TSA Precheck
 

This is not a huge deal, but something I'd like to resolve if possible. We have booked on Delta to Europe next month. It turns out that the flight will be on Delta's codeshare partner Air France. I noticed a post on this forum late last year that when a codeshare partner is used, the passenger does not get the usual perks that he might be entitled to on the airline that he frequently flies. That was eye opening to me. Sure enough, when we travelled to Europe last December, we were "nobodies" on United's codeshare partner Luftansa.

I believe it is likely that we will not be able to use TSA precheck on the way to Europe (we know that TSA Precheck is a U.S. "thing", and not available on our way back) as Air France does not have our precheck number and will not list it on our boarding passes (also the case on last December's Lufthansa flight). Is is just a slight inconvenience, but one we expect to happen more and more. Is there a way for me to avoid this?

Air France does not support pre-check. Interestingly, Lufthansa now does so for any future flights with them you should be able to enter your pre-check number.

You also shouldn't necessarily be "nobodies" if you have status on another star alliance partner. Well you wouldn't get all the perks, there are some perks that transfer if you do have gold status.

Have you been assigned a known traveler ID (which you get when you enroll in TSA Precheck/Global Entry? Or does Delta just give you a complimentary TSA Pre-check as a perk as a frequent flyer? (Which, btw, I understand will be coming to an end soon - at least that's the case with UA).

If the former, and you have your known traveler ID on file with Delta, and you booked your flight through Delta, I'd think you'd be eligible on the outbound flight.

But just when I think I have airlines figured out, they prove me wrong.

I don't think you can get TSA-Pre with Air France; other recent travelers hare reported not getting it even though they are Global Entry. As far as I know, there's nothing you can do about it except fly another airline that does support it.

I didn't get TSA-Pre on a recent AA flight from Philly to Venice - surprising, because I have global entry, and I thought I had double-checked that all of my KTN number is current with AA, but it was booked via a partner award, not directly with AA. But in my case, not having TSA-Pre was only a very minor inconvenience. I had to take off my shoes at the airport, something I hadn't had to do for a while.

I would consider it a slight inconvenience myself regardless. That whole precheck thing doesn't make that much difference to me, to be honest. Sometimes the lines are a little shorter, but not terribly so. I always arrive with enough time, anyway, I never try to cut it close. I don't care at all about whether I take my shoes off or not.

I'm not sure what you mean about it happening "more and more." Why would that be?

Christina:

The reason I think it will be happening more and more is this:

While we are frequent and long time travellers, we are noticing more benefits that don't carry over to code share partners from our own frequent flyer airlines. My husband was involved in the airline industry for over 35 years, and he has noticed that domestic airlines are relying on their code share partner for more of their overseas legs, so that is why we expect the inconveniences to be happening more often.

We are both Global Entry members. I have to use my computer daily for business, even when I travel for pleasure. Longer lines, taking off our shoes, removing my quart size liquids' bag, and removing my computer are small inconvenience. I can live with them if I have to, but prefer not to.