Airport Security Just Got Cheaper For Military Families With TSA's Newly Announced Discounts

Traveling just became significantly easier and more affordable for military families, thanks to the Transportation Security Administration's newly announced TSA PreCheck "Serve with Honor, Travel with Ease" initiative. An expedited security process that saves time in more than 200 U.S. airports and reduces the chances of getting pulled aside for additional screening, PreCheck allows travelers to breeze past security alongside other convenient perks.

Starting this summer, TSA PreCheck enrollment providers CLEAR, IDEMIA, and Telos, will waive fees — typically set around $78 for five years — for Gold Star families, a term referring to those who have lost a spouse, child, sibling, or parent in military service. Beyond waiving these fees, the initiative also includes PreCheck discounts for military spouses, reducing the enrollment fee by $25 and bringing the cost down to just $53. 

This discount is offered to help support families who travel more than the norm to visit military and uniformed service spouses and addresses a real need in a community where constant movement and family separation are standard. In order to make enrollment even more accessible, the agency will also be collaborating with providers to host enrollment events near major military installations so families and individuals can easily take advantage of this new benefit.

TSA has been hard at work rolling out new improvements this year, including the new TSA PreCheck Touchless ID. Now, the agency is also introducing practical improvements for military travelers. For starters, TSA will be making the security screening process even smoother for armed forces members at select airports near larger military installations by moving them to the front of the PreCheck line. In some instances, TSA will also designate a military-specific PreCheck lane — called the Honor Lane — to help speed up the process further. At the time of writing, this specialized lane is currently available at 11 airports in the U.S. 

It's worth noting that active-duty military personnel already receive TSA PreCheck benefits for free. All they have to do to qualify is use their DOD ID number as their Known Traveler Number when booking flights. Meanwhile, veterans and wounded warriors also have access to additional support through the TSA Cares program, which provides personalized assistance to help people with disabilities or other concerns get through airport security easier. Nonetheless, these new discounts represent the first time military spouses and Gold Star families have received dedicated pricing relief.

"These tokens of gratitude are just a small amount of what we can do in this country to honor those who serve in our military, but also them and their families, and recognize their sacrifice," announced Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem during a press conference at Nashville International Airport earlier this year.