ORLANDO, Fla., April 19 (UPI) -- Of the 20 busiest U.S. airports, only Orlando, Fla., has hired a company to run its Registered Traveler program to speed travelers through checkpoints.
Four major airports have already said no, four more say they are skeptical and a dozen others are undecided even as the program prepares for its debut June 20, USA Today reported.
Registered Traveler was pushed by Congress for years as a way to speed up post-Sept. 11, 2001, security lines. Air travelers who pay a fee and pass a background check will be able to use a biometric card to enter a reserved security line.
"Unless the (Transportation Security Administration) is willing to accept improvements in the screening process, then there's really no incentive for a businessperson to spend $100 to be a Registered Traveler," said Tim Anderson, deputy executive operations director at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.
Bill Connors, executive director of the National Business Travel Association, said he thinks support for the program could still pick up.
"If momentum gains -- and it will -- airports will be hard-pressed to be competitive without this service," he said.
