Birbla

Join the discussion

Write your take first — we'll ask for email only when you're ready to publish.

Sign in
  • Hacker News
  • Instead of rolling back the ineffective and draconian security measures to pre-2001, they simply decided to monetize it. That tracks for this administration.
    by Mobius01
  • We don’t live in a pre-9/11 world. There’s no going back to that. If well implemented This seems a reasonable compromise.
    by adjejmxbdjdn
  • It's free?
    by geetee
  • It was monetized quite a while back.
    by cryptonector
  • How, exactly, is it this administration's fault? They didn't create Precheck (which dates back to the Obama admin iirc), and this new facet of Precheck is explicitly stated to not cost extra. So I don't see how you can possibly blame the current administration for monetizing the security regime. At most they are continuing a bad policy that others started.

    And to be clear, I think that Precheck is a stupid-ass program. If the security measures are truly necessary, then you shouldn't exempt anyone from them. And if they aren't necessary, then they should be abolished. Precheck always struck me as a tacit admission that the TSA is security theater while trying to make some extra money for the government. But again, that isn't some kind of sin unique to the Trump admin the way you implied.

    by bigstrat2003
  • This new service is provided free to people who already have TSA Precheck. What I would like to know is if it's also available to those who have Global Entry. I let my TSA Precheck lapse after getting Global Entry because I saw no benefit to keeping it.
    by anonymousiam
  • You have to book it ahead of time?! What goober designed a system like this?
    by wilburx3
  • I imagine lack of a same day booking option makes this a nonstarter for most
    by samename
  • Getting back to some of what we had before [redacted] came to America.
    by zulux
  • This is funny to see because this is exactly how it was before 9/11.
    by satvikpendem
  • It's still worse; back then you didn't need to register at least a day in advance, and you didn't need a KTN.
    by kelnos
  • TUL (and probably plenty others) has free visitor passes, no precheck required
    by chrishas35
  • This is great.

    But airports are super busy and crowded these days. Imagine all the extra people if everyone took advantage of this

    I don’t remember how it looked back in the day when you didn’t need Gateside.

    by firesteelrain
  • It's obnoxious enough to go through security and meet someone at their gate that for major airports, it was only done for picking up kids or old folks. It's not going to move the needle on how crowded it feels.

    for smaller airports, it won't matter, my local airport has four gates, the terminal is maybe 300 feet end to end, so everyone currently waits outside of security, but it's like 10-20 folks. the few that make it to the gate won't matter at all.

    by unsnap_biceps
  • I read somewhere that Pittsburgh airport was trying to do something like this cause the stores gateside were not available anywhere else.

    In any case, like with airport lounges, it seems like “everyone” has some form of credit card that gives them Precheck/Global Entry for free, further dividing the commercial air experience.

    by acwan93
  • Seems cool, and makes sense, but does seem like it's mostly going to be annoying.

    It's available at a limited number of airports, and you have to apply 1-3 days in advance each time. Also could be annoying to travellers who have to compete with you for line, seat, or bathroom space.

    But maybe more revenue from visitors means better staffing and resources for airports!

    by passive
  • Downside: Finding a seat at an already crowded gate just got harder.

    Upside: loved ones get to hang out with loved ones for longer.

    by MuffinFlavored
  • We will be happy to scan your face, x-ray your belongings, and add your latest known location to our database — no extra charge!
    by treetalker
  • I just had to pay to renew my TSA PreCheck. Because why? They already know my threat risk (zero), and in paying them again nothing changed except they took more money from me.
    by pstuart
  • Just like being "verified" is a monthly subscription on twitter/meta too. They are not verifying you each month.

    In before we have to start renewing our birth certificates each year too.

    by Urgo
  • Allegedly there's an actual re-evaluation during the renewal. For example if you start showing up on terrorist watchlists your next renewal might not go through.

    I think this is kinda true because my wife was involved in a customs incident and then was unable to renew pre check for a bunch of years, thought that was never given as a reason.

    by xyzelement