Why You Should Get Global Entry and How It's Different From TSA Precheck

[Blues]

One warning: Unless you live near a major international airport hub (usually on the coast), getting an appointment for your Global Entry interview can be next to impossible as they simply do not have much staff at the GE offices at many of the midwest airports. My family applied (3 of us), and the only airport within 500 miles with a GE office was Denver (DIA). The earliest we could schedule an appointment was more than 10 months out! Plus, because you had to create and log into three separate accounts (1 for each of us) to schedule an appointment, there was no way to get three appointments in a row. The best I could do is two appointments about 3 hours apart, and the third had to be on a different day, which meant two trips to the airport, about 2 hour round trip each time.

And to add to that, the TSA agents at DIA were so incompetent that they screwed up and never processed my application after my interview -- my wife's and my daughter's was processed fine. And forget about trying to get anyone to help you over the phone -- it is impossible to get through to customer service (as in, the line rings for a while and then you get the old "this number cannot be reached at this time" message; and I tried for WEEKS to get through!). In the end, we were vacationing in Marco Island a few months after my first interview, and I was able to make an appointment at Miami airport, so we had to take a full day out of our vacation, drive 2.5 hours each way to Miami for my second interview. On the positive side, the Miami staff were great and fixed the issue right away.

If renewing my Global Entry in 5 years requires another interview, I will switch to TSA Pre. It is just not worth the hassle for me.

Kurt

My experience was also almost as painful as Kurt's. DW and I applied about 6 months before a trip to Japan, erroneously thinking it would be plenty of time to get the application processed. Wrong. No appts in the SF Bay area for 10 months. Had to travel without it. On return, we were going to Chicago to visit family, and we managed to get an interview scheduled at ORD. That went fairly well, at least for DW. Like Kurt, they neglected to process mine, too. And it's true, that it's almost impossible to contact them by phone. After waiting a month or two, I did manage to contact them via email from their web site though. Heard nothing back for almost 2 weeks, and then suddenly I was processed. No explanation, but it ended well.

I'm glad to hear that renewal is easy. Otherwise, like Kurt, I might just have switched to TSA Pre.

 

[Sandy VDH]

I already had GE and added Nexus. I left my Nexus interview, was walking to my car in the parking garage at the airport, and I got an email that my application had been approved. It took about 2 mins from end of interview to approval, Now that is fast. But that was only because my GE was already completed. So if you have GE getting Nexus is very easy. I assume that renewals will be the same.

 

[jehb2]

I got an appointment at the Austin airport in 3 days.

 

[CalGalTraveler]

Our experience at Minneapolis/St. Paul airport was pretty effortless, but we were very flexible on time of day for our appointment. I did learn on a recent trip to Vancouver that I should carry the card on some trips though. Vancouver is one of the airports where you clear U S customs before you leave Canada. But the workers there don't have access to the US database to confirm GE so I couldn’t go through that line without having my card in hand. I’ve never needed for other travel so don't bother to carry it.

Other than that experience I've been happy to have spent the money for GE.

We also had the same experience in Vancouver while returning from Whistler. I was perplexed because the GE personnel told me that I never needed to carry the card because it was attached to my passport. Your explanation makes sense.

Would be good to know where else the card is needed. Is it in any airport that clears customs prior to entering the U.S. such as large European hubs?

 

[Luanne]

I already had GE and added Nexus. I left my Nexus interview, was walking to my car in the parking garage at the airport, and I got an email that my application had been approved. It took about 2 mins from end of interview to approval, Now that is fast. But that was only because my GE was already completed. So if you have GE getting Nexus is very easy. I assume that renewals will be the same.

When I had my interview for GE I got an email within an hour saying it had been approved, my KTN was the number shown on my letter and I could start using it immediately. So, it was fast and I didn't have any other travel "things" before.

 

[Luanne]

We also had the same experience in Vancouver while returning from Whistler. I was perplexed because the GE personnel told me that I never needed to carry the card because it was attached to my passport. Your explanation makes sense.

Would be good to know where else the card is needed. Is it in any airport that clears customs prior to entering the U.S. such as large European hubs?

Our experience needing the card was Vancouver as well.

 

[Krteczech]

I have needed the Global Entry card when entering the U.S. from Canada. Maybe this isn't true at all entry points, but I'm surprised the TSA agent told you that you didn't need it. Maybe he was talking about needing the card vs just the number for TSA PreCheck?

We entered USA multiple times this year, but it was always at the airport. They may have different process for land crossings. I was told that I could order duplicate card for (?) $ 25.

 

[Luanne]

We entered USA multiple times this year, but it was always at the airport. They may have different process for land crossings. I was told that I could order duplicate card for (?) $ 25.

Our entries from Vancouver into the U.S. were at the airport.

 

[rhonda]

FWIW, my closest airport office had a long wait (months!) for an interview appointment ... but I could also choose a border entry point about 2.5 hours drive southeast for "next week" interview time slots. Cool beans ... easy.

 

[PDX Matthew]

I don't know about Global Entry, but Nexus has sure been nice. It comes with TSA Pre Check and costs less (if it fits your needs)....

If you have Nexus, they'll usually give you Global Entry for free, that's how it worked for me.

 

[PDX Matthew]

To get Global Entry, Nexus or Sentri, you need to have a spotless immigration record, so if you've ever been fined for failing to declare something, you won't get it. Also, if you're traveling with a group, everyone in the group needs to have it, especially at land borders. On our recent trip from Aruba, I went to the window the CBP agent asked if I was traveling alone, I said no and he called up my husband as well. My husband doesn't have GE so I wasn't using a kiosk (there was nobody waiting anyway).

I remember a post from another forum about four guys going to Vancouver BC for a golf weekend, two with GE/Nexus, two without. At the border the two guys without it got out of the car and walked through the border, the two with it proceeded through the Nexus lane. US CBP had seen the guys get out of the car, and revoked the GE/Nexus cards of the guys in the car, on the spot, do not pass go, do not collect $200.

 

[rickandcindy23]

TSA has satellite offices all over, and so we made an appointment that was six months out. It all worked okay. Then our daughter decided to get TSA Precheck and went to the office near her house to just wait in line, rather than to sign up online. She was in and out in 20 minutes. SIL already had a number because he is military.

 

[vacationhopeful]

The airline I fly on sometimes, marks my boarding passes with "TSA Precheck" .... and that is ALL I know. Haven't had status with this airline in 3+ years.

My thoughts on this "don't ask".

 

[Luanne]

The airline I fly on sometimes, marks my boarding passes with "TSA Precheck" .... and that is ALL I know. Haven't had status with this airline in 3+ years.

My thoughts on this "don't ask".

You're lucky. We used to get this free all the time. When we stopped getting it free, or when one of us would and the other wouldn't, we decided it was time to get Global Entry. Worked out well as it was soon after that that our daughter started attending school in Canada. Made coming back into the U.S. much easier.

 

[x3 skier]

The airline I fly on sometimes, marks my boarding passes with "TSA Precheck" .... and that is ALL I know. Haven't had status with this airline in 3+ years.

My thoughts on this "don't ask".

I have GE, my girlfriend who often travels with me doesn’t have GE or PreCheck. She invariably gets PreCheck on her boarding pass. I suspect it has something to do with her former high security clearance with the USAF but like you, we don’t ask.

Cheers

 

[silentg]

We get TSA Pre on Southwest almost always...like others we don’t ask why?

 

[bnoble]

I was in Delta's original Pre Check pilot program, and had it whenever I flew them for quite some time. Eventually that came to an end and I finally went to the trouble to get GE.

 

[Blues]

I remember a post from another forum about four guys going to Vancouver BC for a golf weekend, two with GE/Nexus, two without. At the border the two guys without it got out of the car and walked through the border, the two with it proceeded through the Nexus lane. US CBP had seen the guys get out of the car, and revoked the GE/Nexus cards of the guys in the car, on the spot, do not pass go, do not collect $200.

I don't understand. Why would it be illegal or against the rules for some to go through on foot and others in the car?

 

[PDX Matthew]

I don't understand. Why would it be illegal or against the rules for some to go through on foot and others in the car?

They were carrying luggage, i.e. golf clubs, for the non-GE guys, and the rules of the program clearly state the terms and conditions, which include that everyone in the vehicle has to have GE/Nexus. CBP can get pedantic and bureaucratic at times, but them's the rules.

 

[easyrider]

This last trip I was at LAX needing to clear customs. While waiting I started talking to the pilot who told me that I should install the passport app because of the many people that were heading to immigration. We did. No line really in the mobile app line.

https://www.cbp.gov/travel/us-citizens/mobile-passport-control

Bill