TSA Testing Tablets to Enroll Travelers in PreCheck Program

To help get more travelers signed up for the TSA PreCheck program, Transportation Security Administration officials have rolled out a pilot program at a Baltimore airport that utilizes tablets to enroll passengers.

TSA agents working at Baltimore Washington International-Thurgood Marshall Airport will use special tablets that save fingerprints and verify identification to sign up travelers for the PreCheck program wherever they are in the airport.

The long-term intention of the pilot program is to find a way to eliminate the need to make an appointment at an enrollment center. TSA officials will study whether passengers are more likely to enroll when they fly domestically or internationally or if there are certain times that travelers are more or less likely to join.

The government agency will also determine if the wait time of a given checkpoint is a factor in enrollment and if there are ways to increase the efficiency of travelers joining in the program.

Overall, the TSA is looking to increase the number of airline passengers enrolled in the program while also improving traveler satisfaction with the security process, especially for those who frequently travel.

If the pilot program is deemed a success, TSA officials will consider possible expansion of the rollout of TSA PreCheck tablet-enabled enrollment. The experiment is scheduled to conclude on September 30.