The Cost of Freedom -- Trusted Traveler Means Wealthy Traveler

"Trusted Traveler" is expected to cost $100 for the application plus $150 annually. That's $1,000 up front to reduce the chances of being scoped, groped & abused for your family of four & $600 annually thereafter.

Washington Post: The Navigator: Can we trust the TSA’s proposed trusted-traveler program?

 

For some reason or another, that makes my skin crawl.

 

There's enough Ifs, Ands, Or Buts, to make the trusted traveler program useless.

Erik Hansen, the organization’s director of domestic policy, says that all air travelers would benefit from the new TSA program. “Regular travelers will start to see shorter wait times, because you’ve removed people from the line and sped up the entire process as a result,” he told me.

Oh goody, the animals that aren't as equal as other animals won't have to wait as long to be irradiated and groped.

 

This falls under the "be careful what you wish for" category.

Over the years that I was at that "other place," the consistent complaint was that frequent travelers deserved special consideration. The rationale is that they invest more money in terms of airfares, airline traveler club memberships, airport vendors, etc. than the average, infrequent "Ma and Pa Kettle" traveler. I agree up to a point that a frequent traveler has established himself/herself as a "regular," so the trick is how to distinguish between the frequent flyer and the would-be terrorist who attempts to fit in as a regular passenger before pulling off his attack. Background checks can certainly help; but they only identify those who have arrested for a crime. Background checks do not, cannot, and will not identify potential terrorists. The more extensive the background check, the less difficult it is to make an assessment on potential, but it still boils down to a guess based on previous behaviors. And background checks cost money.

I don't know the answer. On the one hand, having a trusted traveler program sounds like a good idea. I agree with the complaint frequent travelers make: 1,000,000 frequent flier miles and I haven't blown up a plane yet ought to give me the benefit of the doubt.