The test program was expected to begin sometime this fall. It applies only to a small number of frequent travelers who are US citizens. The TSA said it anticipates that between 5,000 and 8,000 travelers per day will participate in the trial.
The voluntary pilot program covers selected travelers enrolled in Delta Air Lines’ frequent-flier program or three other government-trusted traveler programs - known as Global Entry, NEXUS, and SENTRI - involving people who travel regularly through Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International and Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County airports; and travelers enrolled in American Airlines’ frequent-flier program, or the three other government programs, who travel regularly through Miami International and Dallas-Fort Worth International airports. There is no cost to participate in the test program.
“These improvements will enable our officers to focus their efforts on higher risk areas,’’ said John Pistole, TSA administrator .
The concern with any of these expedited programs is that someone could pose as someone else, for instance by using false identification or an ID belonging to another person.
The TSA does not have access to enough information to truly authenticate a traveler’s identity, said J. Bennet Waters, president of Clear, a secure identity verification company operating in some airports. Waters, a former senior TSA and homeland security official, praised the Obama administration’s announcement but said commercially available data under a public-private partnership should be used to validate whether the person is who he or she says. For privacy reasons, the TSA is not allowed to access that information.
