TSA is rolling out family lanes, military checkpoints, and PreCheck perks at airports across the U.S., with Houston likely to be added in the future.<\/p>\n
HOUSTON \u2014 Traveling through Houston\u2019s airports could soon get easier thanks to new programs from the Transportation Security Administration.<\/p>\n
\nWhat\u2019s changing <\/p>\n
TSA Acting Deputy Administrator Adam Stahl said the agency is rolling out family lanes and military-only checkpoints at airports across the U.S., along with discounts on PreCheck enrollment. Gold Star families can also qualify for free PreCheck.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese efforts are all about reducing the burden of travel just a little bit and tailoring the experience for families and service members,\u201d Stahl said in an interview on KHOU 11 Morning News.<\/p>\n
\nWhere and when <\/p>\n
Stahl said the rollout has started at high-traffic airports in family-heavy destinations like Orlando and at locations close to military bases, such as John Wayne Airport in California. While Bush and Hobby airports in Houston haven\u2019t yet been added, TSA says this is the beginning, not the end. More airports are expected in the future.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe response has been resoundingly positive, on both the military offerings as well as family offerings,\u201d Stahl said.<\/p>\n
\nPossible rule changes ahead <\/p>\n
TSA is also taking \u201ca hard look\u201d at the 3-1-1 liquid rule that limits what travelers can bring through security. Stahl wouldn\u2019t confirm specific changes but said the agency is aggressively reviewing the policy. He pointed to past changes, like ending the \u201cshoes off\u201d requirement, as examples of how TSA is working to make security more seamless.<\/p>\n
\nWhy PreCheck still matters <\/p>\n
With all travelers now allowed to keep their shoes on, Stahl said TSA PreCheck still offers major benefits.<\/p>\n
\u201cOn average, there\u2019s a 50% reduction in wait times at checkpoints,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s also a less invasive screening experience \u2014 you can keep your belt and jacket on.\u201d<\/p>\n
Stahl added that TSA is \u201cheavily invested in the PreCheck brand\u201d and more updates are expected in the coming months.<\/p>\n
\nLooking ahead <\/p>\n
Travelers can visit tsa.gov or reach out on social media through Ask TSA for more details about eligibility and updates. For now, Houston flyers should keep watch as these new programs continue expanding nationwide.<\/p>\n
Got a news tip or story idea? Text it to us at 713-526-1111.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"TSA is rolling out family lanes, military checkpoints, and PreCheck perks at airports across the U.S., with Houston…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":207333,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5130],"tags":[4345,358,3187],"class_list":{"0":"post-207332","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-houston","8":"tag-houston","9":"tag-texas","10":"tag-tx"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115162452199885627","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/207332","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=207332"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/207332\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/207333"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=207332"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=207332"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=207332"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}