There is actually no need to stand in line when traveling

(NerdWallet) – Why is standing in line so difficult? After all, there isn’t much difference between waiting in line and hanging out at the departure gate. And still, one feels almost subhuman, and the other is completely normal.

Whatever the initial psychological reason, standing in line can be a huge challenge for travelers. According to the Transportation Security Administration, about 626 million passengers passed through airport security in October 2022, which would form a line long enough to reach the moon.

Nevertheless, waiting in airport security and in other queues is almost completely avoidable. Experienced travelers know how to skip the most unpleasant queues and – most importantly – how not to pay for it. Here we share some of our favorite tips for skipping the lines and saving on the budget.

Airport security

Few things make a traveler’s heart sink faster than the sight of winding airport security lines.

If last summer is any indication, airport security may increase impressed this holiday season. According to a survey of 4,000 people by PwC, also known as PricewaterhouseCoopers, almost half (46%) of travelers plan to fly on these holidays, up from 40% in 2021 and 33% in 2020.

There are usually three ways to avoid these lines, although how they interact and overlap is not always clear.

TSA Pre-Check

TSA offers a PreCheck program for travelers from the United States. Members receive several benefits when they go through airport security:

• A separate checkpoint is available at most airports. According to the TSA, in October 2022, 90% of wait times were less than five minutes.
• Fewer restrictions at checkpoints. Participants do not need to remove shoes or light jackets or go through body scanners.

PreCheck costs $78 for five years of membership, which works out to $15.60 per year. But there is There are many ways to offset the PreCheck feeincluding a lot of travel credit cards that compensate for this. You can also use some points and miles to pay the fee, but this is not always the most economical way.

Global login

You know that long line that takes forever when you’re trying to get back into the US from another country? You don’t have to wait for it either. US Customs and Border Protection Global Entry Program allows pre-screened passengers to use self-service kiosks when going through immigration.

Here’s the thing: TSA PreCheck is included with Global Entry membership (but not the other way around). You may be scratching your head wondering why anyone would sign up for TSA PreCheck and not Global Entry. To be honest, if there is a lot to consider choice between two programs.

See the table below for the full breakdown. Basically, travelers who don’t travel internationally a lot and don’t want to deal with the hassle of an in-person interview should opt for TSA PreCheck. Everyone else is probably better off with Global Entry.

It’s clear

Yes, there is another option, although it is actually an addition to the previous options. Clear is a private company that provides biometric screening at many airports and allows passengers to skip the start of the security line (to the point where they check your ID)

You can have a Clear membership without a TSA PreCheck membership, which means you still have to take your shoes off. Or you can combine them both for an even faster line (at participating airports).

The big catch is the price. Clear costs $189 per year (rather than every five years like the other two services). Although it is easy to find discounts and credit card offers that will beat that price.

Car rental

It’s frustrating to get off a long flight, take a shuttle to a car rental location, and then be stuck in a long line at the car rental desk. But even this line, like most others, can be skipped – usually for free.

• Avis preferred. In many locations, simply signing up for the Avis loyalty program allows you to skip the line and pick up your car directly from the parking lot.
• Hertz Gold Plus Rewards. It might seem fancy (and expensive) to get Gold Plus status, which allows you to skip the Hertz car rental counter altogether, but it’s also free.
• National Emerald Club. This free tier of the loyalty program allows you to grab a car from the “Emerald Aisle” (get it?) when you book a medium or larger car.

Some travel credit cards and airline and hotel elite status programs also offer them higher level of benefits with these car rental loyalty programs. But if you just want to skip the line, all you have to do is register.

Hotels

There are two queues that frequent travelers miss when staying at a hotel. (No one can do anything about slow elevators.)

Arrival

Most hotel loyalty programs offer special lines for elite status members. While these status levels aren’t free like they are for rental cars, they can usually be earned with branded credit cards, many of which carry low fees.

Otherwise, more hotel brands are offering mobile check-in, which is what it sounds like. You can use your phone to check into your room and even unlock your door. For example, The Marriott Bonvoy app contactless check-in feature, so you can get through the lobby and the line of weary travelers.

Cash register

This tip is the easiest of all. In most hotels, you don’t have to wait to check. You can simply drop your keys in the box at the front desk, check out using your phone, or (in many cases) simply check out. This is especially useful for a late check-out to avoid the after-dinner queue of newbies.

Bottom line

No one likes to stand in line during a trip (except, perhaps, those people who stand at the gate before their boarding group is called). However, many of the worst lines are completely avoidable.

Signing up for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry is the most time-consuming and costly of these options, but membership lasts for five years and takes a lot of the hassle out of it. And car rental loyalty programs and hotel mobile check-in programs are free.

But trust us, pressing the hotel elevator button a few times won’t make it appear any faster.