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How to fix TSA PreCheck® not showing up on your boarding pass

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    Quick insights

    • To access TSA PreCheck security lanes, you’ll need to show your boarding pass with the program’s logo or the words “TSA PRE” displayed.
    • Providing the airline with your Known Traveler Number (KTN) typically results in TSA PreCheck showing up on your boarding pass.
    • Inputting mismatched information in your airline profile or booking through a third party can cause TSA PreCheck boarding pass issues.  

    You’ve gone through the process of becoming a TSA PreCheck member, but unless your membership status is reflected on your boarding pass, you won’t be able to access TSA PreCheck security lanes. There are a few reasons why TSA PreCheck won’t show up on your boarding pass, and fortunately, many of these issues can be corrected by updating your account profile with the airline.

    In this article, we’ll examine some ways to fix TSA PreCheck not showing up on a boarding pass.

    Potential reasons TSA PreCheck won’t show up on a boarding pass

    You’ll typically find your KTN listed on your Trusted Traveler Program (TTP) account, approval letter or membership card. If your KTN doesn’t show up on your boarding pass, here are a few reasons why that could be happening:

    • Mismatched information: The information in your airline profile—name, date of birth and KTN—must match exactly the information you reported to TSA PreCheck. Even minor differences could cause an issue.
    • Booking agents: Travel agents and third-party websites don’t always add the KTN to your reservation.
    • Nonparticipating airlines: Most major airlines participate in TSA PreCheck, but there are a few who do not. TSA provides a current list of airlines that participate in TSA PreCheck.
    • Membership status: Your KTN may not show up on your boarding pass if you were approved for TSA PreCheck after booking the airline ticket or your membership has expired.
    • Security measures: Although this random security measure is relatively uncommon, TSA security protocols sometimes prevent the KTN from appearing.

    As long as your TSA PreCheck membership status is active and you’re flying with a participating airline, you can likely still add your KTN to your boarding pass.

    Adding TSA PreCheck to a boarding pass

    Many airlines allow you to add TSA PreCheck after booking via their website or airline app. Sometimes airlines have a webpage dedicated to TSA PreCheck, which may provide instructions for how to add your KTN to your boarding pass.

    If your airline doesn’t have a page like this, you can generally add your KTN by choosing an option like “My Trips,” “Manage reservations” or a similar option from the website or app navigation menu. Updating your account profile with the airline is another way you can usually add the KTN.

    You may have the option to save the KTN as part of your profile through the airline’s loyalty program, which often results in the KTN automatically populating for any future bookings through that airline.

    If none of the above results in your boarding pass being updated, you may reach out via TSA’s social media. You may also contact the TSA Contact Center at (866) 289-9673. Please visit the TSA website for up-to-date contact information. 

    How to check if your TSA PreCheck is active

    If you have a TTP account, you can check the dashboard where your active memberships and their expiration dates are listed. You may also check the status of your membership with TSA through the KTN lookup tool on their website.

    You typically receive several emails with TSA PreCheck renewal details in the months leading up to the date when your membership expires. Renewing at least 60 days prior to the expiration date is typically the way to avoid any disruption to your membership benefits.

    In summary

    Your airline needs to know your KTN before they’ll update your boarding pass to indicate your membership status—either with the TSA PreCheck logo or the words “TSA PRE.” If these indicators aren’t showing up on your boarding pass, it could be due to several reasons, including that the information you provided to TSA PreCheck doesn’t match your airline profile. Even if you’ve already booked your flight, you can usually still add your KTN to the reservation through the airline’s website or app.   

    Searching for a credit card that can help you make the most of traveling? You may want to consider the Chase Sapphire Reserve® card. When cardmembers use their Sapphire Reserve card to pay for eligible Trusted Traveler Program (TTP) application fees, they can receive a statement credit of up to $120 every four years. Please note that the card has an annual fee.

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