Air Canada joins TSA PreCheck; new enrollment centers at SNA and LAX

Air Canada joins nine other airlines in offering the Transportation Security Administration’s fast-lane airport screening program to eligible customers, the first international carrier to participate in the PreCheck program.

The TSA also this week rolled out new enrollment centers at John Wayne Airport (SNA) in Orange County and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).

PreCheck allows qualified travelers to pass through security checkpoints more quickly by not having to remove clothing items or take laptops and liquids out of their carry-on bags. Like other airlines, Air Canada fliers will be able to receive tickets flagged as PreCheck when printing out boarding passes at the airport.

The airline will extend the PreCheck status to mobile app and boarding passes printed at home later in 2014, the announcement said.

Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Hawaiian Airlines, JetBlue Airlines, Southwest Airlines, United Airlines, US Airways and Virgin America also offer the program. In Southern California, fliers who qualify may use expedited PreCheck lanes at LAX, Ontario, Long Beach and Orange County.

The TSA also this week rolled out new enrollment centers at John Wayne Airport (SNA) in Orange County and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).

John Wayne airport’s first PreCheck center is at Terminal C and is open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. TSA opened a second enrollment site for LAX at Terminal 6 in the baggage claim area that’s open 8 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays. There’s also a center at Terminal 5, which opened in January.

Fliers start with an online application and pay $85 for five-year membership. After the application has been filed, fliers must appear in person to provide a valid ID and be fingerprinted.

TSA says it will roll out 300 centers nationwide to help fliers complete the enrollment process.

Expedited screening doesn’t mean that you won’t be be subject to random security checks.

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