TSA PreCheck Just Got Faster, if You’re Flying the Right Airline at the Right Airport

Airport security lines are already segmented. Have the funds to pay for expedited entry? Head to the CLEAR lane. Have a clean record and want to keep your shoes on while getting through security faster? TSA PreCheck. But as more and more PreCheck benefits are being worked into the standard security lane, there are fewer differentiators. Now there’s an even-faster TSA PreCheck option: Touchless ID. It’s bringing us to a potential future where there’s even more segmentation at security — what Caleb Harmon-Marshall, of the Gate Access newsletter, calls TSA PreCheck+.

At more than 15 airports across the country, enrolled TSA PreCheck travelers can opt into Touchless ID. The facial comparison system allows travelers to bypass traditional ID checks. The process is simple: passengers update their airline profile with a valid passport and Known Traveler Number, and at the security checkpoint, a camera captures a photo that is matched against the passport on file.

Benefits for travelers — and for the TSA

For the TSA, this is a faster system that is less prone to human error and work limits. For passengers, anecdotal reports suggest the new lanes move faster, are less congested, and provide an “elite” experience for PreCheck members.

Hence the unofficial TSA PreCheck+ moniker. As standard lanes adopt PreCheck-like efficiencies (like keeping shoes on or leaving electronics in bags), the agency appears to be elevating Touchless ID to distinguish the program’s value.

Despite the promised benefits, it’s impossible to ignore the privacy concerns. The TSA says its systems are secure: images are encrypted, deleted within 24 hours of departure, and never used for law enforcement or surveillance purposes. Participation is also voluntary and travelers can opt out without penalty. Breaches aren’t unheard of, but at the end of the day, anyone who enters a major airport is already subject to massive amounts of surveillance. The US Customs and Border Protection had already processed over 300 million travelers using facial recognition systems by 2023.

How and where to use TSA PreCheck Touchless ID

TSA PreCheck Touchless ID is now available at select airports for passengers flying with four major airlines: American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, and Alaska Airlines. This program uses facial comparison technology to verify identity, allowing eligible travelers to move through security without showing a physical ID or boarding pass. However, availability is limited. Not all terminals or checkpoints within participating airports support the program, and access is tied to both the airline and the specific airport in use.

To use Touchless ID, travelers must be active TSA PreCheck members and flying on a participating airline from a location where the technology is deployed. Enrollment requires opting in through the airline’s profile or during online check-in, with an up-to-date Known Traveler Number and valid passport information on file. A mobile boarding pass must display the green human icon next to the TSA PreCheck logo — a visual confirmation that Touchless ID is active for that flight. At the airport, travelers enter a designated Touchless ID lane, where a TSA officer will direct them to a biometric scanner for facial verification. All passengers are still required to carry a compliant physical ID and be prepared to show it if requested.

Airports that offer the service:

Atlanta: Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL)Chicago: Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD)Dallas-Fort Worth: Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW)Denver: Denver International Airport (DEN)Detroit: Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW)Las Vegas: Harry Reid International Airport (LAS)Los Angeles: Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)New York City: John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)New York City: LaGuardia Airport (LGA)Newark: Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR)Portland: Portland International Airport (PDX)Salt Lake City: Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC)San Francisco: San Francisco International Airport (SFO)Seattle: Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA)Washington: Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) in Arlington, Virginia

For now, travelers can choose whether to opt in. But in a future shaped by facial recognition, that choice may eventually become the norm rather than the exception.

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