TSA PRE

I flew from Beijing to Chicago, pick up a flight for Portland in Maine from where it is a 2-hour drive up to Boothbay Harbor. Why Beijing? It is HK$13,000 cheaper that is why. Apparently the least expensive UA C-class tickets to the U.S. are to fly from China, instead of Hong Kong where one gets robbed.

The flight was uneventful and smooth. UA has cleaned up her act and the seat, food, entertainment were in fact decent, at an almost unbeatable fare. With a nice tail wind we arrived early at O'Hare but were on the ground for 35 minutes waiting for a gate. Immigration was empathetic when I told them why I need to be in Maine, even the luggage belt was without any hitch. Then came security. I was at the tail end of about a 100+ passengers when a staff waved me to another queue ... TSA PRE.

What a nice shock! There were 6 people in front of  me. A prominent sign that says : DO NOT REMOVE the following items from your carry-on; computer, shoes, phone, belt and so on. You put the bag on the belt, clear your pockets, walk through the detector and you are done. All smiles, no questions, it was a 2-minute surreal Fellini experience. I was told this arrangement has been available for almost 2 years. Any frequent flyer can join after filling in an in-depth online questionnaire, a security check, and paying a modest annual fee. If you fly First or Business Class the airline might add that to you ticket, as shown in the picture, so make sure you have it on your next US visit. The horror stories at American airports we so often hear about were just stories, at least that was the case yesterday when I landed in Chicago.