TSA has found a way to extend its PreCheck trusted traveler program to more small airports where there aren’t enough members to justify a special lane. In ‘blended lanes,’ PreCheck members move in regular lanes, but still get to keep their liquids, laptops and shoes off the belt.
PreCheck passengers entering the lanes are identified by their boarding passes or a special card. Blended lanes are also being used at larger airports at hours when there’s not enough traffic for a separate lane.
The plan is part of TSA’s response to new legislation that prohibits waving non-PreCheck passengers into the lanes to balance traffic; adding the PreCheck travelers to the regular lane was their workaround, but it also allows PreCheck to reach small regional airports for the first time.
