HIGHFILL (KFSM) -- While the TSA security check lines at Northwest Arkansas Regional are not as long as the lines at larger airports around the nation, the PreCheck program offered by the TSA could benefit travelers who fly back to XNA from those hubs.
The TSA will set up a PreCheck enrollment center at XNA from June 6-10. The program allows frequent flyers to get through security faster.
"Not only do you get through lines expeditiously, you don’t have to take your shoes off, your belt off, or all of your clothes," Andre Lewis said Tuesday (May 24).
Lewis flies around the nation once every two weeks and is already a member of the PreCheck program. He used the program to fly to XNA from his home in Dallas and said paying $85 for five years of quick check-ins was an easy decisions.
"It probably took [other passengers] an hour to get through. For me, it only took five minutes," Lewis said. "So the value paid for itself just in stress."
Others passengers said they did not see an advantage.
"They still have three hour wait lines even with pre-screening," said Sam Sanchez, a resident of Northwest Arkansas.
TSA spokeswoman Sari Koshetz said the lines across the nation should be enough to encourage many to apply.
"Across the country, we are recommending two hours for domestic flights and three hours for international," Koshetz said.
The enrollment center at XNA will be open from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. from June 6-10. The application fee is $85 and the process will be completed on site where the TSA will use fingerprints for a background check. Interested travelers will have to bring proof of identity and U.S. citizen documentation, such as a U.S. Passport or a birth certificate and driver's license.