines growing exponentially longer," ACLU legislative counsel Timothy Sparapani said. "This isn't a choice any traveler should be forced to make."

 

The pilot program began more than a year ago at five airports and ended Sept. 30. The program is being continued, though, at Orlando International Airport by a private company, Verified Identity Pass Inc., which is headed by Court TV founder Steven Brill.

 

Brill told the subcommittee that 10,000 frequent travelers paid $79.95 each to join the program. Their average wait was 4 seconds, while the average for regular screening lines was 4 minutes, 16 seconds. Perhaps more important, their average maximum wait time was 3 minutes, significantly less than the maximum wait time of 31 minutes, 48 seconds for regular lines.

[Balta1701]

$80? Christ almighty, not worth that to me.

[Soxy]

Would I not have to take off my shoes? Because I hate doing that.

[sox4lifeinPA]

where exactly would the 666 mark be tattoed on my body?

[Texsox]

When I was travelling weekly, I would have paid it, without hesitation.

[NUKE_CLEVELAND]

I find it funny but people who cry the most about security lines at the airport are typically the same ones who arrive at the airport right about the time their flight starts boarding. Like the one knucklehead in the Tucson Airport I ran into when I flew to Washington last month. He comes running up to the checkpoint line all in a huff saying "I cant believe this!!" I asked him what time his flight left and he goes "in 30 minutes". It took all the patience I could muster to keep from yelling out "DUMBASS!" right there in front of everyone.

[Texsox]

I find it funny but people who cry the most about security lines at the airport are typically the same ones who arrive at the airport right about the time their flight starts boarding.  Like the one knucklehead in the Tucson Airport I ran into when I flew to Washington last month.  He comes running up to the checkpoint line all in a huff saying "I cant believe this!!"  I asked him what time his flight left and he goes "in 30 minutes".  It took all the patience I could muster to keep from yelling out "DUMBASS!" right there in front of everyone.

 

I was thisclose to missing a connecting in Dallas last month. Damn travel agent only gave me 47 minutes between flights and I was transfering between American and Delta. Had to go the length of one terminal, grab a shuttle bus, and get over to the other.

[DBAHO]

Would I not have to take off my shoes? Because I hate doing that.

My Dad was checked everytime he was in an airport in Phoenix, put simply because he wasn't an American. When it happened to me, I couldn't care less really, because they're just doing their jobs. But about the 5th time my Dad was checked, and they forced him to open his new Guitar and they broke his sunnies, well let's just say he wasn't too happy at all.

 

Also, during the 9/11 anniversary this year, when my parents were in New York, they flew in, and they said security wasn't very tight at all, not compared to airports like Sky Harbor and LAX.

[Soxy]

I was thisclose to missing a connecting in Dallas last month. Damn travel agent only gave me 47 minutes between flights and I was transfering between American and Delta.  Had to go the length of one terminal, grab a shuttle bus, and get over to the other.

Did you have to re-go through security? I seem to remember Dallas as being a craptastic airport.

[NUKE_CLEVELAND]

I was thisclose to missing a connecting in Dallas last month. Damn travel agent only gave me 47 minutes between flights and I was transfering between American and Delta.  Had to go the length of one terminal, grab a shuttle bus, and get over to the other.

 

 

You couldn't take the train that they have? I had about as much time between flights last time I went through there and I made it with about 15 mins to spare before they boarded my section.

 

 

I feel the pain of connection crunch times but typically they dont have to clear security a second time. My comments were focused on people who want to leave the house late and not allow enough time to get checked in and get past security. There are tons of them to go around.

Edited November 4, 2005 by NUKE_CLEVELAND

[southsideirish71]

My Dad was checked everytime he was in an airport in Phoenix, put simply because he wasn't an American. When it happened to me, I couldn't care less really, because they're just doing their jobs. But about the 5th time my Dad was checked, and they forced him to open his new Guitar and they broke his sunnies, well let's just say he wasn't too happy at all. 

 

Also, during the 9/11 anniversary this year, when my parents were in New York, they flew in, and they said security wasn't very tight at all, not compared to airports like Sky Harbor and LAX.

 

 

I get searched everytime I go through Skyharbor for ST or LaGuardia for work. Its was a running joke that we needed to get to LaGuardia at least an hour extra because I needed to get my bags and everything searched.

[kapkomet]

They just got the train running two months ago - the old one was broken down and they were using shuttles for a while.

 

The new train you can get through the whole airport in less then 15 minutes now - and for anyone that's been here Dallas is a HUMONGOUS airport, so less then 15 mins. for this place is pretty damn good.

 

I miss working out at the airport. That was fun.