You’re probably familiar with the mental checklist that runs through your head before heading out the door to catch a flight: ID in wallet. Essentials packed. Electronics charged.
But as security lines swell across the country in the midst of a partial government shutdown, the most important pretravel task of all may be one that hardly crosses your mind: making sure your Known Traveler Number is attached to your flight reservation.
In recent days, hourslong lines have snaked through some of the nation’s busiest hubs, as weeks of working without pay have led to callouts at the Transportation Security Administration. The delays have caused passengers to miss flights — and have surely made many spring break trips start off on the wrong foot.
But through it all, TSA PreCheck remains a major time-saver for travelers — that is, if it’s actually marked on their boarding pass.
Take Houston’s William P. Hobby Airport (HOU), for example. This airport was the epicenter of this week’s TSA delays, and at one point on Monday, standard security lines topped three hours. But if you had PreCheck access, you could get through in 10 minutes or less.
It has made the fast-tracked security program a proverbial lifeline for travelers looking to avoid the chaos of recent days — even after the Trump administration nearly suspended the program last month.
But all too often, TSA PreCheck members download their boarding pass — or show up at the airport — only to realize their boarding pass doesn’t actually say “TSA PreCheck.” Without that little notation, they can’t access the expedited lanes at the airport.
It’s a common snafu, but one that’s easily fixable.
Your Known Traveler Number: What to know
If you have an active TSA PreCheck or Global Entry membership, check your boarding pass when you download it on your phone or when you print it at the airport. If it doesn’t say “TSA PreCheck” on it, you’ll need to add your Known Traveler Number to your reservation.
Reward your inbox with the TPG Daily newsletter
Join over 700,000 readers for breaking news, in-depth guides and exclusive deals from TPG’s experts
This is different than your airline frequent flyer number or your flight confirmation code. It’s a series of digits the U.S. Department of Homeland Security assigns to all members of its Trusted Traveler Programs, like TSA PreCheck and Global Entry.
To get your boarding pass to display “TSA PreCheck,” you need to add your KTN to either your reservation or your airline profile.
How to find your Known Traveler Number
You can find your KTN in a few places:
The federal government’s portal
Try visiting the Department of Homeland Security’s website and logging in to your PreCheck or Global Entry account. Your KTN will be listed on your profile.
Global Entry card
If you have a Global Entry card, the number is also listed on it.
Your profile with another airline
No luck? If you frequently fly with another airline and know you’ve used TSA PreCheck with that carrier, pull up your profile with that carrier. You may be able to find your KTN listed under your personal information; check the section for “secure traveler information.”
Now add it to your reservation
To add your KTN to your next booking, go to the frequent flyer profile for the airline you’re flying next. Paste that number into your personal info for that carrier. Once you do that, TSA PreCheck should populate on all your future boarding passes as long as your account is active.
You can also add your KTN to an individual reservation online, or — if it’s last-minute — via a kiosk at the airport.
TPG tip: Look up your KTN now and save it somewhere secure but easily accessible, in case you need to find it in a hectic moment at the airport.
Bottom line
On a day when the standard security lanes are running smoothly, all of these steps may feel like overkill for a few minutes of time savings.
But with security lines snarling across the country and TSA PreCheck still operational (at least for now), having your KTN attached to your airline reservation and profile could be vital to making it to your gate on time this spring — especially since there are few signs that the partial government shutdown will end anytime soon.
You can find the rest of our tips on navigating air travel this spring in the midst of the shutdown here.
Related reading:
