Which program is better for flying?

Which program do you think it a better option

  • Global Entry

    Votes: 20 69.0%
  • TSA Precheck

    Votes: 5 17.2%
  • NEXUS

    Votes: 4 13.8%

  • Total voters
    29

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So, DW and I are getting the Chase United CCs and they offer a rebate on 3 options... I would like to get some info on which would be the best..

They are Global Entry, TSA Precheck and NEXUS (never heard of this one)...

So, who had it and what do you think about it...

Also putting in a poll..
 
We fly internationally to Europe every year so for us Global Entry is the best option. It includes TSA Pre-check which is handy for domestic flights.

NEXUS is good for Canada land crossings from the US and also includes Global Entry plus TSA Precheck. You need to be near a Canadian border to get this option. TSA Pre-check alone is if you only fly domestically.
 
The Mobile Passport app is as good as Global Entry since they did away with asking the US custom questions at the terminal. You now have to wait in line to answer these three questions from a border agent.
 
The Mobile Passport app is as good as Global Entry since they did away with asking the US custom questions at the terminal. You now have to wait in line to answer these three questions from a border agent.
Agree that MPC - Mobile Passport Control can be a good option and it's a free app. We have Global Entry and keep MPC installed and updated with our current information. On arrival we look for the GE kiosks. If the line is long we quickly look at MPC lanes and then decide which appears to be quicker.

FYI, we've flown into the U.S. 5 times so far this year 2 at LAX and 3 at SeaTac and have had no line whatsoever at the GE kiosks. You don't even need your passport out - just scan your eyes and wait for the CBP agent to acknowledge your successful entry.
 
The Mobile Passport app is as good as Global Entry since they did away with asking the US custom questions at the terminal. You now have to wait in line to answer these three questions from a border agent.
Haven’t dealt with any lines at the GE face recognition kiosks yet or afterwards. Super fast these days.
 
TSA PreCheck is fine if most of your travel is within the USA. Global Entry is best if you're doing international trips. As mentioned above, with GE, you get TSA PreCheck for domestic travel along with it.

Mobile Passport works fine unless you're in a location where the same person processes Mobile Passport people AND Global Entry people. I was next in line with a Mobile Passport when about 25 Global Entry passengers rolled into the joint. Even though I was there first, the 25 GE's were processed before the rest of us Mobile Passport people.
 
Haven’t dealt with any lines at the GE face recognition kiosks yet or afterwards. Super fast these days.

There was a big line for GE kiosks at Dulles in August, but the trick is to use the Global Entry app (similar to MPC but even faster I think). You skip the kiosk, and at Dulles they had a lane that went right to the front - kiosk people were in a line with their receipts and we went past them too.

Also no more customs agents at all. Is that now standard?
 
Since the credit card is paying for it, get Global Entry. Having GE doesn't mean you have to use the GE lines. You're free to use Mobile Passport if that looks like it's going to be faster on any given day.

Global Entry includes TSA pre-check, so it doesn't make sense to get the lesser program if they'll pay for the greater one.

NEXUS is a program that lets you travel across the Northern border in both directions. Global Entry includes half the NEXUS advantages. It lets you use the special lanes when you drive or fly from Canada to the US but it does not include the special entry lanes when driving or flying into Canada. If you travel to Canada a lot, then it might be worth getting NEXUS as well as GE, but since you'd never heard of it before, I'm guessing that's not the case.

Global Entry also includes SENTRI which lets you use the special lanes when entering the US at the Southern border.
 
There was a big line for GE kiosks at Dulles in August, but the trick is to use the Global Entry app (similar to MPC but even faster I think). You skip the kiosk, and at Dulles they had a lane that went right to the front - kiosk people were in a line with their receipts and we went past them too.

Also no more customs agents at all. Is that now standard?

Just added the Global Entry app - thanks!
 
We live in a northern state (WA), so Nexus seemed the best choice for us; we have friends that live in British Columbia. My recollection is that Nexus was cheaper than the other options too, though it's been a while now. An odd sort of downside: if you have one of those premium credit cards that pays your Global Entry fee, that doesn't include Nexus. We no longer have such a card, so no (longer) an issue for us, but ... FYI anyway.
Nexus seems to work just the same as Global entry --- and we never have to carry the actual Nexus card unless driving into Canada (there's a special, faster lane for Nexus card holders).
 
As a long time NEXUS user, I think it's the best because it includes all the benefits of Global Entry (which includes TSA Pre-Check) and it's only half the cost. Plus if you ever use one of the land crossings you can bypass all the waiting cars if there is a NEXUS lane open. That saved us well over an hour one time.

The only downside to NEXUS is that you have to go for the initial interview at one of the Canadian border stations.
 
I have both GE and Clear. Clear is only useful for those airports that have lines for TSA Precheck that are exceptionally long. Otherwise, GE with TSA PC is just fine. Clear did save me time this weekend in SEA, though, as the TSA Precheck line was long and the Clear agents escort you to the front, bypassing the others waiting. If you only get one, then GE all they way. Clear is also overpriced for the relative value.

ETA: I believe Nexus only works at the northern border, leaving you uncovered in other destinations, like overseas entries.
 
TSA precheck costs $85 for 5 years, Global Entry costs $100 for 5 years and includes TSA precheck. So Global Entry. The downside: you have to go for an FBI interview for Global Entry, but just once
 
ETA: I believe Nexus only works at the northern border, leaving you uncovered in other destinations, like overseas entries.
If you have NEXUS, you can use Global Entry kiosks at any US airport that has them. So even if you fly from London to JFK, you can use the GE kiosks at JFK when you get there. I don't know if NEXUS includes other pre-clearance sites outside Canada though; e.g. for a Dublin to JFK flight you'd go through immigration and customs in Dublin, and they may not accept NEXUS.

NEXUS does not include the SENTRI benefits, which GE does include.
 
Thanks for all the info...

Looks like Global Entry is the way to go as the cost is what the CC will reimburse us for... will have to check out the app also...

We are going with the $95 annual CC from Chase... with free checked bags it will save us more than the cost of the CC... plus other benefits... I also am getting 80K miles so that helps also..
 
Thanks for all the info...

Looks like Global Entry is the way to go as the cost is what the CC will reimburse us for... will have to check out the app also...

We are going with the $95 annual CC from Chase... with free checked bags it will save us more than the cost of the CC... plus other benefits... I also am getting 80K miles so that helps also..
I agree and came to the same conclusion, but I had such a hard time getting the Global Entry site to work that I finally gave up and made an appointment for TSA Pre-check.
 
Down here in the Rio Grande Valley, unlike most airports we don’t have trouble getting appointments at the couple of border bridges that do global entry interviews. It’s a ways down here for most Texans, but is an option.
 
I can't justify these programs because even thought the lines seem long it seems we get to baggage claim before the bags arrive... wait in line or spend money and wait at the baggage carousel.... hmmmm
 
^ You have a point there. IME, entering the US by air, the staffing isn't typically so bad as to cause a horrendous wait. But that impression is just from eyeballing the regular line when I was heading to the global entry line. Coming back to the US on a cruise ship, nothing made any difference... everyone went through the same process.
 
^ You have a point there. IME, entering the US by air, the staffing isn't typically so bad as to cause a horrendous wait. But that impression is just from eyeballing the regular line when I was heading to the global entry line. Coming back to the US on a cruise ship, nothing made any difference... everyone went through the same process.
In years past we’ve arrived several times with unbelievably crowded passport control situations. Got through the GE (old style) kiosks quickly, and skipped another long line after baggage claim. Even if we wait a while for bags we’re still out of there before most people arrive to grab theirs. Oh yeah, I’m sure priority luggage tags help.
 
In years past we’ve arrived several times with unbelievably crowded passport control situations. Got through the GE (old style) kiosks quickly, and skipped another long line after baggage claim. Even if we wait a while for bags we’re still out of there before most people arrive to grab theirs. Oh yeah, I’m sure priority luggage tags help.
Same experience here, many times. Standing on a line of several hundred people going through 5 or 6 agents, or walking right up to a kiosk and done. That's a no-brainer for me.
 
I can't justify these programs because even thought the lines seem long it seems we get to baggage claim before the bags arrive... wait in line or spend money and wait at the baggage carousel.... hmmmm
GE also has its own customs line at airports where immigration and customs are separate. If there are multiple flights arriving at once, you can save time in two lines.

Coming back to the US on a cruise ship, nothing made any difference... everyone went through the same process.
Many ports do have separate lines for GE, but you have to have the GE card with you. I've only ever used it in Fort Lauderdale and it worked fine there.
 
Mobile Passport Control is almost as good as Global Entry. It is free but still rolling out to ports of entry. Unfortunately it doesn’t include Precheck.
 
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