The Best Christmas Gift For Any Traveler Is Stress-Free And TSA-Approved

Everyone has someone on their holiday gift list for whom the perfect gift is often a mystery. Have you waited too late to order anything and have it sent in time for the holidays? If you have a frequent traveler on your gifting list, you may be in luck. Consider giving your traveler the gift of less time waiting and more time relaxing. This specific gift is most beneficial for airport travelers and is truly the gift that keeps on giving (well, for about five years, anyway). What are we talking about? Giving the gift of TSA PreCheck, of course!

Hold on a minute; can you gift TSA PreCheck to someone else? How do you go about gifting TSA PreCheck to a first-time user? It's a lot easier than you think. There are a few procedures you'll need to follow in order to successfully gift TSA PreCheck to someone else. Learn exactly how this helpful process for travelers can be gifted with these simple tips you can follow from the comfort of your home.

The short answer is yes, you can give membership in TSA PreCheck as a gift. The long answer is there are a few steps you'll have to take in order to gift this successfully. In case you are unfamiliar with it, TSA PreCheck is the name of the process that pre-approves U.S. citizens to expedite the security line at more than 200 airports in the United States. The designation of TSA PreCheck helps you get through airport security faster as shoes and light jackets can be kept on, and liquids and laptops can stay in your carry-on bags while being screened.

My husband and I purchased TSA PreCheck a few years ago, and it has been a game-changer for our travels, especially when we are flying with our kids. All children 17 and younger can be screened with their parents who have TSA PreCheck on their boarding pass without having to pay for it. That's a huge bonus for traveling families. It's especially helpful when we're running behind and don't have time to check the airport's current TSA wait times. We know the security process will already be faster because we can keep everyone's shoes on, and we don't have to unpack any carry-on luggage. It couldn't be any easier.

If you're considering gifting TSA PreCheck to a friend or family member, you can pay for the cost of the application process online, in person at the enrollment center, or with cash or a gift card if you want to give them a "present" to open. The giftee will still need to physically need to visit an enrollment location after the initial online application process. Credit cards are the only form of payment accepted when applying online.

Other options worth looking into are credit card statements or loyalty programs. Certain credit cards, such as the Capital One Venture Card, specific American Express cards, or Delta SkyMiles cards, offer credit card statement credits that cover most or all of the cost of the application. Loyalty programs such as IHG One Rewards, Marriott Bonvoy, Orbitz Rewards Platinum Members, and United Mileage Plus offer the benefit of redeeming points or miles toward the cost of the TSA PreCheck application.