Spirit Airlines and Frontier Airlines, small, low-cost carriers that have been building their presence in Atlanta, plan to join TSA’s PreCheck expedited security screening program later this year.
PreCheck allows enrolled passengers a chance to keep their shoes, jackets and belts on, and to keep their laptops and permitted liquids in their bags.
Other airlines including Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines and Dallas-based Southwest, the two largest carriers at Hartsfield-Jackson International, have been part of the TSA PreCheck program for years.
Miramar, Fla.-based Spirit and Denver-based Frontier have not been part of PreCheck, limiting their passengers’ ability to get expedited security screening.
Frontier says it plans to participate in PreCheck by the end of the third quarter. The move takes time because of Frontier’s new reservations system and the need to develop technology for PreCheck, according to the airline.
PreCheck members get a “Known Traveler Number” and are vetted for PreCheck every time they fly, with the airline sharing certain information with TSA’s system.
Spirit Airlines spokesman Paul Berry said in an e-mail that as Spirit has grown, “we’ve started to hear from our customers that they would like us to participate in PreCheck.”
Spirit plans to offer PreCheck this fall.
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