Are you traveling to the US on an international flight? Tired of re-checking your bag and clearing security for your connection upon arrival? Relief may be on the way — at least for some travelers.
The Transportation Security Administration is laying the groundwork for a new program that would allow passengers flying from certain foreign cities to once again make seamless connections to the US, the agency’s head said this week, adding that a pilot program could get off the ground within the next year.
The new process, as TPG reported earlier this year, should offer travelers big time savings after long flights. It could potentially save hours on some of the busiest travel days, TSA Administrator David Pecoske told TPG on the sidelines of the Regional Airline Association Leaders Conference in Washington, DC.
“I think we’ll see that, hopefully, early next 12 months,” Pekoske said. “I think once we’re able to get that in place, it’s going to be a huge benefit for passengers because you’ll probably save … an hour, maybe two, on layovers at US airports.”
Saving precious time
As for Pecoske, passengers arriving in the US from international airports face a time-consuming (and often frustrating) route to a connecting flight.
After clearing US Customs and Border Protection, passengers must first wait for their luggage at baggage claim and recheck it for screening. After that, they head back to safety.
Depending on the airport, this may mean clearing designated checkpoints (some of which do not have TSA PreCheck Lane, I got it). In some cases, that means going through a normal TSA checkpoint as if you were arriving at the airport as a domestic traveler.
It’s part of the process, even Global Access members can’t skip.
‘One-stop’ prototypes approved
But in late 2022, Congress — following TSA’s request — authorized the agency to collaborate with airlines, CBP and TSA’s foreign counterparts on a prototype for “one-stop” security.
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As part of the concept, passengers will go through security at an approved, screened international point of origin. Then, the US After flying to, they can proceed to their connecting flight only after clearing CBP. Their bags will also be seamlessly transferred.
Which foreign airports can be approved for these seamless connections? Pekoske told TPG that the TSA is considering “a number of different countries.”
“We consider those international airports comparable security to ours after many tests and many agreements,” he added during public remarks in Washington on Tuesday.
Related: TSA PreCheck hits a record 20 million members — up 33% from last year
How many airports?
Authorization from Congress would allow the TSA to establish this one-stop system for travelers arriving in the US from six international points of origin.
Once approved, arriving from one of those airports would likely relieve travelers connecting to a series of U.S. airports; The program does not limit the number of U.S. airports that can benefit.
For example, if (hypothetically) Incheon International Airport (ICN) in Seoul, South Korea were cleared as an approved airport in this program, passengers departing from there would potentially be able to skip baggage and security screening at numerous US airports.
However, there is a catch: Some US airports may need to make infrastructure changes to accommodate the new flow of passengers required under the one-stop program.
Pecoske doesn’t expect any necessary infrastructure changes in the U.S. to be a major hurdle.
“The benefit you get from a fairly small investment is huge in terms of passenger satisfaction,” he said. “We intend to include multiple US airports in this.”
Since this is a pilot program, TSA must report to Congress over the next six years on how effective this one-stop security process is and whether any security problems arise. This information could determine whether these changes eventually become permanent – and perhaps extend to additional international points.
The bottom line
Within the next year, the TSA hopes to begin allowing travelers to specific, pre-approved destinations to make U.S. connections without going through security or changing luggage at a carousel.
Over the next six years, this will eventually cover travelers originating at six foreign airports.
That means most international flights won’t be affected for the foreseeable future, but a growing number of fliers could find time savings — meaning a faster trip to their connecting gate or more time to relax in an airport lounge.
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