"Opinion: Will you be a 'known traveller?'"

Sunday, July 17, 2011

Airport security
Will you be a "known traveller" 
United Kingdom - The Economist


EARLIER this month, the US Travel Association released the results of a
survey that found that 45 percent of respondents would pay a fee of "up to"
$150 for a background check and verification program that would allow them
to speed through airport security. On Friday, America's Transportation
Security Administration announced that this Fall, it will move ahead with a
plan to test just such a program. Here's the TSA's "Blogger Bob":

   "[I]n the Fall, we will begin a passenger screening pilot for a select
group of travelers who volunteer more information about themselves. If we
can confirm a person's identity and learn a little more about them through
information they opt to provide, and then combine that information with our
other layers of security, we can strengthen air travel security for all
Americans while at the same time speeding up the screening process for those
participating in the pilot."

The initial phases of the pilot program will be open to travellers who are
already enrolled in the US Customs and Border Protection "trusted traveller"
program, as well as "certain frequent fliers," according to the TSA. Delta
and American will be the first airlines to have their frequent fliers
eligible for the program, which will be tested at Atlanta's
Hartsfield-Jackson airport (for Delta's frequent fliers) and the
international airports in Miami and Dallas-Fort Worth (for American's
frequent fliers).

The TSA plans to eventually expand the pilot program to involve additional
airports, and will eventually make frequent fliers from United Airlines,
Southwest, JetBlue, US Airways, Alaska Airlines, and Hawaiian Airlines
eligible, too. But American and Delta customers and CBP's "trusted
travellers" will be the first to participate-and even they will only be able
to join the program if they "opt-in."

Frequent fliers from airlines other than Delta and American might be
inclined to protest that they're not included in the initial test program.
But wait just a minute. It's great news that TSA is taking steps to move
away from "one size fits all" screening. Those of us who have been critical
of airport "security theatre" in the past should make sure to encourage
anything that looks like reform. As Blogger Bob wrote, "This will very much
be a work in progress." That's okay. It's clear that TSA wants this program
to be successful. So do its critics. So lets support this effort and hope
for the best.

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