To: President Donald Trump, The United States House of Representatives, and The United States Senate
Equal Access at TSA
Special screening lines staffed by TSA at airports should be restricted to Pre Check members and uniformed military personnel. Participation in Pre Check should not depend on membership or mileage status in any airline program nor on the class or price of the passenger's ticket.
Why is this important?
At large airports a special screening line is reserved for high-tier mileage program members and first class passengers. In some cases military personnel in uniform also have access but make up a very small share of the users. These lines, like all screening, are staffed by government employees.
To respond to widespread complaints about TSA screening, a "Pre Check" program has been started which will entitle members to a somewhat less onerous screening process. However, signing up for this is through the airlines, who are restricting applications to their high tier mileage program members.
Both of these are exploitable weaknesses in the screening process, as well as an exploitation of the security issue by airlines to promote their own marketing agendas. Airport screening is a police function, not a customer service function, and every passenger should receive equally thorough screening and equal respect.
The special lines should be restricted to Pre Check members, and participation in Pre Check should not depend on membership or mileage status in any airline program.
To respond to widespread complaints about TSA screening, a "Pre Check" program has been started which will entitle members to a somewhat less onerous screening process. However, signing up for this is through the airlines, who are restricting applications to their high tier mileage program members.
Both of these are exploitable weaknesses in the screening process, as well as an exploitation of the security issue by airlines to promote their own marketing agendas. Airport screening is a police function, not a customer service function, and every passenger should receive equally thorough screening and equal respect.
The special lines should be restricted to Pre Check members, and participation in Pre Check should not depend on membership or mileage status in any airline program.