• TSA PreCheck is an airport-security express lane that can save you time while traveling.
• The program has more members than ever — over 20 million passengers are enrolled.
• Travel expert Gilbert Ott said these etiquette tips can keep you from holding up the line.

Those of us who've had TSA PreCheck for a while have seen the express airport security line moving slower than it should. We've had our patience tested by first-time users fumbling for passports at the counter, removing their coats when it's their turn to be scanned, and waltzing on through with a belt on.

These days, you're more likely to encounter newbies in the fast-pass lane than ever.

The TSA reported in August 2024 that program enrollment reached a record 20 million travelers. And roughly 2 to 3 million flight passengers used the faster security line per day so far in 2025.

In the TSA PreCheck line, pre-screened travelers can go through security quickly without taking off their shoes or removing electronics or liquids from their carry-on bags. With more travelers than ever signing up for the program, you're likely to encounter more newbies in the express lane these days.

It costs about $80 to enroll for five years, but you can get the service essentially for free through credit cards such as Capital One Venture, Capital One Venture X, Chase Sapphire Reserve, Delta SkyMiles, and American Express.

Gilbert Ott, who says he flies more than 200,000 miles a year and has been blogging about flying for the past decade, told Business Insider that the express airport security lane makes his life easier. Ott's blog, called God Save the Points, covers everything from airline news and flight reviews to travel tips and money-saving hacks, such as how to best use credit-card points. 

"I spend too much time in airports. As much as I may love them, sometimes the less time I spend in them, the happier I am," Ott said. "So the quicker I can get through and just be on a plane, the better."

While the TSA PreCheck line is often full of frequent flyers, those new to the program, which requires a background check, may not be as savvy about security etiquette, especially during busy travel times like summer. Ott said this can cause the line to move more slowly, but he shared his best tips for TSA PreCheck travelers.

Pre-strip before you even get to the airport

Pre-stripping is removing everything you may need to take off at security, from big jackets to the contents of your pockets, before you get in line.

"When I go to the airport, I take my belt off before I get there. I have it in my backpack, knowing I'll put it on as soon as I get through PreCheck," Ott told BI. "So keep the jewels and the watch in your bag. Then, when you get to the other side of security where you're not holding people up, you can do the glamour."

Ott said this process will make people move through the line quicker. 

"My routine is somewhere along the lines of comfy jeans, a T-shirt or hoodie, and then a bomber jacket," he said. "Essentials like my phone and passport go in my bomber jacket pockets while I wait in the queue so that when I step up to the scanners, my jacket is off, pockets are empty, my bags go on the trays, and off we go."

Leave the flashy shoes in your bag

TSA PreCheck passengers aren't required to take off their shoes. But in Ott's experience, passengers who wear fancy loafers or shoes with buckles or studs often get stopped because they set off the scanner. 

"The main thing is metal, either as part of the shoe or in the boot or heel of the shoe," Ott said. "Ceramic and rubber are usually fine. Basically, sneakers tend to always work."

Be ready before it's your turn

When you first get in line, Ott recommends having your boarding pass and identification out before it's your turn to show them. That way, you won't spend time searching for these documents while others wait behind you. 

If everyone followed Ott's advice, he thinks we'd all get through security faster. 

"If you think of the 20 seconds it takes somebody to do this very basic thing, and you'd multiply that by 50,000 people going through an airport's screens a day, you could pretty much just walk through an airport without stopping," Ott told BI. "We can all have a better time."

• There are multiple ways to get through airport security quicker, and we've tried most of them.
• Clear makes the security lines much quicker at some airports.
• TSA PreCheck, however, has the added benefit of a less stressful security process.

Earlier in my career, I worked for big multinational companies, often in global roles requiring extensive domestic and international travel. One year I took 36 flights visiting nine countries on four different continents.

My husband also travels a lot for work, and we like to take family vacations whenever we can.

Between the two of us, we've tried several different ways to skip the line at airport security. Here are our top three favorite methods.

TSA PreCheck is hard to beat.

Available at more than 200 airports across the US, TSA PreCheck is consistently one of the fastest ways to get through airport security.

Depending on which provider you go through, the five-year membership costs between $77 and $85, and renewal rates are $59 to $78.

My husband has TSA PreCheck and raves about it.

Beyond accessing a shorter line — usually a wait time of no more than 10 minutes — there's an added benefit of keeping your shoes and light jackets on and not having to remove liquids or laptops from your bags.

It's nice to avoid the post-security scramble of grabbing all of your stuff out of the bins and putting your jacket back on while trying not to forget anything.

Clear saves me time.

Clear is a biometric screening service in which members scan their eyes and fingerprints at a pod to be escorted to the front of the security line.

Memberships cost $200 a year, and the service is available at 59 airports across the US. As a bonus, some big stadiums and concert venues also use it.

It may not be available everywhere, but it suits my travel needs pretty well.

Because I live in the Chicago area and write about Disney World, O'Hare International and Orlando International are two of my most frequently visited airports. Both have Clear, which saves me a ton of time — the lines can get hectic in both cities, especially during popular travel days.

I've raced my husband in the Clear line at Orlando to see if it's faster than TSA PreCheck. I almost always get to the scanners first.

However, he usually makes up some of the time by not having to take off his shoes or remove items from his bag.

Flying business or first class has its benefits.

In addition to lounge access, complimentary food and drinks, and better seats, flying business or first class often includes a special security line.

At busy airports, this saves a lot of time and stress.

I've flown business class a few times for work, but these days, I have a much stricter personal travel budget. That said, I think upgrading flights, particularly long international ones, is a great use of airline miles.

I've done a 22-hour flight from Hong Kong to Chicago in coach and would happily save up points to never do it again.

Overall, line-skipping perks are usually worth it.

Waiting in line is just part of most airline travel. If you're looking for the absolute fastest way to avoid that, I think investing in Clear and bundling a membership with TSA PreCheck is probably your best bet.

There are surely other ways to skip the security line — Global Entry, premier airline status, and random free upgrades, to name a few.

However, regardless of which one works best for you, I think they're almost always worth it. Making a travel day even just a little less stressful is pretty priceless.