Free PreCheck, separate lane for these families as TSA adds new perks

• Gold Star families are now eligible for free TSA PreCheck enrollment.
• Military spouses can receive a $25 discount on TSA PreCheck enrollment.
• Select airports near military bases now offer expedited PreCheck lanes for service members.

Military families have new perks at the airport, the Transportation Security Administration announced this month.

Gold Star family members who have lost a loved one in U.S. military service can now enroll in TSA PreCheck, which offers expedited security screening, for free. Spouses of military and uniformed service members can also get a $25 discount on their enrollment fee.

Those fees currently range from $76.75 to $85 depending on the enrollment provider travelers choose, according to TSA’s website.

Eligible travelers can find enrollment instructions on TSA’s website. The agency also said military members “at select airports near larger military installations” can get expedited access in PreCheck lanes.

“This Independence Day and beyond, TSA reaffirms its commitment to ease travel for the military community through its TSA PreCheck program by providing it free to Gold Star families, discounting it for military spouses and creating expedited lanes for service members,” TSA Acting Administrator Ha Nguyen McNeill said in an early July news release. “By expanding access, easing enrollment and partnering with our TSA PreCheck enrollment providers and industry partners, we strive to honor those who serve and the families who stand beside them.”

The following airports have military lanes:

• Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) 
• Charlotte Douglas International Airport  (CLT)
• Colorado Springs Airport (COS) 
• Denver International Airport (DEN)
• El Paso International Airport (ELP) 
• Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) 
• Nashville International Airport (BNA) 
• San Antonio International Airport (SAT)
• San Diego International Airport (SAN)
• Seattle–Tacoma International Airport (SEA) 
• Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC)

Those aren’t the only changes TSA has made in recent weeks. The agency ended its shoe-removal policy in early July, and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem hinted days later that the agency may change its policy on liquids, which are largely restricted to 3.4 ounces per container in carry-ons.

Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. You can reach him at [email protected].