The Transportation and Security Administration's pre-check location in the Phoenix airport is popular. Since the service at Sky Harbor airport opened last month, 1,300 people have qualified for expedited airport security.
To get this pre-check status, one has to fill out an application, provide identification and get fingerprinted. Once a “known traveler” number is issued, one can pass through security checkpoints without having to unpack and undress.
The Phoenix Airport location is booked solid for pre-check appointments for the next 45 days. Despite the wait, traveler John Meade thinks it’s worth the wait.
“I think it’s going to be a lot more convenient," Meade said. "Sometimes these lines at the security line are ridiculous. And I travel quite frequently.”
When the Sky Harbor checkpoint first opened last month, waits were as long as four hours. There are four other sites in Arizona to get pre-checked, Gilbert, Tucson, Kingman and Flagstaff.
