One of the few times that a premium experience for the better off improves the experience for the lesser well off. As opposed to credit cards, with their rewards for those who can afford them, resulting in raised prices for people who can only pay in cash. As someone who uses pre-check, I love this outcome.
Keep in mind pre-check isn't just about line times (though there are plenty of times it's drastically different). You also don't have to unpack your stuff, or take off your shoes, or go through the mm wave scanners. The funniest part is that that's still the standard experience in many other countries: with pre-check, we're paying for a "downgrade" in security theater!
I don’t understand the “security theater” criticism.
There hasn’t been an airplane hijack or terrorist attack since 9/11.
That is not proof that we can relax security checks. Nor is it proof that it’s just about the locked pilot doors.
If anything, it’s proof that the system has worked well so far.
It's not proof of anything, including not proof that it works.
The catalytic converter was stolen off of my father's car, was replaced, and then was stolen again. When it was replaced the second time, he very seriously considered paying for anti-theft devices to accompany its replacement. In the end, he chose not to purchase or install any anti-theft devices. His catalytic converter hasn't been stolen since. Just as this is not proof that choosing to do nothing has prevented subsequent theft, if he had purchased a device, the absence of a subsequent theft would not be proof of its effectiveness.
The Flight 93 movie making heros out of people resisting hijackers (and making it known that hijacking wasn't just a diversion to Cuba anymore) was the only thing we ever needed to fix the system.
Keep in mind pre-check isn't just about line times (though there are plenty of times it's drastically different). You also don't have to unpack your stuff, or take off your shoes, or go through the mm wave scanners. The funniest part is that that's still the standard experience in many other countries: with pre-check, we're paying for a "downgrade" in security theater!