Global Entry, no PreCheck. Question

[mammajamma2013]

My husband and I each have Global Entry. Our flights after being accepted for the program included PreCheck for each of us, as they should have. After five years in the program (I just renewed mine, Husband's doesn't expire until September 2022), the last four flights we've taken with Southwest* showed PreCheck for me but not my husband. The desk agent who printed our tickets stated that she could see Husband in the system but couldn't print a boarding pass with PreCheck displayed. Same with the trip home, but the desk agent tried re-entering the information and triple checked that Husband's Known Traveler Number was correct but he couldn't reprint the boarding pass showing PreCheck.

 

I emailed HomelandSecurity about this but haven't heard back (and really, it's probably an airline issue). I emailed Southwest and was told that PreCheck is (basically) random and they can't always guarantee that we'll get it. This was on a Do Not Reply email.

 

So here's the question: Do any of you know what I can do about this at this point? I figure I can call Southwest and try to speak to an actual person or book our flights seperately the next time we fly with them. We generally fly Southwest and would prefer to keep doing so. If there are any other suggestions, I'd really appreciate hearing them.

 

*The first time it happened, I didn't even look at the boarding passes since I assumed we would be Precheck. The second time it happened, I didn't have our Global Entry cards with us, I figured the first time was a fluke. Numbers 3 and 4 are listed above.

[fbgd]

WN are correct here, they don't control whether TSA PreCheck is issued or not. That said across countless hundred TSA PreCheck eligible flights I've had since I've not once not had it, so to have four in a row seems unusual.

 

Has anything changed that could have set this off? It's possible you may need your husband to get a redress number. Have you had any SSSS experiences for him lately?

 

Can't help on the WN side of things, never fly them myself.

Edited December 15, 2021 by fbgd

[Suzanne123]

From TSA web site 

If you consistently do not receive TSA PreCheck®, please call the TSA Contact Center at (866) 289-9673, submit an online form, or contact us at @AskTSA on Twitter and Facebook Messenger.  

[mammajamma2013]

10 hours ago, fbgd said:

WN are correct here, they don't control whether TSA PreCheck is issued or not. That said across countless hundred TSA PreCheck eligible flights I've had since I've not once not had it, so to have four in a row seems unusual.

 

Has anything changed that could have set this off? It's possible you may need your husband to get a redress number. Have you had any SSSS experiences for him lately?

 

Can't help on the WN side of things, never fly them myself.

Thanks for your reply. Nothing has changed and I'm sorry but I don't know what you means by SSSS experiences.

[Zach1213]

1 hour ago, mammajamma2013 said:

Thanks for your reply. Nothing has changed and I'm sorry but I don't know what you means by SSSS experiences.

 

SSSS is a notation for additional security. It could be random, or it could be because of suspicions like odd travel habits, last minute purchases, your name being on some list, etc.. If you don't know what it is, you haven't had it 🙂

 

It usually involves additional security checks, can add 10-20 minutes to your experience, and it can impact future PreCheck eligibility for at least a bit of time...but not always. For example, I get SSSS'd at least once a year because I have very odd international travel habits, but so far it doesn't seem to have impacted my PreCheck status on subsequent trips. 

[mchell810]

16 hours ago, mammajamma2013 said:

My husband and I each have Global Entry. Our flights after being accepted for the program included PreCheck for each of us, as they should have. After five years in the program (I just renewed mine, Husband's doesn't expire until September 2022), the last four flights we've taken with Southwest* showed PreCheck for me but not my husband. The desk agent who printed our tickets stated that she could see Husband in the system but couldn't print a boarding pass with PreCheck displayed. Same with the trip home, but the desk agent tried re-entering the information and triple checked that Husband's Known Traveler Number was correct but he couldn't reprint the boarding pass showing PreCheck.

 

I emailed HomelandSecurity about this but haven't heard back (and really, it's probably an airline issue). I emailed Southwest and was told that PreCheck is (basically) random and they can't always guarantee that we'll get it. This was on a Do Not Reply email.

 

So here's the question: Do any of you know what I can do about this at this point? I figure I can call Southwest and try to speak to an actual person or book our flights seperately the next time we fly with them. We generally fly Southwest and would prefer to keep doing so. If there are any other suggestions, I'd really appreciate hearing them.

 

*The first time it happened, I didn't even look at the boarding passes since I assumed we would be Precheck. The second time it happened, I didn't have our Global Entry cards with us, I figured the first time was a fluke. Numbers 3 and 4 are listed above.

 

Part of TSA PreCheck is that the system will randomly NOT give the expedited access; essentially, just what you have experience -- it doesn't show up for a given flight.  However, it is weird for it to happen to your husband on so many flights.  Perhaps, they were all booked at the same time so the computer dropped him on all of them.   You might try renewing his Global Entry early -- hopefully that will shake out any issues (such as his name being crossed with someone else) and give you a chance, at the interview, to raise the question. 

[Zach1213]

39 minutes ago, mchell810 said:

 

 You might try renewing his Global Entry early -- hopefully that will shake out any issues (such as his name being crossed with someone else) and give you a chance, at the interview, to raise the question. 

 

There's not always an interview for renewal. I've never had one. So, definitely don't count on an ability to meet/discuss in person with anyone. 

[mchell810]

4 minutes ago, Zach1213 said:

 

There's not always an interview for renewal. I've never had one. So, definitely don't count on an ability to meet/discuss in person with anyone. 

 

I guess we've always been unlucky and had to go in at renewal.

[yogini06]

Just happened to me the other day. I have read that if the name in GE and on the ticket are not an exact match you won't get it.  I only had middle initial in AA advantage and GE card has my full middle name.  I changed my American Advantage account to my full middle name.  I also filled out the TSA form.  Hope it works better next time

[Bizmark'sMom]

I have Global Entry, and didn't get pre-check on my latest flight.  It's a random thing.

[bugeater2]

I know I'm a bit late to this topic but I had an issue with Southwest recognizing that I had pre-check. This was 5 years ago so this info may not be relevant anymore but...

 

Southwest has an antiquated IT system that was also looking for my middle name to match against.

 

I made a call to Southwest and updated my Rapid Rewards account and the affected tickets to add my middle name and have received pre-check 100% of the time since.

[AF-1]

You should be able to renew global entry online;  mammajamma2013, have you logged into your husbands southwest rewards program and re inputted his known traveler number?. Do you use the southwest app?  If so, also reinput the known traveler number there;  if you don't use the app, try downloading and input all your info.  Not sure any of my info will make a difference;  but it's worth trying.  Good luck

[pcur]

I have Global Entry, and have always had TSA pre-check on all my flights.

 

Here's a few suggestions:

• make sure your husband's Known Traveler is always entered on the reservation itself, not just in his airline account.
• try booking him on the same flight with a separate ticket, so all his information is unique to that ticket.

[6rugrats]

On 1/20/2022 at 10:29 AM, pcur said:

I have Global Entry, and have always had TSA pre-check on all my flights.

 

Here's a few suggestions:

• make sure your husband's Known Traveler is always entered on the reservation itself, not just in his airline account.
• try booking him on the same flight with a separate ticket, so all his information is unique to that ticket.

No matter how many people are on the same itinerary, they each have their own separate and unique ticket number linked to their personal information.

Edited January 25, 2022 by 6rugrats

[Roger88]

Homeland security office has been acting very weird recently. I doubt its really usefull contacting them right now. Maybe if there was a valid reason to contact them directly, there would be a purpose. Otherwise, doesnt seem a valid decision 

[Zach1213]

20 hours ago, Roger88 said:

Homeland security office has been acting very weird recently.

 

Sounds like a Department of Homeland Security Security needs to be set up to keep an eye on Homeland Security's odd behavior. 

Edited January 26, 2022 by Zach1213

[texasstar]

It happened to me.  The issue was that the TSA # that was in my profile had a typo, one digit off.  I had entered the correct number when I made the reservation, but they use the number in the profile.  The agent changed the profile # and all was well.