> You can avoid that with precheck.

Precheck is an extremely weird product. If the TSA checks actually had any safety impact, trying to bribe your way around them should be the biggest red flag there is. Instead, precheck is expressly allowed and actively advertised. Precheck is nothing more than the TSA letting you pay your way out of a problem that it created.

I was surprised by this when I went in for my Precheck appointment soon after the program started. I had made room in my schedule for an hour or so, and was horrified when the entire interview was just a TSA employee taking my picture. I don't really understand what the utility could be beyond revenue and getting ahead of constituent pressure from people rich enough to make some noise about how useless the TSA is.

It wasn't just that interview. A background check happened behind the scenes.

I’m sure it did, but at that point why not automatically grant it to every citizen who can pass a background check?

Because it takes time and resources to do the background checks.

Your background gets checked as part of getting precheck. Not everyone can get it just because they can afford the fee. And it doesn't let you skip security completely; it just lets you go through a metal detector instead of a body scanner.

There are other benefits: typically shorter line, don't have to remove shoes, don't have to unload laptop into bins, sense of superiority, etc.

The truly hilarious thing about PreCheck is that you don't even need it. Just give the airline a little extra money and you get access to the PreCheck line with no questions asked. I guess I'm glad they dispensed with the pretext, but... what?

You're thinking of first class screening, which is not precheck. It's just a dedicated lane with a shorter line. You're subject to exactly the same checks as regular passengers.

>This is definitely a real problem. It applies on private jets in most cases too, though.

I just flew on a private jet for the first time in August. All the paperwork and whatnot said masks were required but we never wore one from the second we walked out onto the tarmac. Nobody batted an eye. Even the pilots had theirs down below the chin while flying. I asked and they said 80%+ of their customers did not want to wear a mask, so they didn't push the topic.

> You can avoid that with precheck.

No I can't, I was born in the wrong country and therefore may never be trusted enough to fly unmolested in America.

Maybe help your country fix its issues?

There’s zero chance that someone on their private jet is wearing a mask if they don’t want to.

> zero chance that someone on their private jet is wearing a mask if they don’t want to

There is a non-zero chance that a charter (e.g. Wheels Up or Blade) will require it. That seems to be where the bulk of the new demand is coming from.

They might claim they do, on their paperwork, website, etc. But what is the reality when they're actually in the air? Do you think stewardesses on these private jets are really in the habit of making demands of their multimillionaire customers? Somehow I doubt it.

Don't know why you're being downvoted- in my experience you are 100% correct. Also, having a flight attendant on a private jet is pretty rare. It's usually 2 pilots and drinks are self-serve. Depends on the size of the jet and whether you request one, though.

Precheck... Sure feels like a protection racket. It also feels like an easy thing for a terrorist to take advantage of