TSA pre-check enrollment center opens near Midway

The Transportation Security Administration renewed its push Tuesday to get airline passengers to sign up for the TSA pre-check program.

The agency opened a temporary enrollment center at the Hyatt hotel in the 6500-block of South Cicero Avenue near Midway International Airport.

It will be open 10 a.m. - 7 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday and 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. The application fee is $85 and is good for five years.

To make an appointment, apply online at www.tsa.gov/tsa-precheck/apply.

Travelers approved for TSA pre-check can get through security lines easier and faster.

Security lines at Midway International Airport have been extremely long recently. A computer glitch with Southwest Airlines last week added to the wait by creating massive lines at check in. Passengers were stuck at the airport for hours.

A passenger named Lucy, who was affected by the Southwest outage, said she is strongly considering enrolling in the program.

"It's easier to log on and get in. You don't have to really wait," Lucy said.

There are other application centers at Midway Airport and around Chicago. But officials said the need was so great they decided to set up a temporary location at the Hyatt Place Chicago-Midway to help passengers get started.