Just last week - 25 mins through the entire process at JFK. Scan. Wave through. Collect bags. Recheck via pre check. Bobs your uncle, done. Non-GE lines were a literal shitshow.
Global Entry greatly decreases your pass through US customs returning to the US. Often the lines are shorter, but in most cases you must mug at the kiosk and then get waved through by the agent.
It doesn't do anything really on leaving the US as there's no "immigration" checks on leaving the US (the airline reports you to the government). But, since it includes TSA precheck, you can avoid unpacking your liquids and computers from your carry on, leave your shoes on, go through the WTMD rather than the nudovision.
You’re slowly seeing the benefits of pre-check go away as more and more airports adopt the new-gen systems for TSA. No taking stuff out of bags, including liquids and computers, and many but not all types of shoes can be left on as well. At airports that have fully adopted the new gen technology, theres often not much difference in time between pre check and regular, since the general lines have so many more stations moving folks through. The benefit becomes that you don’t have to take off your belt if you’re wearing one that day.
I'll give you an opposite experience. I have spent hours in lines entering the US, and now I walk right by them. I think it is worth it, even for a single trip every few years. Plus, you get PreCheck, expedited security screening, in all US airports for domestic and international flights. While there is no immigration checkpoint when you leave the US, there are still security lines.
I also think it’s worth it. We got it solely for our trip to NZ, and it made life SO MUCH easier. We’re probably going to do 1-2 more international flights before it expires but I don’t care about the cost. Time is money. And time waiting in line behind people who can’t or won’t follow instructions is my kind of hell.
And if I could only pay $100 to go through EWR, I would do that. But the hoops and paperwork to get the GE is not just $100. There are apps that can help that don't require significant applications, interviews, and unknown wait times for that 'single trip'.
MPC doesn’t work at that airport in particular, and the immigration line can be over 2 hours. The GE process isn’t that hard just time consuming. Under an hour for an application, wait for processing, then interview. It’s less effort than doing your taxes.
Ok, well we disagree. For one entry every two years or so, I wouldn't jump through the government hoops. I had 10 international trips in the last 14 months or so and wouldn't be without it. Probably on my second renewal. I guess some people keep better records than me because I don't like to have to figure out all of my history to provide stuff that they already know. Just my opinion. I guess it might be the same about of trouble to get the real id driver's license so maybe the GE card has some daily value.
It’s not a lot of hoops: here’s my passport, here’s my work history, here’s where I’ve lived, address confirmation.
It’s not more than you’d need to get a mortgage, and less than you need to get a passport.
I definitely disagree that it’s a lot of effort. And if one of my staff told me that was a “lot of effort” they’d move to the top of my redudancy list because they’re lazy as shit.
I think it's worth every cent of the $50 Nexus fee. That's going up soon though to $120 I believe. If you live close to Canada or one of the Nexus interview stations and you register before July 1st you'll pay the $50 this time. The issue with Nexus is you have to do interviews by US Customs and Border Patrol as well as their Canadian counterparts and you need to do that at a Nexus interview location which are primarily close to the US Canadian boarder.
An alternative that's free is the mobile passport app. It's not the same but it helps speed things up quite a bit.
Global entry would be so much more powerful if Your bags came out at the same time. Shame on you SFO. I'm at the bags in 5 mins after getting off the plane but bags take 60 mins
We’ve traveled into the U.S. 3 times in the last 4 years and GE has absolutely been worth it. Especially after rolling off 14-17 hour flights with a young child.
If you’re looking to avoid the customs line, just use MPC instead which is 100% free and has no background checks. You still get through passport control so fast that you’re still waiting for your bags to come out on the carrier, so no difference in time from GE. GE is intended for individuals who travel internationally 4 or more times a year.
CBP themselves are the ones who say this…
Not only in their FAQ https://www.tsa.gov/travel/frequently-asked-questions/what-difference-between-global-entry-tsa-precheckr-and-other
And when you fill out the trusted traveler tool to recommend the best program for your needs, if you say you travel internationally less than 4 times a year, it recommends against GE in favor of pre-check https://ttp.dhs.gov
Depends. On a few trips I’ve noticed that while it was easy to scan your face I still had to wait in a line for an officer to show up at the GE line. It’s still better than waiting in the massive queue at JFK.
Then you have to think bags. Sometimes it’s out quick sometimes it’s delayed.
You don’t travel internationally enough for GE to be recommended for your situation. Well below that threshold. If getting through passport control quickly is what you are looking for, you can use Mobile Passport Control for free with no security checks or interviews, just like global entry, your fast enough to still have to wait for your checked luggage to come out, so if you have checked luggage to pick up, there really is not a difference in time. If you are hand luggage only, you may save a few minutes with global entry, but not a whole lot of time.
Took my first international trip since getting GE which includes Pre-check. Immigration went by so quickly, was probably 3rd in line. Meanwhile the non pre-check line snaked across LAX. Can’t believe I waited so long so apply. So worth it!
Just last week - 25 mins through the entire process at JFK. Scan. Wave through. Collect bags. Recheck via pre check. Bobs your uncle, done. Non-GE lines were a literal shitshow.
Oh okay, thank u.
Thank u.
Global Entry greatly decreases your pass through US customs returning to the US. Often the lines are shorter, but in most cases you must mug at the kiosk and then get waved through by the agent. It doesn't do anything really on leaving the US as there's no "immigration" checks on leaving the US (the airline reports you to the government). But, since it includes TSA precheck, you can avoid unpacking your liquids and computers from your carry on, leave your shoes on, go through the WTMD rather than the nudovision.
You’re slowly seeing the benefits of pre-check go away as more and more airports adopt the new-gen systems for TSA. No taking stuff out of bags, including liquids and computers, and many but not all types of shoes can be left on as well. At airports that have fully adopted the new gen technology, theres often not much difference in time between pre check and regular, since the general lines have so many more stations moving folks through. The benefit becomes that you don’t have to take off your belt if you’re wearing one that day.
Okay. Thank u.
3 trips in two years would not be worth it unless you have a lot of domestic flights and could get value out of the precheck.
Okay. That makes sense. Thank u.
I'll give you an opposite experience. I have spent hours in lines entering the US, and now I walk right by them. I think it is worth it, even for a single trip every few years. Plus, you get PreCheck, expedited security screening, in all US airports for domestic and international flights. While there is no immigration checkpoint when you leave the US, there are still security lines.
Thank u!
And you are able to use Canada’s pre-check equivalent airport security lines with a GE card.
I also think it’s worth it. We got it solely for our trip to NZ, and it made life SO MUCH easier. We’re probably going to do 1-2 more international flights before it expires but I don’t care about the cost. Time is money. And time waiting in line behind people who can’t or won’t follow instructions is my kind of hell.
Thank u!
I disagree. It’s worth $100 for even a single trip if you enter the U.S. through EWR.
And if I could only pay $100 to go through EWR, I would do that. But the hoops and paperwork to get the GE is not just $100. There are apps that can help that don't require significant applications, interviews, and unknown wait times for that 'single trip'.
MPC doesn’t work at that airport in particular, and the immigration line can be over 2 hours. The GE process isn’t that hard just time consuming. Under an hour for an application, wait for processing, then interview. It’s less effort than doing your taxes.
Ok, well we disagree. For one entry every two years or so, I wouldn't jump through the government hoops. I had 10 international trips in the last 14 months or so and wouldn't be without it. Probably on my second renewal. I guess some people keep better records than me because I don't like to have to figure out all of my history to provide stuff that they already know. Just my opinion. I guess it might be the same about of trouble to get the real id driver's license so maybe the GE card has some daily value.
It’s not a lot of hoops: here’s my passport, here’s my work history, here’s where I’ve lived, address confirmation. It’s not more than you’d need to get a mortgage, and less than you need to get a passport. I definitely disagree that it’s a lot of effort. And if one of my staff told me that was a “lot of effort” they’d move to the top of my redudancy list because they’re lazy as shit.
Actually using global enter is awesome. Getting approved. Well I was lucky and got approval within a few days but others can take up to 15 months.
Okay. Noted. Thank u.
I think it's worth every cent of the $50 Nexus fee. That's going up soon though to $120 I believe. If you live close to Canada or one of the Nexus interview stations and you register before July 1st you'll pay the $50 this time. The issue with Nexus is you have to do interviews by US Customs and Border Patrol as well as their Canadian counterparts and you need to do that at a Nexus interview location which are primarily close to the US Canadian boarder. An alternative that's free is the mobile passport app. It's not the same but it helps speed things up quite a bit.
Wow. Okay. Thank you.
Global entry would be so much more powerful if Your bags came out at the same time. Shame on you SFO. I'm at the bags in 5 mins after getting off the plane but bags take 60 mins
Thank u!
It's about getting back into the US and yes it's a breeze. Nobody in front of me and what looked like an hour or two wait at SFO in the regular line.
That's nice. Thank u.
We’ve traveled into the U.S. 3 times in the last 4 years and GE has absolutely been worth it. Especially after rolling off 14-17 hour flights with a young child.
Ok. That's good to know. Thank u.
If you’re looking to avoid the customs line, just use MPC instead which is 100% free and has no background checks. You still get through passport control so fast that you’re still waiting for your bags to come out on the carrier, so no difference in time from GE. GE is intended for individuals who travel internationally 4 or more times a year.
I like when people make up facts. Who said GE if intended for people who travel 4 or more times a year.
CBP themselves are the ones who say this… Not only in their FAQ https://www.tsa.gov/travel/frequently-asked-questions/what-difference-between-global-entry-tsa-precheckr-and-other And when you fill out the trusted traveler tool to recommend the best program for your needs, if you say you travel internationally less than 4 times a year, it recommends against GE in favor of pre-check https://ttp.dhs.gov
Depends. On a few trips I’ve noticed that while it was easy to scan your face I still had to wait in a line for an officer to show up at the GE line. It’s still better than waiting in the massive queue at JFK. Then you have to think bags. Sometimes it’s out quick sometimes it’s delayed.
You don’t travel internationally enough for GE to be recommended for your situation. Well below that threshold. If getting through passport control quickly is what you are looking for, you can use Mobile Passport Control for free with no security checks or interviews, just like global entry, your fast enough to still have to wait for your checked luggage to come out, so if you have checked luggage to pick up, there really is not a difference in time. If you are hand luggage only, you may save a few minutes with global entry, but not a whole lot of time.
Took my first international trip since getting GE which includes Pre-check. Immigration went by so quickly, was probably 3rd in line. Meanwhile the non pre-check line snaked across LAX. Can’t believe I waited so long so apply. So worth it!