We were at SF airport on March 9, 2019 checking in at TSA. Where's those tubs that you guys are supposed to have so we can remove our stuff and put them in? And why isnt anyone there to push our stuff into the scanner? And that tall black woman needs to learn how to speak to people. After they had me go through the whole body scanner, I exited it and stood on the side. I wasn't going anywhere and she goes "I told you to stand over here" so she could give me a pat down. She only did my back...what's up with that?!! Don't they do the whole body including legs? They are a bunch of crap. read more

This is a review and some good info about TSA Pre check and the Global Entry program. If you've ever wondered how to get into the TA Precheck program, it's not that difficult but it is bureaucratic, costs some money, and you must be verified in person by Dept Homeland Security officials at a few select offices (mostly by airports). Google TSA Precheck or Global Entry and you'lleasy be able to find the link to apply. As I recall there's a $100 application fee and you have to have certain documents in order. If you're a Naturalized citizen, you have to have that doc ready too to enter in the number. Once you submit your application, you should receive an invite to make an appointment. The interview locations for me were Long Beach and LAX. Both were far for me, but you gotta do what you gotta do. The interview was a bunch of basic questions about why you needed it. At the time and prior to my last job, I did a lot of international travel and a fair amount of domestic travel. Assuming I'd continue this pattern, I opted for the Global Entry program. That was a good decision said the agent and here's why: The TSA Precheck only allows you to use it for domestic USA travel. Not international. And only you can use it. So if you're traveling with another non Precheck person, either tell them to meet you at the bar or curse them for not having it and waiting forty people deep with their non Precheck ass. Now here's why you should get the Global entry: you can use it for domestic travel and of course international. Now here's the best part: your spouse can piggy back off your Global Entry. Now I don't know if your friend or domestic partner can, but the agent says your spouse can. Note: not all airlines participate in Precheck. My favorite airlines JetBlue and southwest do. One thing I ask is that you don't email me a bunch of questions. I will ignore all of your questions. All the answers are on the website. But the main point of writing this is to help you save some time at the airport security screening stations and to encourage you to get the Global Entry instead of the regular TSA Precheck. read more

In principle I like Precheck. i got enrolled for free as part of joining Global Entry. No more taking off your shoes, taking your laptop bag out, removing your jacket, or other embarrassing searches. Imagine security twenty years ago, that's what it's like. Or even faster since so few people are currently enrolled in Precheck. The reality of Precheck is a little less rosy. There are few checkpoints and they may well be in an entirely different terminal from where you need to be. SFO currently offers Precheck in Terminal 3. Of course it's not at any of the checkpoints anywhere in the middle, where you check in or come out of the airtrain. It's at the checkpoint on the far edge of the terminal at the hallway to International. And not just at the edge, it's another 50 feet of walking past the security point, scanning your boarding pass, and then walking the 50 feet back again to the checkpoint you just passed. Yes it's fast, but by the time I'd walked way out there, and all the way back to my gate which was at the complete opposite end of the airport, the family who'd been on the airtrain with me had made it through regular TSA, meaning I in fact spent more time doing Precheck. Another consideration with Precheck is the intentions of the government. Are they eventually looking to have everyone enrolled, except for certain parts of the population? My husband was refused because has a criminal record (from when he was 17, he's since gone to college and grad school and has been an I.T. manager trusted with extensive sensitive data at two major universities). If everyone with a criminal record is automatically refused, that means the TSA will already be disproportionately targeting certain ethnic groups. And since they don't have to explain why they refused people (it's a "voluntary") program, they could easily reject people for, say, being Muslim. Once enough people sign up, they would essentially have divided security into 'desirables' who get an easy, hassle-free, no molestation checkpoint, while all the 'undesirables' end up being subjected to even more draconian measures. And since the program for desirables is "voluntary", the TSA has no accountability whatsoever. Highly questionable. read more

Covenant Aviation Security is slow and sadly their employees aren't incented by management to be anything but apathetic. They could also up their game on training employees consistently. I stupidly forgot that I was traveling with wine in my carry on and had to have both of my bags searched before exiting the terminal to check my roller bag. During the slow and inefficient search process (about 15 minutes), an employee of Covenant Aviation Security found a ball jar of muesli and chia that I had packed with a touch of Fage yogurt. I asked her if it was a permitted item. She said yes. I asked her if-just to be safe-I should put it in the bag I was checking. She said no. After checking my bag, I came back to TSA precheck. She happened to have rotated to checking tickets before the metal detectors. I asked her: "my carry on isn't going to be searched this time is it?" She remembered me from searching my bag fifteen minutes prior and said maybe, indifferently. By then after waiting in the security line twice, I was close to missing my flight. A little customer service and consistency would have been nice. It was particularly disappointing when her manager didn't think it was a big deal, stating "it was just a mistake". read more

We experienced a very unbelievable incident during a recent trip to Maui from S.F. Int'l Airport. We departed on 6/15/17, checked in our bags fully assuming we would receive upon arrival into Maui. When we arrived in Maui one of our luggage's was missing. The nightmare began. Went thru the steps of filing a claim and even then fully intending to receive the following day. We flew on Hawaiian Airlines which was beyond unprofessional and incompetent. The representatives we dealt with in Maui of Hawaiian Airlines were unprofessional and incompetent. When our luggage was not found after 24hrs we were told by Hawaiian that once the bags are checked in at airline counter it is "out of their hands". We were advised by Hawaiian officials that bags are sent to TSA and at that point "anything could happen". We are investigating currently both TSA at International Terminal at SFO and Hawaiian Airlines. Our bag was found five weeks after we initially checked it in on 6/15/17. We received a call from luggage claim check for United in Texas on July 13th!!!!! How it turned up in Houston, Texas we have no idea! We owe a great deal to that efficient and conscientious employee at United in Texas since she took it upon herself to check contents and found our last name on a dental retainer. With that info she went into a claim platform and found we had filed a claim back on 6/15/17. When we received the bag four days later it was clear what had happened. The bag had been tampered with. Our personal luggage tag with ID had obviously been torn off and the contents was destroyed. Soles off of expensive shoes had been taken off, padding from bras was ripped out, etc. Gold jewelry was stolen among other expensive items. What happened? Did baggage handlers at SFO for Hawaiian tamper with our bag or was it TSA? Whoever did, clearly discarded the bag with the intent that it would not be found and traced back to SFO International Terminal. One thing we are sure of is that we have a third party investigation company looking into this and since we have the exact airline, time of check in, date, etc. this mystery will be solved. ONE IMPORTANT BIT OF INFORMATION; IT WAS BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION THAT HAWAIIAN AIRLINES IS THE ONLY AIRLINE AT SFO THAT DOES NOT HAVE A TRACKING SYSTEM ON THEIR LUGGAGE........WE WILL NEVER FLY HAWAIIAN AGAIN BT read more

Terminal 2 Tsa per check I was randomly selected for additionally security no problem however the only person available was busy with another women. I kindly asked if there was another person to help me and she was very rude and said no you will have to wait. May I remind you that I pay your salary and her and the X-ray lady were very rude laughing at me. She should be fired from her 15 an hr job. Disrespectful and rude. read more

Employees at TSA PreCheck at Terminal 2 EXTREMELY rude. Can't ask a question without someone raising their voice, and was asked, "Do you speak English?" when I couldn't hear him mumbling his response. So incredibly and unnecessarily rude. Best keep your head down and your mouth shut while going through SFO security unless you want to be patronized. read more

I left SFO int'l terminal, gate 93 on Sept. 3, 2015. With all the stress from returned rental car, got lost, long lines at the airline check in and long lines at tsa...I forgot I had a small bottle of coconut water. After security screening they found it and I offered to drink it right away but the officer said no. I would like to know the reason. For what security reason that we can not drink an unopened beverage in front of tsa? I can only think the officer wanted to drink it himself so he would not allow me to drink it. read more