I have Global Entry and it is great. My NJ drivers license is (still!) not TSA compliant so my Global Entry card works without needing to bring my passport.
Everyone who ever even thinks they will travel internationally should download Mobile Passport. When I travel with my husband (who doesn’t have Global Entry) this is by far the best way to speed your way through passport control.
3
"I love flying [As a means of getting from A to B -- T.X.], but I hate airports. Specifically, I hate the endless lines".
Wholly in agreement. Lately, my wife and I have been flying less and only shorter distances. Psalm 37, 3: so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.
3
I am sorry to report that flying out and in recently into JFK Terminal One was a total disaster, especially compared to experiences with airports in Europe where I wasn’t even a citizen arriving.
Flying into and out of Heathrow in August should be a lesson to all US international airports. So organized. Clear signage. Wait times in under 10 minutes. This was also true in Germany. And we have US passports not European.
Returning to US was a mess in contrast. Long lines, poor signage,
uninformed airport personnel, long slow 45 minute lines. It was really a sad reflection on what has become of America. Where has our efficiency and pragmatism gone to?
And frankly, we wouldn’t need all this security to begin with if the “terrorist weren’t winning”. It’s ridiculous that we live in such a world. Not led by wisemen and peacemakers but fear mongers, religious fanatics, weapons manufacturers, and scoundrels.
I would love to see an article in NYT on the history of security at airports and why. There wasn’t any when I was a kid. Now they created a bottle neck and asked those that can pay, to pay to avoid it. It’s just like Disney World.
How are humans making the world a better place? News alert: we are not. Pollution, environment degradation, global warming, religious strife and wars, tribalism, fake communism, it’s all a road to nowhere. Good job humans!
33
Doubtless these programs are fine but how do we get TSA officials to stop pilfering from our luggage? Security has multiple applications but light fingered tsa officials are not convincing in delivering security.
12
What's the point? I am a US citizen since birth, no record, and yet my global entry application has been "in process" since May. Their excuse? The "border crisis".
21
I got Global Entry & TSA Precheck specifically because I had both knees replaced last year and knew I would be lighting up metal detectors at all venues. I have a card from my doctor specifying the location of the metal and took the additional step of laminating small copies of x-rays showing the implants on the back of it.
While I have had relatively little trouble traveling overseas, domestic flights, ruled by the TSA are another matter. When I approach the detector part of the Precheck line, I show my card, and one of two things happens. If there is an available body scanner, I get directed to that. If they only have a standard metal detector, what occurred at LaGuardia this week is a typical example:
- deer in headlights expression from agent.
Get told to collect scanned bags, go back through line, and get a note from desk agent. Go to other line with body scanner. Told to take liquids and iPad out of bag, even though they were already scanned. Asked why I'm wearing shoes/jacket, even though their note says I am Precheck and don't need to remove them. Get body scanned. Get patted down. Strange 'bulge' in jacket identified as padded hood. "Nice hoodie buddy! Where did you get that?" Finally collect bags again and leave.
It is all RIDICULOUS. The whole point of Precheck is that you are determined in advance not to be a threat. Medical implants are not uncommon, but I've yet to find one domestic airport who knows how to handle them.
31
Until such time that we can leave our shoes on, the terrorists won. It's been two decades.
24
Here's a novel solution: Check in online and show up at the airport one hour before your flight. You'll make your plane--no security line is that long. It is amazing, really, the lengths folks will go and money they will pay to save, what, 30 minutes, maybe. These deals to get into shorter lines are solutions in search of problems.
5
Being screened by TSA at airports is mandatory in the United States. It is government enforced, and all citizens are subject to it. All citizens should have equal access and rights during this process. Improved service and treatment by the TSA should not be contingent upon having the money to pay for it.
This is a creeping issue. Those who can afford it, may pay a fee to expedite the issuance of their US passport. There is talk in major cities about alleviating traffic by allowing drivers access to certain public roads, in exchange for fees.
For the most part, working with government agencies is frustrating. The only way to correct this for all is for all to be treated equally. Our constitution insists on equality, our government needs to rethink their programs to embrace it .
18
According to a very high-placed coworker, only Global Entry can really speed up one's processing through Customs. Because the Pre Check people are all relegated to the the hours-long queue with all those other non-Global Entry passengers. Any program other than Global Entry is not a government program and will not ever be given priority over the official government programs. No contest.
6
It should be noted that after you go through CLEAR you are taken to the TSA Pre Check line, so it in effect includes TSA Pre Check --allowing you to jump to the front of both the ID-check line and security.
I fly every other month from Denver (don't judge - you don't know why I'm flying), usually domestic, and have TSA Pre Check, CLEAR, and Global Entry. I love CLEAR and TSA Pre Check and consistently breeze through very long lines. Worth it. Unless your Global Entry also includes TSA Pre Check it's primarily useful when flying into USA from another country.
I obtained Global Entry a few years ago and recently renewed it, after receiving conditional approval online, by showing up for an interview on arrival at JFK. The GE office is located right next to the kiosks, and there was only a short wait (one person in front of me). The renewal interview was likewise short (less than 10 minutes) and the CBP officer was friendly and courteous. Even with the interview, it wasn’t as bad as the regular passport line (I’ve waiting as long as 40 minutes at some airports). If you travel overseas even twice a year, I think it’s worth it. Waiting times for new applicant interviews have gotten longer - we were told that was because many CBP officers who used to do this have been moved to the Mexican border. So now you know who to blame.
Once in a while, even with GE/TSA Pre, you are selected for special screening and get the dreaded SSSS on your boarding pass. How much difficulty this will add depends on the airport, but at least the code will warn you to show up early. (This has happened to me about 5% of the time, but your experience may vary.)
And while it’s true that sometimes the TSA Precheck lines are as long as the regular ones, you don’t have to take off your shoes, unpack your liquids, or empty your pockets to go through the body scanner. So it’s still a better deal.
7
Two experiences with Global Entry: one great using the kiosk returning from France, zipped right through. The other, had to go thru Customs and have my bag searched as I was bringing back some expensive Sea Salt (to cook with!) and there was some suspicion that I would use it for nefarious purposes. Oh, and the sharp metal edges of my contact lense packaging was also scrutinized. Now I know in the future that these items will handy, not in a suitcase!
For a person such as myself who is a 24/7 caregiver for my wheelchair bound wife suffering advanced Parkinson's disease
and who may fall down if standing up for long periods of time .last year we were given a courtesy pre screening at JFK however in the return from RDU no pre checks at all they put my wife through hell scanning her with 2 different TSA attendents for 25 minutes while she was in the wheelchair .
We can't apply in person because of medical issues ,why as we are in our mid 70's or older can't this TSA pre check be done by mail or in person locally with our NYS enchanced Motor vehicle ID from the DMV as our proof as citizens.
28
PreCheck is well worth it. At Orlando one Christmas season, there were four of us at PreCheck, and about three hundred trying to get through regular security. I felt terribly for some of those people who probably missed their flights through no fault of their own.
5
Oh, dream on, if you think these costly extras are going to work smoothly and really make life easier. Caveat Emptor!
Example 1. I arrived at the border in Tijuana to find a line, oh, half a mile long. No signs. I went to the front, spoke to an American Customs guard to ask if there was a separate line for US Citizens. He burst into a lecture saying "turn around and look, half those people are US citizens, just get in line with everyone else!" A few minutes later, I pulled out my trusted traveler card went back and asked 'is this of any use at this crosspoint?'
I got another lecture: "why didn't you say so? We wish all you people would just get this. C'mon, I'll show you."
No signs any where, no nothing except Mr. Nasty, a $100 charge and an interview at my local airport. I did get across without waiting a day.
#2. was at my local airport, with no one attending the trusted traveler line. I was told I could "just use any line" along with the other 30 +/- people in each line. When I said no, that was not why I had the card, I was supplied someone who gave me a thorough search and pat-down, including requiring that I remove my hearing aids while they examined my walking cane. Did it open? It had to be x-rayed; I could take it to the x-ray machine while I was watched. Returning, there ensued a search for my hearing aids which were still in a basket stacked beneath other baskets. Another lecture about MY responsibilities.
13
NEXUS (application available on the U.S. Trusted Traveller Program website) is half the price of Global Entry. It includes expedited entry into Canada and virtually all the benefits of Global Entry.
The only disadvantage is that it requires an interview and biometrics session at a Canadian airport or selected land border crossing.
https://www.cbp.gov/travel/trusted-traveler-programs/nexus
7
Anyone who registers their eyeballs with entity in order to shorten their wait time needs to have their heads examined--or for any purpose for that matter--needs to have their heads examined. They're probably the same people uploaded their photos to the Russian company to see what they look like in 30 years.
16
Very simple solution. Stay home. Don’t fly unless absolutely necessary.
2
"I love flying, but I hate airports."
I think what you might have really meant was "I love flying, but I hate AMERICAN airports."
Same here.
25
Your article encouraged me to complete my Global Entry application. After one hour of one failure after another on the site from authentication (lack of instruction and/or link to pre authorization app) to no centers or alternative available for interview (one option I found after clicking on neighboring states was Long Beach airport in June 2020 - I live in OR) to no relevant support in FAQs and the link to support not operative. I gave up. This appears to be a great program in theory.
9
Who else should skip Global Entry: Anyone with ANY criminal conviction EVER, even misdemeanors. I was told a single misdemeanor I got when I was young and dumb in college more than 20 years ago would likely get me rejected for Global Entry. So I went for (and got) TSA PreCheck instead.
1
"I love flying, but I hate airports. "
Now let me get this straight: you love sitting in these cigar tubes with the seats that require all overweight people to have their elbows in your ribs?
I've read enough, Geoffrey.
9
I hate the lines, possibly to the level of clinical neurosis. I have Global Entry and Clear.
Clear saved me an hour-long line the last time I flew out of my hometown of La Paz (a pseudonym for a city deep in the heart of the Lone Star state) because so many hipsters in this burgh now have either TSA PreCheck or Global Entry. To be fair, TSA had poker-faced dogs sniffing us that day, too.
You've provided good advice that hope not too many people follow.
I have found NEXUS to be the best deal. $50 5 years giving you TSA Pre and Global Entry. The best is using the NEXUS lanes when heading south from Detroit to Canada.
5
Best way to get through the TSA line is not to fly.
9
TSA Pre-Check is evidence of the security charade that Americans have come to accept as normal.
45
Everyone who travels abroad and doesn’t have Global Entry should have Mobile Passport.
While it doesn’t get you through TSA any faster, it surely gets you through Immigration quickly.
2
Applied for global entry and paid the $100 fee five months ago. Still have heard nothing.
14
I appreciate the programs like Global Entry and have been a member for years. That being said, the administration of the program has been frustrating. In June I received a message from DHS warning that my Global Entry was expiring and I should renew it. I promptly applied online and even paid $100 to renew Global Entry. Since then, whenever I have checked online, I get a message that authorization is in process.
What do I need to do? Do I need to make an appointment?
Who the heck knows? When I call my local Global Entry office or the national CBP consumer office I never get a response. Some of the websites I am directed to are dead. Can someone get back to me?? This is no way to run a business.
8
What about the global warming crisis? I thought we were supposed to be flying LESS (or none), so why push ways to make it easier? Just yesterday, the Times wrote
“A small group of frequent fliers, 12 percent of Americans who make more than six round trips by air a year, are responsible for two-thirds of all air travel and, by extension, two-thirds of aviation emissions, according to a new analysis by the International Council on Clean Transportation, a nonprofit research group.”
So why try to make THEIR lives easier? If flying were harder, maybe they’d come up with some other way to do business.
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/10/17/climate/flying-shame-emissions.html
12
@Suzan
The only way possible to make a difference with those people is in some way to single them out, get them through and reduce the total nutjob crowding at airports.
Making the lives of frequent travelers worse is likely to create a backlash, and to what possible use?
Appeal to their employers, their good sense, their willingness to give up something. Figure out a way to reward not traveling -- making video conferencing tax deductible, on a personal IRS form reward someone for taking fewer trips than last year. Set up some tie-in with bringing jobs back to America.
"If flying were harder, maybe they’d come up with some other way to do business." They long ago did that and it involved sending the jobs and the factories "there." However, airlines are in business to make money which won't happen if people don't fly. The carbon-misery bonus has probably already happened. Lots pf people are not flying as much. And, by the way, most non-Americans loathe coming through American hubs. They are treated like garbage.
By the way, eliminating the endless hub and spoke system would greatly reduce the number of flights, which the article suggests.
2
"...lines for passport control, and then at the other end...more lines for passport control..."
There are no lines for passport control on outbound flights. You show your passport as you board, but that's simply the boarding line.
3
The last time I went through TSA screening it was for an evening flight and I didn't see any line except the one for everyone. It was ATL and during the day the prescreen line is clearly active, so is this just something I didn't notice or is there a time of day when travellers can't take advantage of it?
1
I've had TSA/precheck for a few years now. While it has been very helpful, I don't always get the pre-check, i.e., my ticket doesn't indicate it and I can't go on the pre-check line. It's annoying has heck and I haven't found anyone who can explain it to me. I don't get the pre-check probably 1 out of 4 flights.
Anyone else out there experience this?
5
@Margaret
If you are purchasing your ticket online, make sure that your Known Traveler Number is listed on the traveler information. If the number is not on file with the airline, your ticket will not reflect your TSA pre check status.
5
@Margaret Maybe your Frequent Flyer profile with the airlines your flying with doesn’t have your TSA # or Known Traveler Number in your profile? Usually when you’re booking your flight online, the prompt will come up to ask you to fill in your TSA # or KTN #, then when you’re asked if you want to print your boarding pass or book your flight, your ticket is processed with “TSA PRE” printed on it.
1
Yeah. Good luck with Global Entry. I paid the US government $100.00 four months ago and have been put into what could turn out to be a year or more long wait just to get an appointment for an interview at one of the Homeland Security offices. They take your money without warning you, until after the fact, that they have deployed their resources to the border because of Trump's fake immigration crisis and that you'll basically hear from them whenever they get around to it. They also cancel appointments that have been made shoving people who have waited months to the back of the line. No refunds are given either if you change your mind. It's a "deplorable" situation. welcome to Trump's Murica.
28
Same.
5
I use both Global Entry and Mobile Passport and find that Mobile Passport gets me through immigration/customs at least as quickly as GE would have.
1
Mobile entry isn't everywhere,though.
I dislike these programs intensely as yet another manifestation of the inequality and classism that is wrecking this country--why should anyone (except the very young and the infirm) be afforded preferential treatment at the airport or at our borders? There are infinitely more important issues to focus on, but this is an irritant as much by virtue of its insignificance as its discrimination. I refuse to participate.
37
TSA Precheck? Yeah right.
Let's see. The last time I used it, I was told I had been "randomly selected" and had every square inch of my luggage meticulously searched.
Took four times as long and I almost missed my flight. "But, but" I protested, "I thought Precheck was supposed to specifically avoid all this. That's why I got it!""
"We don't make the rules, sorry" was the reply. Needless to say they found nothing.
17
Nearly a year post Trump's government shutdown and the application process for Global Entry is still catching up... I've been on the list to be approved for an interview for over 4 months now. They took the $100 application fee on day 1, yet here I sit 130+ days since and they still have not moved my application forward to the next step. On their site is the banner, stating that they're still behind... Thanks DJT, you're doing a heck of a job!
21
The best reason to get Global Entry is avoiding interacting with Customs and Border Patrol agents, who treat just about every US citizen as guilty of something just because they traveled outside the US.
11
@Sam Gish
Oh, no, it is equal opportunity abuse! Persons not US citizens are often treated like trash at transfer hubs. I've had friends from Asia, South America, Central America, Europe and North Africa complain to me and say they will never again use a US hub. Of course, neither will I if I can help it.
By the way, I agree with them, say I regret it and also feel the same rage. Why wouldn't anyone?
5
Unfortunately, no pre-approval or app can really protect you from BCP agents who are high on a power trip. A friend of mine who has a home in France went through all the pre-screening and questioning necessary so that she wouldn't have to be held up every time she comes back to the States, but for her last trip it was to no avail. Complete review of the contents of her phone and iPad by BCP, lots of questions. When she pointed out to them that she had already answered most of the questions they were asking during the time-consuming pre-screening that she had already gone through, she got an almost menacing sense that if she challenged them any further she would just be detained that much longer.
I know this is a critical function, but some of these agents are on super adrenalin macho trips and seem to love the fact that you are helpless in their power - can't call anyone or really complain - and you can do all the pre-screening you want, if you land with one of these guys you are simply stuck. And yes, I do see this attitude as an offshoot of the posing of our glorious president.
38
Manufacturing fear, ridiculously long lines, shoes and liquids constraints all lead to these partial solutions that are also business opportunities. ( when a large number of passengers enroll, the advantages are diminished greatly, and you end up paying only for the privilige of not removing your shoe or to keep your laptop in the bag). Way to go military-security-industrial complex.
18
Pre-check still bothers me on a moral level. We've created this sense of security by inconveniencing everyone and then putting a pay wall up to buy your way out. If this was truly about security, I wouldn't be able to access Pre-check for simply having my employer purchase the ticket for me.
23
@Sam if the fee were large, I would agree with you. But it is $20 a year (less for domestic PreCheck only), which should be within the means of anyone who can afford an airline ticket.
2
@Sam That's actually not true. I'm a teacher (as you can see) and I've taken students on trips organized by a tour company, which purchased our tickets for us. In every case I was able to put in my Known Traveler Number after receiving the flight confirmation code and had Pre-Check indicated on my ticket. Of course, I didn't ditch my students in the regular line while I whisked through Pre-Check, but I was still able to avoid taking off my shoes and removing my liquids/electronics from my bag.
2
I just used Global Entry to and from Japan. The departure from and entry to Boston Logan were both very good, especially the entry back into Boston, which skipped Customs. I feel my money was well spent.
4
I just got NEXUS and it also gave me Global Entry and TSA Pre. I'm 99.9% certain that Global Entry alone does not allow you to use the NEXUS lanes when entering Canada, you need to go through the unique NEXUS application approval process.
3
Clear certainly is run like a scam. Two weeks ago, I was running very late for a flight at LGA. I volunteered when a representative from Clear (who did not identify herself as such) called out to the long security line asking if anyone wanted to cut down their wait time from 10 minutes to 2 minutes. Without disclosing that you had to sign up for the service and surrender your biometric data, the representative whisked me through the process of scanning my fingerprints, iris recognition and ID photo. Only then was I informed that the service cost $179, that I had been signed up for it but I could avoid any costs if I canceled within 30 days (except for a black-out period for the next 10 days). It felt sleazy and I have little hope that Clear will delete my biometric data.
21
I applied to Global Entry on July 10 and have not even made it to conditional approval, much less an interview. No advancement whatsoever. My trip is in 2 weeks, so I'm probably out of luck. When I tried calling last week, I got a message that they were overloaded with calls, and the system disconnected.
6
I have made at least 3 round-trip flights between BDL (Hartford CT/Springfield MA) and STL (Saint Louis MO) in the past 13 months since I paid $85 for TSA PreCheck. It is worth every penny.
3
TSA PreCheck is anti-democratic. No one likes waiting in airport security lines. They are exhausting and stressful if you are running late for a flight. The safety procedures seem systematically arbitrary. The searches can be profoundly invasive. But the solution is not to create an express lane with fewer checks for those frequent fliers who have the funds to pay for it. Living in a democracy means we all wait in the same line. If you want to wait in a shorter line, call your congressperson.
28
@David I've been selected for an additional security check even though I'm enrolled in Global Entry, so that's not always true. BTW, I'm a middle-aged white woman. Which, of course, doesn't negate the negative experiences brown people have, but it does show that, just because you're enrolled in one of these programs doesn't mean you always get through without being checked.
7
@David
I did call. He said he has had many similar calls.
5
All of these programs are quite back logged. I’ve completed an application, paid the fee and have been waiting now 2 months for Global Entry to allow me an interview. So be careful in suggesting how great these programs are. It is misleading when the wait time is longer than the airport check in lines by far. Bob
6
In an equal society, the security burden of 9/11 would be shared equally by all, regardless of income
In the US, not so. The more you pay, the lower your share of the burden
The ultra rich, with private planes, are exempt from TSA checks altogether.
No matter on how heavy the aircraft and how full the tank
14
“I love flying, but I hate airports. Specifically, I hate the endless lines.” Unlike those of us that love airports and lines? Maybe just wait in line like everyone else. It makes you a good citizen and neighbor, sharing an unpleasant experience with others, rather than creating yet more entitlements for those who can pay. It may seem like I’m making a mountain out of a molehill, but I also think articles just add to our culture of separating ourselves from each other, creating unnecessary entitlements, and demanding luxury and comfort at every turn. Just wait your turn, please.
19
When coming through customs from overseas once, the speakers announced that anyone who had walked in agricultural fields needed to speak with a special officer. I had indeed walked in such fields, and was the only one who dared to step out of line. I had a pleasant conversation with the officer, and then he waved me right though, leaving my flight-mates to wait in line for who knows how much longer.
7
This is a great rundown of these programs but it would have benefited from a separate section about NEXUS. For any Americans who travel to our terrific neighbor to the north, this program is great. The application process is much the same as the others except that it involves background checks by and interviews with US and Canadian agents at the border. It's $50 for five years and comes with Global Entry and TSA Pre, making it the best value of any Trusted Traveler program. The special lanes at the border both ways can save an hour making it worth it even for just one border crossing per year. Expedited procedures are also part of NEXUS for air travel between the US and Canada. It's the very best program of all for those who can do the interviews at the border enrollment centers. Everyone in the car must have NEXUS to use the lanes.
With regard to CLEAR, I upgraded my free sports venue membership this year because as the government is more successful getting people in to TSA Pre, and as (sadly and dangerously) people who haven't gone through the enrollment process and paid for TSA Pre are selected for it upon check-in, those lines are getting more crowded and the last thing you want is an unexpected 30 minute wait. Being assured of bypassing that and going to the front of TSA Pre now makes CLEAR with the cost.
Finally, being a lounge member allows you to use the extra time to relax in comfort with benefits including desks, food and beverage, and peace before departure.
At the end of September, my wife and I returned to the United States through the Dallas-Fort Worth airport. I intended to breeze through re-entry with the Mobile Passport app as I had a couple of years ago. However, there were no devices to read the app’s QR code, and we wound up standing in a long line that led to an agent who let us back in the old-fashioned way, by looking at our passports and asking us a couple of perfunctory questions. He looked a little put out. It made us wonder what’s the use of having the app, at least in Dallas.
I'm sorry, but in practice these are not nearly as effective as you'd think. I got a Global Entry almost as soon as it was introduced. At first it was really good. It is still a help in getting through customs coming into the US, but for getting through security on the outbound it is often meaningless. I commonly fly out of Newark or JFK. Yes, they - and a lot of airports - have priority lines for GE and PreCheck. Which used to be shorter.
At this point, they pretty much equalize the lines. Anyone in first or business winds up getting routed into those lines. As do others that seem to just be randomly chosen. Point is, I've actually approached security a few times where the supposedly priority line was longer than the regular lines.
Am I happy I bothered to get Global Entry? Yes. But can you count on it always speeding up travel in any significant way? In practice, no.
6
I applied to Global Entry in June for an international trip in September. First available appointment was late October so I just ended up doing it on my trip home, which sort of defeats the purpose. To say there is a backlog is an understatement.
2
Better idea ... just skip the airport altogether.
I have effectively transitioned from the upper tiers of frequent flier status to the disheveled traveler wearing sandals, no belt, no luggage, no electronics, a fold of paper money, a single piece of plastic and photo ID.
4
I am seventy years old and fly via my on in law's status and my daughter's status. I am so thankful that they fly me economy plus since I have extra leg room. But my qualifications are always different. If my son in law books the ticket, I am escorted to the fastest line. If my daughter books the ticket I am padded down , I have to remove my shoes, and my carry on luggage is searched. In both instances, I am the same person. Does this make sense?
4
Having recently retired from a job which required frequent travel, I have now found the best way to reduce airline travel stress is to stay home.
Business travel was fun and exciting in the late 1970s and 19080s.
Over time the airlines reduced perks, reduced service, reduced legroom, and added luggage restrictions to such a point that even my million plus travel points can’t entice me enough to get on an airplane.
I haven’t even mention the horrible experience just checking in and going through the security process!
18
Worth noting that the full version of Mobile Passport was initially offered for free and deliberately or not gave the impression that it was an official app. Not so as I found out recently, finding my passport data erased from it. Since I have Global Entry paid for my work I don’t have to error about getting the now $15 a year version.
2
Using Logan Airport, of all airports, to illustrate this story? Does no one remember 9/11?
Lordy.
I have some faith in technology, background checks, etc., but I have way more faith in all of that, plus being screened as thoroughly as possible. Everyone should take off their shoes and jackets. Everyone should take their laptop out of the case. Now, if passengers want to pay more money to stand in a shorter line that can accomplish all that, fine, so long as the money they pay covers expenses. But there is no excuse for anyone getting on an airplane who has not gone through the same search-and-security procedures as everyone else.
1
If you live in the Midwest, beware giving your money to the government for global entry right now. There are very infrequent opportunities (like two or three dates a YEAR, three hours away) to schedule your interview. The only other option is upon return from an international flight, which is the last thing I wanted to do after traveling forty hours straight. You forfeit the money if you can’t make an interview work within a year.
6
Unfortunately, this TSA Pre-check program is somewhat of a scam. I paid for this, went through the screening process, and was assigned a "known traveller" number which I use each and every time I purchase an airline ticket. However, only about 50% of the time do I ever get the Pre-check stamp on my ticket, and I can't seem to get a straight answer from the airlines or TSA as to why that is.
7
I have a knee replacement and a hip replacement, and in spite of these wonders I still have mobility and pain issues, and walk with a cane; and besides I am old. CLEAR is great. Nobody is in the line usually, and they scan my eyes, as my fingerprints, with which I registered back when the program began, are now crooked with arthritis and the fingerprint reader does not recognize them any more. This takes maybe 30 seconds, and the CLEAR attendant takes me to the front of the TSA line, where I do not need to show my ID and boarding pass again; from there I go straight into the PreCheck hand luggage line. No standing, waiting in the TSA line; even in the PreCheck line, that can be 15 minutes, more than my aching joints want to tolerate. However, I caution that sometimes some airports do not have an open PreCheck line for TSA. They say they do, and you do get up to the TSA podium faster, but in fact PreCheck is closed and you are then shunted into the regular conveyor belt for hand luggage and you do have to divest of your shoes, jackets, laptops, and mini hand lotion bottles. I look forward to being 75 when none of this will apply to me. Meanwhile, if you travel even 3 times a year, CLEAR is worth it if you have mobility or pain issues. (Yes, I could get a wheelchair, but as long as I am able, I want to walk.) And Global Entry is brilliant, quick and easy, especially if you have a short layover.
I have Global Entry. One of the better investments I've made. The longest I waited to clear immigration and customs was 5 minutes. Would have been shorter if the person in front of me didn't have to search for his passport.
Lines at airports would move quicker if travelers stayed off their phones, listened to the TSA agents reminding folks what to put in the baskets, and had their documents ready to present.
In all my travels and I travel five or six times a year, sometimes with my mom, who has disabilities, I've never witnessed any TSA agent give a traveler a hard time. They have treated my 93 year old mom with the respect she has earned and deserves. On the other hand I've seen numerous travelers demand special treatment (going to the head of the line) because they decided to wait until the last moment to arrive at the airport or didn't want to take off a coat, remove a belt, or take off a pair of lace up boots/shoes.
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