According to the Anchorage Daily News and just in time for the holiday travel season, federal authorities announced Tuesday that a new, speedy TSA security line will open at Ted Stevens International Airport.
PreCheck lines, which will accommodate rapid passage for travelers who have a secret code printed on their boarding pass, reportedly move much quicker than regular lines. The lines do not require travelers to remove shoes and jackets, and allow them to keep laptops and liquids stowed within their carry-ons. But there's a catch.
According to the ADN, the program's "rules are secret, with to no obvious means of appeal."
TSA spokeswoman Lorie Dankers told the ADN that there are only two ways passengers can join the program.
The first is by invitation from a TSA authorized U.S. airline, of which there are only five: Delta, American, United, USAirways and Alaska Airlines. (On the upside, all five airlines serve Anchorage. On the downside, passengers are only invited into the program if they're TSA- and airline-identified as a "frequent flyer.") The second way to join is through application with one of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection's Trusted Traveler programs. Neither of the options seem particularly convenient.
Anchorage's Ted Stevens International Airport is the 33rd airport in the nation to institute TSA's "PreCheck" program.
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