Global Entry Pass and TSA Travel Pre-check
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Gone4Good
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Nope. The one airport we'll go through with Global Entry is in the U.S. The other five airports are all out of the country.
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audreyh1
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The scariest part was trying to figure out how to get into the port of entry facility without accidentally crossing the bridge into Mexico!!!Excellent! Welcome to the club.
The little narrow left turn lane was really hard to see.
LOL, I had exactly the same problem at Otay Mesa. The directions for getting there, which were emailed from the GOES program, involved going past a Do Not Enter sign and then driving around a barricade in the road. I'm sure this is much easier at an airport.
I heard that.
We did our NEXUS interviews in Detroit, and had a very similar experience. It was around a very convoluted series of turns through construction areas, and if you weren't paying very close attention you would have ended up crossing the bridge into Canada.
The instructions they sent us were full of large font, bold face warnings to NOT under any circumstances use a GPS to get to the address given. They wanted us to follow their written instructions and they had good reason to.
My appointment was about ten days before DW's, so I mounted a GoPro camera on my dashboard and filmed the process for the last couple of miles to the interview location. DW said later that watching that video was worth its weight in gold to her.
One more small point: If you're using NEXUS and flying into Canada from overseas, you'll want to use the extra step of getting an iris scan. The US border points don't do that. Our workaround was that not long after getting our NEXUS cards, we were passing through the Halifax airport on our way to Newfoundland, and the Canadian officers in the airport were great about doing our iris scans.
We did our NEXUS interviews in Detroit, and had a very similar experience. It was around a very convoluted series of turns through construction areas, and if you weren't paying very close attention you would have ended up crossing the bridge into Canada.
The instructions they sent us were full of large font, bold face warnings to NOT under any circumstances use a GPS to get to the address given. They wanted us to follow their written instructions and they had good reason to.
My appointment was about ten days before DW's, so I mounted a GoPro camera on my dashboard and filmed the process for the last couple of miles to the interview location. DW said later that watching that video was worth its weight in gold to her.
One more small point: If you're using NEXUS and flying into Canada from overseas, you'll want to use the extra step of getting an iris scan. The US border points don't do that. Our workaround was that not long after getting our NEXUS cards, we were passing through the Halifax airport on our way to Newfoundland, and the Canadian officers in the airport were great about doing our iris scans.
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audreyh1
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Wow - I'm glad I didn't have to drive through a do not enter, and around a barricade! Ours was a tiny turn, just a few yards from a manned booth for exiting the US. I'm sure the agent would have let me back up.
And, yes, the GPS wanted us to cross into Mexico, turn around and renter the U.S., adding two hours to our arrival time!
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FinanceGeek
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Yes - on paper Global Entry looks like a no-brainer because in addition to expedited CBP screening, the program claims to greatly increase the probability of receiving TSA Precheck.
But my experience with Global Entry has not been good. The CBP Enrollment center near me was scheduling 3-4 months out for an appointment. I travel a lot domestically and wanted TSA Pre, so I traveled several hundred miles to a less busy CBP enrollment center for my interview. The officer who interviewed me was very professional and cordial. The interview took 10 minutes, and I received the approval notification email on my phone before I even got back to my car.
But - I haven't gotten TSA Precheck on any of the 3 domestic flights I have taken since activating my GE card. And yes, I have double-checked all the secure flight data with my airline to confirm that my name, DOB, and KTN matched my GE card. I have called TSA's service center on two occasions, given them all my info and asked for an explanation, but both times they weren't able to give me one.
So here's what I would say:
- If your main goal is to receive TSA Precheck more often, bypass Global Entry and apply instead for the TSA's trusted traveler program. TSA's program has far more enrollment centers, has far less of a wait time for an interview, and its even slightly lower cost. I don't travel internationally much, and I have easily spent more time traveling to and from the distant GE enrollment center I used than I would ever spend in CBP screening on the few trips I do in 5 years.
- If your main goal is expedited CBP screening, then GE makes sense. Once you have GE you are guaranteed "head of the line" privileges at any participating port of entry, even if the outcome once you get to the officer is normal (rather than cursory) screening you still benefited because you skipped the long lines. But applying to GE mostly to get TSA Precheck may mean you stand in the regular line for regular screening and there's no benefit whatsoever to having joined Global Entry.
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walkinwood
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Thanks for the tip to check often for interview availability. Originally, the earliest was July, but after checking a couple of times, we both have dates in March. The center is not far, so having to go twice isn't a big deal.
I had been debating on getting Global Entry because I travel with a friend who has this.
I applied Mar 2nd, received email conditional approval on Mar 8th. On Mar 9th, the earliest appt. for the nearest interview location was May. (my overseas travel is the end of April). I looked today and an opening is available for tomorrow!! So I grabbed it.
I applied Mar 2nd, received email conditional approval on Mar 8th. On Mar 9th, the earliest appt. for the nearest interview location was May. (my overseas travel is the end of April). I looked today and an opening is available for tomorrow!! So I grabbed it.
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audreyh1
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Cool! I got my card in the mail on Monday, after my Thursday interview. Couldn't believe how fast that was. You don't actually need the card for going through customs an international airports - it's useful for border crossings.
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Remember to update passport information online if you get a new passport, otherwise you will not be recognized with the new passport (we forgot, but we still got expedited treatment).
We have found the few times we have tried to use NEXUS that the lanes are closed, so no advantage there.
We have found the few times we have tried to use NEXUS that the lanes are closed, so no advantage there.
We got our conditional approvals and I just scheduled our interviews for mid-May.
I have found airlines request the data only when you book an international flight. United for some reason does not seem to keep the data in my experience even though we are mileage plus members
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audreyh1
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I haven't been able to enter my passport information except on a United ticket - traveler info. But then it was remembered. It might have been on an international ticket where I first entered this. It has been retained since. I can see it when I edit traveler info for a given ticket.
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audreyh1
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Keep checking if you want an earlier appointment.
I believe the comment about updating your passport was for the GOES account, not the airline frequent flyer account. If you have a Global Entry card and you get a new passport, then you have to login to your GOES account and enter the new passport number there. The Global Entry status is connected to your passport, and the info will stay linked to the old one if you don't login and tell CBP about your new passport.
https://help.cbp.gov/app/answers/detail/a_id/1265/~/updating-passports-or-making-changes-to-your-goes-membership
When we got our GOES/NEXUS cards, we were told that there were very few things we could update online; most things required a visit.
But when we moved last summer, we found that we could update almost everything online. They are obviously continuing to improve the system.
But when we moved last summer, we found that we could update almost everything online. They are obviously continuing to improve the system.
I fly mainly Alaska Air and American Air. Both have places for saving passport info. Good to know that all airlines don't have the same accommodation.
Did some research. United Airlines used to allow you to enter your passport # and your global entry #. I was able to enter my GE # but will have to enter my new passport # when I check in for my International flight. My understanding is that the United app will allow you to then upload a picture of your passport. Found information on Flyer talk forum.
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audreyh1
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Got our TSA Precheck today. Maybe the KTN helped. 
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audreyh1
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Interesting. I've had no trouble entering this on prior international flights. Now UA remembers it.
Yes, I've taken any number of international trips on Delta, and only had to enter my number the first time. Delta has always remembered it since then.
KmmFIdreamer
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I have precheck free through work, so gonna have to remember to add that $85 to my retirement expenses when I do quit!
Things to know: not all airlines do Precheck - notably Frontier and Spirit. TSA also says that you can be "randomly excluded" on certain flights as well though I have yet to experience that on mine.
At DIA sometimes the Precheck line is longer than the regular line (especially on Monday mornings), but it moves pretty fast. I think precheck is handy to have for sure if you are a frequent flyer.
I don't know that I will travel enough internationally to bother with Global Entry when I retire. I figure that I will have time to stand in line then anyway as I will be in no hurry.
I don't understand why people have such a problem with security anyway .... Just show up early enough and follow the rules and you breeze though the actual process in about 30 seconds anyway! It makes me mad to see people giving the security personel (and even the airline counter people) such grief for just doing their jobs. Hey folks, these people are trying to keep you safe while getting you where you are going ......
Even customs was easy when we came back from our last cruise. Finding our bags among the sea of luggage from the large ship - not so much. I never buy dark colored bags anymore because it seems everyone has a black or dark blue bag. The brighter the better in my opinion!
Things to know: not all airlines do Precheck - notably Frontier and Spirit. TSA also says that you can be "randomly excluded" on certain flights as well though I have yet to experience that on mine.
At DIA sometimes the Precheck line is longer than the regular line (especially on Monday mornings), but it moves pretty fast. I think precheck is handy to have for sure if you are a frequent flyer.
I don't know that I will travel enough internationally to bother with Global Entry when I retire. I figure that I will have time to stand in line then anyway as I will be in no hurry
.I don't understand why people have such a problem with security anyway .... Just show up early enough and follow the rules and you breeze though the actual process in about 30 seconds anyway! It makes me mad to see people giving the security personel (and even the airline counter people) such grief for just doing their jobs. Hey folks, these people are trying to keep you safe while getting you where you are going ......Even customs was easy when we came back from our last cruise. Finding our bags among the sea of luggage from the large ship - not so much. I never buy dark colored bags anymore because it seems everyone has a black or dark blue bag. The brighter the better in my opinion!
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