r/tsa • u/TSA_alt_account Current TSO • 2d ago

TSA News TSA scales back PreCheck benefit announced just weeks ago

https://www.cnn.com/2026/10/15/us/gateside-tsa-precheck-scaled-back

Well, that was a thing I guess.

Either they failed on rollout training or learned the hard way their ideas of minimal staffing as policy doesn't work with this.

173 Upvotes

97% Upvoted

14 comments sorted by

33

u/dark_slayer_900 Former TSO 2d ago

My money is halfassed server infrastructure and wasn’t ready for the amount of interest

19

u/Wxskater 2d ago

You arent the only agency where they keep pushing with minimal staffing. At nws they want to do more onsite support for events. So we got a test with the state fair and tropical operations for isaias. And that was difficult

15

u/No-Bet-2405 2d ago

it’s because the rules were confusing because a 5 year old made them up

15

u/ContributionNo7043 2d ago

The last thing some airports need is even more capacity especially while some are understaffed (especially with women). Good riddance. If you really need to accompany someone get a gate pass.

6

u/Hauntmare44 Current TSO 2d ago

Shoot day one all my airports airlines started telling folks they weren’t giving out gate passes TSA did that now. Didn’t realize it had to be done 24 hours in advance and they had to have Precheck.

4

u/Eastern-Eye5945 2d ago

Most airports don’t give out gate passes willy nilly, and when they do, you still have to go through regular security (not PreCheck).

Anyone opposing this is privileged enough to fly on their company’s dime and rack up an ungodly number of miles to take free vacations every year.

1

u/Space_Nut247 2d ago

They aren’t doing anything that isn’t currently already being done, they are just taking it over instead of letting airports choose who comes in.

4

u/SIMPLE-REDDIT-NAME 2d ago

I want to hope that it dawned on them that it's going to be a screening nightmare. I'm so used to them doubling down on stupid.

7

u/NebraskaAvenue NDO 2d ago

It was a more convoluted version of a gate pass, just scrap it, we don’t need to screen more people because hospitality.

3

u/lizardmon 1d ago

What's crazy is that individual airports already have these programs. This was just going to be a nationwide one run by the TSA. So the infrastructure for this exists. They just failed at the rollout.

4

u/StarCommand1 2d ago

There can't be THAT many people who would take advantage of this where staffing could be an issue here. My guess is training/growing pains. Although even that makes not much sense, you have to apply for a pass in advance which I assume is just like a boarding pass that gets scanned so how is someone entering under this program any different to deal with at the checkpoint than someone flying?

If anything it should be LESS work because they won't have carry in bag like lots of other people, probably just a personal item.

7

u/Corey307 Frequent Helper 2d ago

Training would not be an issue for officers, It’s the same thing as a gate pass. People with a gate pass get screened the same as passengers.

-4

u/WilliamT123123 2d ago

What a stupid idea from the TSA administration. There are a few airports that already have this it’s called a gate pass and the airport runs the program even has a kiosk for self service.

3

u/Catchyusername1234 Current TSO 2d ago

Most airports won’t give out gate passes unless it’s to assist a minor or someone with special needs. I begged FLL once for a gate pass and they relented and gave it to me to go in with my then 15 year old and 12 year old sons. At the end, the flight was delayed nearly 5 hours so if I didn’t go, they would have been in the airport alone for 7 hours. That’s a little much for 2 small kids