TSA Issues Serious New Warning for Idaho Costco Members Traveling This Summer

Summer travel season is underway and there have been a number of changes that Idaho travelers should be aware of before heading to BOI or another one of Idaho’s airports. 

United Airlines Quietly Updates Major Policy for Idaho Travelers

Compared to Southwest announcing the end of their popular “bags fly free” perk, a recent change at United went virtually unnoticed in the headlines but it could impact your summer vacation if you’re flying with the carrier. 

Beginning June 3, United is requiring domestic travelers to check-in for their flights no less than 45 minutes before their scheduled departure, whether you’re checking luggage or not. Before the change, travelers could check in as close to their departure as 30 minutes. More on the change HERE. 

Southwest Airlines Now Restricting A Common Carry-On Item

As we mentioned, Southwest has already been in the news for adding baggage fees after decades of using “bags fly free” as a selling point to potential customers. However, they did recently change another policy regarding an item that you’re likely to have in your carry-on bag. 

As of May 28, passengers are no longer allowed to use portable chargers or power banks if they’re inside their carry-on bags or inside an overhead bin, due to fire risk. More on the change HERE. 

Idahoans Need to Embrace the REAL ID Requirements

Of course, the biggest change between the last summer travel season and this one is that the REAL ID requirements are now being enforced at security checkpoints inside all American airports, including Boise Airport and others throughout the state. 

READ MORE: TSA Issues Urgent Juice Jacking Warning for Idaho Travelers 

The guidelines went into effect on May 7, but as of June 1, only 58% of Idaho licenses and IDs are Star Cards. There are no legal obligations requiring Idahoans to upgrade to the Star Card as long as they have an alternate form of identification that meets the REAL ID standards. 

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Those options include: 

• U.S. passport
• U.S. passport card
• DHS trusted traveler cards (Global Entry, NEXUS, SENTRI, FAST)
• U.S. Department of Defense ID, including IDs issued to dependents
• Permanent resident card
• Border crossing card
• An acceptable photo ID issued by a federally recognized Tribal Nation/Indian Tribe, including Enhanced Tribal Cards (ETCs)
• HSPD-12 PIV card
• Foreign government-issued passport
• Canadian provincial driver's license or Indian and Northern Affairs Canada card
• Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC)
• U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Employment Authorization Card (I-766)
• U.S. Merchant Mariner Credential
• Veteran Health Identification Card (VHIC)

They don’t include your Costco Membership card. 

TSA Issues Stern Warning to Idaho Costco Members

Yes, I feel silly typing that but the official Transportation Security Administration Facebook page legitimately made this post on June 4: 

After a little internet sleuthing we found the party that may have been guilty of starting this rumor. The original version of this Chowhound article linked to a Reddit thread where people claimed that in the past, they had been able to use their Costco membership card to sail through TSA security if they’d forgotten their driver’s license. Based on the comments on the TSA’s post, plenty of people say that they’ve done it before.

However, now that the REAL ID guidelines are in place, a Costco card alone will NOT save you. A TSA representative spoke to SFGATE and explained that if a traveler shows up at an airport, they could potentially use a Costco card to start the process of verifying their identity. However, the complete verification process goes far deeper than just looking at a photo ID. 

The process is lengthy and will likely result in you being removed from the security line for more questioning, which could cause you to miss your flight. 

So while your Costco membership may have a “gold star” on it, it is NOT an Idaho Star Card. Never bank on it as a surefire way to get through security.