As theTransportation Security Administration prepares to approve Registered Traveler programs in multiple airports across the nation, the private sector is lining up to get in on the action with a slew of new technologies and customer service perks aimed at making life easier for frequent travelers.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce sponsored a daylong conference Wednesday to discuss the Registered Traveler program, a TSA-approved effort to prescreen frequent travelers so they can move through airport checkpoints faster, and the role of the private sector in bolstering both airport security and customer service.
TSA announced guidelines for the Registered Traveler program in April and will approve offering it at 10 to 20 host airports this year. Companies hoping to facilitate the program are going above and beyond in the race to win airport contracts.
Verified Identity Pass Inc., which ran a Registered Traveler pilot program in Orlando, Fla., and will formally launch the program in several cities in the coming months, is working to develop technology that will let travelers avoid taking their shoes off at security checkpoints. The technology, which has not yet been approved by TSA, lets travelers step on a machine that scans shoes for harmful materials. VIP also puts a “concierge” in the fast lanes to expedite the line and is looking into other perks, such as a Registered Traveler airport lounge.
But the extent of the private sector’s anticipated role has caused some friction with both TSA and the Air Transport Association. The association released a statement in April following the issuance of TSA’s Registered Traveler guidelines.
“ATA firmly believes that limited TSA resources should not be diverted from efficiently and effectively screening all passengers, to a program that provides limited and questionable benefits for some customers,” the association said.
However, many in the industry contend that private-sector traveler programs will make screening more efficient and safer, without implementing standard screening procedures across the board.
“It’s a tragedy that a federal agency would take the position that everybody is a problem unless they can prove otherwise,” said Leo J. Schefer, president of the Washington Airports Task Force.
Orlando International’s traveler program
» There are currently 21,778 travelers signed up for the program. For $79.95 per year, registered travelers get an exclusive security lane at the airport.
» On a busy day, the airport moves about 1,200 passengers through the Registered Traveler lane.
» About 12 percent of the passengers who move through Orlando’s airport are Registered Travelers.
