by Tim Wood
Last updated: 11:38 AM ET, Wed December 4, 2013
Hopefully, your chance to skip the lines at airport security is going to get a lot easier soon.
Starting today, travelers in the Indianapolis area will be able to apply and complete their background interview at the application center at Indianapolis International Airport.
By the end of the year, TSA expects to open application centers in the New York City area, the Washington, D.C. metro area and the Los Angeles area.
TSA ultimately plans to expand to more than 300 application centers across the country.
Beginning in Indianapolis, approved applicants will not be required to remove shoes, belts, or other garments, and will be able to keep their laptops safely tucked away in their cases. Also, items including liquids and gels will be subjected to go through selective lanes for thorough screening.
Travelers can pre-enroll for application process at www.tsa.gov. Enrollment requires an $85 fee for a five-year membership, biographic information, fingerprints, valid forms of identification, and receipt of a Known Traveler Number (KTN) before passengers can begin to use the new security measures of the TSA Pre?™ program.
"This new application process will greatly increase the availability of TSA Pre-check benefits to a broader population of travelers nationwide," said TSA Administrator John Pistole in a statement.
Up until now, just who gets to join the program has been cryptic at best. The nine airlines working with the program offered the chance to apply to frequent flyers, but even then, the process was unclear.
The sign-in process on the United website, for example, is available to MileagePlus members only. And even then, after sign-up, you are told that "you will receive no further communication from the TSA or United about your status in this program," and "the TSA will determine your expedited screening eligibility on a per-flight basis every time you fly."
Military, members of the Custom and Border Patrol's Global Entry program, NEXUS and SENTRI program members are also eligible.
For full requirements to apply, click here.
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