TSA PreCheck "Random" Extra Screening?
Nov 30, 2012 | 9:26 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: DEN
Programs: UA Mileage Plus, Global Entry
Posts: 59
TSA PreCheck "Random" Extra Screening?
My wife just got her GE and we wanted to test the PreCheck for the first time today; she got the three beeps (approved) but was randomly selected for further screening. We understood that getting expedited screening is not guaranteed at PreCheck as the TSA reserves the right to randomly select the PreCheckers for further screening. It just so happens that my wife got selected on the very first time she used it. Was she just unlucky or the odds are better than 50/50 you get selected for full screening? 
Nov 30, 2012 | 10:21 am
#2
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: gggrrrovvveee (ORD)
Programs: UA Pt, Marriott Ti, Hertz PC, Avis PC
Posts: 6,093
Never been randomly selected (PreCheck or otherwise) for further screening in the last several years. In my experience, at least, the odds seem way less than 50/50 to get the full monty when qualifying for PreCheck, or at all, for that matter. Maybe she just got REALLY lucky...
Right after 9/11, I did get "randomly" selected practically every time I flew. My record is 4 "random" selections in one trip involving 2 non-stop flights. I was "randomly" selected at the checkpoint AND the gate on both the outbound and return flights. I was dating my now-wife long distance at the time, and she laughed when she would drop me off at the airport because I would get selected at the checkpoint almost every time.
Right after 9/11, I did get "randomly" selected practically every time I flew. My record is 4 "random" selections in one trip involving 2 non-stop flights. I was "randomly" selected at the checkpoint AND the gate on both the outbound and return flights. I was dating my now-wife long distance at the time, and she laughed when she would drop me off at the airport because I would get selected at the checkpoint almost every time.
Nov 30, 2012 | 10:45 am
#3
Join Date: May 2006
Location: TUS/PDX
Programs: WN CP/A-List, AS MVPG75K
Posts: 5,798
Wirelessly posted (iPhone: Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 6_0_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/536.26 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/6.0 Mobile/10A525 Safari/8536.25)
I occasionally get my hands swabbed at a PreCheck lane. Twice at LAX, once at PDX.
The PreCheck lane was broken one trip through LAX so everyone had to go through the regular screening.
I occasionally get my hands swabbed at a PreCheck lane. Twice at LAX, once at PDX.
The PreCheck lane was broken one trip through LAX so everyone had to go through the regular screening.
Nov 30, 2012 | 11:12 am
#4
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: The best state in the USA - Florida!
Programs: Marriott Titanium/LT Plat, AS MVP75K, AA PlatPro, UA Premier, Disney AP
Posts: 14,500
I think in my 50+ trips through PreCheck, I've been sent to have my hands swabbed at the ETD machine twice, both times in ATL. Took all of 15-20 seconds.
Dec 2, 2012 | 3:00 am
#7
Join Date: Jul 2007
Programs: QFF
Posts: 5,304
On my last trip through the US (don't remember which airport...) the TDC was filtering between PreCheck and Premium and handing out PreCheck advertising cards to the people who didn't clear PreCheck. He was saying that people cleared for PreCheck had a 10% chance on each trip to be selected for normal screening.
Of course, he also didn't believe me when I said that I wasn't able to get PreCheck (not having a FF membership of a US airline in the program or being eligible for Global Entry).
Of course, he also didn't believe me when I said that I wasn't able to get PreCheck (not having a FF membership of a US airline in the program or being eligible for Global Entry).
Dec 2, 2012 | 1:06 pm
#8
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: DFW
Programs: AS, BA, AA
Posts: 3,670
Dec 3, 2012 | 8:56 am
#9
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: DEN
Programs: UA Mileage Plus, Global Entry
Posts: 59
Double checked Secure Flight data
I was able to use PreCheck two out of two on my recent weekend trip, but my wife went 0 for 2. I double checked four times over our secure flight data and our GOES profile data to make sure the data matched exactly. I wish the TSA and/or scanner would return a code as to why PreCheck was rejected so we can fix the secure flight data for future flights. We will try it again on the trip to LAS this weekend. Frustrating when I can breeze through security in two minutes, but wait another 20 minutes for my wife. 
Dec 3, 2012 | 9:31 am
#10
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Boston
Posts: 821
You should be even more frustrated that your government is determining trustworthiness of lowly citizens based on how much money they give to private businesses (the airlines).
Dec 3, 2012 | 4:46 pm
#11
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: gggrrrovvveee (ORD)
Programs: UA Pt, Marriott Ti, Hertz PC, Avis PC
Posts: 6,093
Of course, after talking about how I've never been selected for a random screening after precheck, I get the long beep as I was walking through theWTMD just a little while ago at ORD. Quick and painless, though, as it was just a hand swab. Finished before my bags even came out the other end of the conveyor belt.
Dec 4, 2012 | 7:18 am
#12
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: DCA / WAS
Programs: DL 2+ million/PM, YX, Marriott Plt, *wood gold, HHonors, CO Plt, UA, AA EXP, WN, AGR
Posts: 9,388
On my last trip through the US (don't remember which airport...) the TDC was filtering between PreCheck and Premium and handing out PreCheck advertising cards to the people who didn't clear PreCheck. He was saying that people cleared for PreCheck had a 10% chance on each trip to be selected for normal screening.
Of course, he also didn't believe me when I said that I wasn't able to get PreCheck (not having a FF membership of a US airline in the program or being eligible for Global Entry).
Of course, he also didn't believe me when I said that I wasn't able to get PreCheck (not having a FF membership of a US airline in the program or being eligible for Global Entry).
Dec 4, 2012 | 12:11 pm
#13
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: ORD
Programs: AA Platinum, HHonors Diamond
Posts: 1,177
Feb 1, 2013 | 6:31 am
#14
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Washington, DC
Programs: UA Premier Gold, HH Diamond, Marriott Gold, Hyatt Explorist
Posts: 285
I had never had a "fail"...but the last 3 times I've flown I had to go thru the full search after going thru the precheck line. Oh well, at least the lines were shorter.
Feb 1, 2013 | 12:59 pm
#15
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: WAS
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Posts: 1,594