Is TSA Precheck Expedited Screening Available for Air India Flights from US Airports?

Good news for those traveling on Air India flights from the United States! Air India and eight other domestic and international airlines are enabling their passengers to experience efficient and hassle-free screening at more than 200 airports in the USA through the TSA precheck expedited screening program. With Air India having joined TSA Precheck, the number of airlines, domestic and international, participating in the expedited screening program, is now 65.

If you’re an existing user of the TSA Precheck expedited screening program, you are eligible to use TSA Precheck lanes at select security checkpoints for catching Air India flights from USA to India or some other destination. Since Air India has entered into a partnership with the Transportation Security Administration, you being an Air India passenger are eligible to apply for the TSA Precheck expedited screening program in order to ease your way through security checkpoints.

Until 2016, Etihad Airlines was the first non-US airline to offer the TSA Precheck facility to its passengers departing from North America. Later on, Emirates, Qatar Airways, Turkish Airlines, British Airways, Air France, Cathay Pacific, Lufthansa and others joined the program.

Usually, TSA Precheck travelers are not required to go through the stringent security frisking at TSA checkpoints at US airports. Most of the time, they don’t need to remove shoes, belts, light-weight jackets, wrist watches, laptops, 3-1-1 liquids, and other electronic devices from their cabin bags. The expedited screening program has reduced the wait time to less than 5 minutes for about 94% of travelers in TSA Precheck lanes even at major US airports till date in 2019.

Travelers who arrive late at origin airports to catch flights during peak hours of the day or a peak time of the travel season do mostly benefit from the TSA Precheck expedited screening program at such major airports as New York JFK, Atlanta Hartsfield, Chicago O’Hare, Boston Logan, Newark Liberty, Seattle Tacoma, Washington IAD, and DFW Airport.

Family travelers with several carry-on bags and those hurrying to catch last-minute flights from USA to India find it wise to use the TSA Precheck expedited screening program at US airports. Eva Airways, Japan Airlines, TAP Air Portugal and Asiana Airlines, other than Air India have joined the TSA Precheck expedited screening program.

Applying for TSA Precheck: Basic Things to Know

Foreign nationals staying in the US can apply for TSA Precheck screening program. If you are a foreign citizen in the US, you are obligated to meet the USCIS’ specific residency requirements in order to be eligible for the TSA Precheck Application program.

Can H1B visa holders in the US get approved for TSA Precheck expedited screening program? SENTRI, one of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) trusted traveler programs, can make H1B visa professionals eligible for TSA Precheck and Global Entry. All they need to do is fill an application online, schedule an appointment, get approval and visit an enrollment center. Usually, it takes 2-3 weeks to get approval. They are required to undergo a background check and fingerprinting at the enrollment center.

Please note the eligibility criteria for a TSA Precheck screening program do not include age limit. However, those at 12 or under are eligible for expedited screening while traveling with a parent / guardian / adult traveler having a boarding pass with the TSA Pre✓indicator.

The TSA Precheck expedited screening program costs $85 per traveler for a period of 5 years. To be precise, it costs $17 per year. However, the application fee depends on an applicant’s background check and identity verification, and various administrative costs of a TSA Precheck program.

You can make the best use of the DHS trusted traveler comparison tool to find the most suitable TSA Precheck program for your travel needs or travel plans.