Business

Report: TSA PreCheck Perks Up Flying Experience

A new report from the Global Business Travel Association finds that travelers who have signed up for the TSA PreCheck program are more likely to enjoy their flying experience than those who have not. But with 2 million passengers, the program's growing success means that even the express lanes can back up occasionally.

Flying can be a bit of a drag, especially when it comes to those massive security lines at the airport.

So it makes sense that the TSA PreCheck program, which allows passengers to skip the line and gain a little convenience in the process, helps improve the traveling experience. A new study from the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) underlines that point handily. The latest edition of the “GBTA Business Traveler Sentiment Index” finds that 66 percent of people who use PreCheck are likely to be satisfied with the flying experience, compared with 54 percent of non-PreCheck users who are satisfied.

“GBTA has long supported risk-based approaches to passenger security that both make the process more efficient and more secure,” GBTA Executive Director and COO Michael W. McCormick said in a news release. “This insight into the mindset and attitudes of business travelers shows that programs like this work and make for a better business travel experience.”

The report finds that PreCheck tends to be more popular with older audiences, with 51 percent of baby boomers surveyed being enrolled in the program, compared with 37 percent of Generation Xers and 32 percent of millennials.

The association’s positive notice for PreCheck comes at a time when the program is reaching new heights. Last month, the Transportation Security Administration program hit 2 million members—doubling its member rolls in a single year, despite questions about whether passengers have to give up too much personal data in exchange for shorter lines, as well as the fact that the PreCheck lines have grown with the service’s popularity.

Part of the reason for that, according to TSA vendor MorphoTrust, is that it’s still getting good reviews.

“Word of mouth is probably the best marketing you can get,” Charles Carroll, MorphoTrust’s senior vice president for identity service, told USA Today. “As those lines continue to grow because of tighter security, I think it’s driving the numbers.”

The “GBTA Business Traveler Sentiment Index” also includes info on things bugging business travelers (e.g. the complexity of completing expense reports) and trends that are picking up in the sector (e.g. the popularity of extending business trips for leisure purposes).

Interested in reading highlights from the report? You can find those at the American Express website.

(iStock Editorial/Thinkstock)

Ernie Smith

By Ernie Smith

Ernie Smith is a former senior editor for Associations Now. MORE

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