That’s the ticket

Austin airport adds new TSA PreCheck enrollment in 5 minutes or less

No need to schedule an appointment for TSA PreCheck enrollment.

Courtesy of ABIA/Facebook

Have you stood in line for what seems like forever at an Austin-Bergstrom International Airport security checkpoint? The airport is making it easier to sign up for a faster way to pass through security.

Tech company IDEMIA just rolled out an initiative that offers onsite TSA PreCheck enrollment for departing passengers without the need to schedule an appointment.

The airport says TSA PreCheck enrollment takes five minutes or less. During enrollment, a passenger must supply a government-issued photo ID, proof of U.S. citizenship, and fingerprints. Most passengers will receive their Known Identity Number, which enables someone to go through TSA PreCheck, within three to five days.

TSA PreCheck is designed to speed up the security process for low-risk passengers. Airports with TSA PreCheck set up special lanes for passengers who have a Known Identity Number.

The onsite enrollment service “has proven popular with travelers at the airports where we have deployed this new option, and now those through Austin can take advantage of this new convenient service,” says Donnie Scott, CEO of IDEMIA I&S North America.

The service kicked off June 23 in Austin. IDEMIA’s TSA PreCheck enrollment “ambassadors” are stationed just past airport security checkpoints in easy-to-spot uniforms and with specially equipped carts to enroll passengers.

“As our airport welcomes more travelers this year than ever in our history, increasing access to TSA PreCheck gives AUS travelers more options for an easier experience,” says Jacqueline Yaft, the airport’s CEO. “We have been working hard with our TSA partners to improve passenger processing, and look forward to our continued partnership and shared goal of delivering an excellent airport journey.”

AUS is expected to welcome a record-breaking 22 million passengers this year.

Gilbert Almaraz, TSA’s federal security director in Texas, says 94 percent of TSA PreCheck passengers waited less than five minutes last month in lines at airport security checkpoints. TSA PreCheck passengers aren’t required to take off their shoes and belts, and they can leave TSA-compliant liquids and laptops in their bags.

TSA PreCheck costs $85 for a five-year period.

vacation

santa loves sunshine

Austin heats up as 4th best warm destination for U.S. winter travel

Trail of Lights Austin

Austinites love visiting the Trail of Lights every year during the winter holidays.

Mariah Carey isn't the only one defrosting in preparation for the winter season: Austin has warmed up as one of WalletHub's top five best warm weather travel destinations for 2024.

Every year, WalletHub's analysts divide nearly 70 of the biggest U.S. metropolitan areas into two categories: the top "warm" and "cold" weather destinations. The study evaluated every metro based on 37 factors, including travel costs, local costs, weather predictions, and safety.

Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown earned a score of 67.84 out of 100 possible points to claim the sunny No. 4 spot nationally in 2024. The metro slipped one spot from its previous 2023 ranking, allowing Dallas-Fort Worth to move into the No. 3 spot this year. Austin previously ranked No. 1 in 2021 and No. 2 in 2022.

Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, Nevada (No. 1), San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, California (No. 2), and Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, Arizona rounded out the top five best warm-weather winter destinations.

The Central Texas metro ranked No. 3 in the national "travel costs and hassles" categories, showing major favorability towards the busy yet efficient Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. Austin's near year-round sunshine earned it No. 6 in the "weather" ranking out of all 69 U.S. metros.

Here's how Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown performed in the remaining four categories:

No. 10 – Attractions rank
No. 12 – Warm weather activities rank
No. 19 – Local costs rank
No. 25 – Safety rank

As in previous years, the highest concentration of top warm weather destinations was in Florida (10 metros), followed by Texas (nine metros), then California (eight metros).

Besides DFW and Austin, the only other Texas metro to earn a spot in the top 10 in 2024 was Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land (No. 6). San Antonio-New Braunfels slipped from No. 5 in 2023 to No. 11 this year.

Atlanta, Georgia ranked No. 1 once again on the list of best cold weather destinations for winter vacations, outdoing New York City, New York (No. 2), Washington, D.C. (No. 3), and Chicago, Illinois (No. 4).

"Whether you love to have a chill in your bones during the winter travel season or prefer to escape to somewhere sunny, the top travel destinations can cost as little as $200-$300 to reach by plane from major U.S. cities, with no connections," said WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo. "In addition to being affordable, the top cities also have an abundance of attractions that fit their weather patterns, along with high-quality restaurants and relatively low crime rates."

The top 10 best warm weather destinations for winter vacations are:

No. 1 – Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, Nevada
No. 2 – San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, California
No. 3 – Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, Texas
No. 4 – Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, Texas
No. 5 – Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, Arizona
No. 6 – Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, Texas
No. 7 – San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, California
No. 8 – Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, Florida
No. 9 – Charleston-North Charleston, South Carolina
No. 10 – Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, Florida

For the purpose of the study, "cold" weather was determined to be less than or equal to 46 degrees Fahrenheit, while "warm" weather was greater than or equal to 57 degrees Fahrenheit. Both guidelines were analyzed based on the 50-year average December temperatures.

The full report and its methodology can be found on wallethub.com.

reports wallethub vacations destinations austin round rock georgetown