LOT Polish Airlines has joined TSA PreCheck, closing a notable ground-service gap for eligible passengers departing the United States on the carrier’s transatlantic flights.
The airline confirmed its participation on October 19, saying passengers can now enter a Known Traveler Number during check-in through its website, mobile app or airport counters. When the Transportation Security Administration approves the passenger for expedited screening, the resulting boarding pass displays the TSA PreCheck indicator required to enter a dedicated lane.
The benefit applies to departures from US airports where TSA PreCheck lanes are operating. It does not change immigration or customs processing when passengers arrive in the United States, and enrollment does not guarantee expedited screening on every journey.
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KTN support added to LOT check-in
LOT has added a Known Traveler Number field to its online check-in process. The airline advises passengers to enter the KTN exactly as issued and then verify that the TSA PreCheck mark appears on the boarding pass before proceeding to security.
That check is operationally important. Airline participation is more than access to a shorter queue: the carrier must collect the traveler’s identifying information, transmit it through the US Secure Flight process and print or display the correct result on the boarding pass.
TSA data illustrates how easily that chain can break. In a June 2025 passenger complaint report, the agency attributed 72.1% of the PreCheck complaints it could analyze to traveler errors during the reservation process, including an incorrect or omitted KTN and mismatched personal details.
LOT’s passenger guidance for the new service therefore emphasizes both accurate KTN entry and the boarding-pass indicator. A membership card or KTN by itself does not provide access to the expedited lane.
Passengers approved for TSA PreCheck generally may leave compliant liquids and electronics in their carry-on baggage while keeping shoes, belts and light jackets on. Screening procedures remain subject to TSA instructions at the checkpoint, and the agency can direct any traveler into standard or additional screening.
Eligibility extends beyond travelers enrolled directly in TSA PreCheck. Qualifying members of US Customs and Border Protection trusted-traveler programs, including Global Entry, NEXUS and SENTRI, may also receive PreCheck access when their eligible number and biographical details are correctly attached to the booking.
Benefit covers LOT’s US gateways
At the time of the announcement, LOT’s nonstop US network linked Warsaw Chopin (WAW) with New York John F. Kennedy (JFK), Newark (EWR), Chicago O’Hare (ORD), Los Angeles (LAX), Miami (MIA) and San Francisco (SFO).
San Francisco was the newest point in that network. LOT opened the seasonal route in May 2026 with up to four weekly flights and scheduled the initial season through October 22. The route made SFO its sixth regular US destination.
The PreCheck addition is particularly relevant to LOT’s US operation because the airline advises long-haul passengers to arrive three hours before departure. Expedited security does not shorten check-in or document-control requirements, but it removes one of the more variable stages of the departure process for approved travelers.
LOT operates its intercontinental network with the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Its Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner carries 252 passengers, comprising 18 Business Class, 21 Premium Economy and 213 Economy seats. The larger Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner accommodates 294 passengers with 24 Business Class, 21 Premium Economy and 249 Economy seats.
Both variants give LOT a three-cabin product across the Atlantic and the range to operate its US services nonstop from Warsaw. The 787-9’s additional capacity is useful on higher-volume sectors, while the smaller 787-8 provides a better capacity fit for thinner long-haul markets and seasonal routes.
A passenger benefit with no fare restriction
TSA PreCheck eligibility is attached to the traveler and the individual flight rather than the booked cabin. An approved Economy passenger receives the same checkpoint privileges as an approved Business Class passenger, provided the indicator appears on the boarding pass.
That makes LOT’s participation broader than a conventional premium-ground-service improvement. Business Class travelers may already have access to priority check-in and other airport services, but PreCheck reaches eligible passengers throughout the aircraft and addresses the federally controlled security stage that airline status alone cannot expedite.
Bottom Line
For LOT, joining TSA PreCheck is a relatively small systems change with an outsized effect on the US passenger experience. The airline has spent recent years building Warsaw as a connecting point between North America and Central and Eastern Europe; supporting the trusted-traveler program brings its departure product closer to what frequent US-based customers expect from a long-haul carrier.
The immediate beneficiaries are regular transatlantic travelers who already hold TSA PreCheck or an eligible CBP trusted-traveler membership. The change is especially useful at large gateways such as JFK, EWR, ORD and LAX, where uncertainty at the security checkpoint can erode the value of priority services elsewhere in the journey.
Execution will matter more than the announcement. LOT must consistently carry KTN data through bookings, check-in and boarding-pass issuance, including reservations created through agencies and partner channels. If that process proves reliable, PreCheck removes a practical disadvantage for LOT as it competes for higher-yield US traffic and considers the next stage of its North American network.
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