Here's our experience with the Global Entry application process

We decided we needed to do GE after our last trip to SXM with a chaotic and long immigration process upon arrival as well as our departure experience for the same trip. I got through security 20 minutes ahead of my partner because I got TSA precheck and she didn't.

The online application is easy to fill out. After waiting for about 3 weeks we were approved for the interview. There were no interview slots open at Bowling Green in Manhattan before our September Ireland trip. This location is a few blocks from my office so would have been very convenient for me and a better one than JFK for my partner.

We ended up making appointments at JFK for the two of us. We kept checking for open appointments at Bowling Green and they appeared. So, keep checking if, at first, a convenient timeframe does not appear. Canceling the original one and booking the other one was no problem.

They are very strict about times. We got there early and there was a woman waiting who missed her earlier appointment by 5 minutes and wasn't let up for it. She did end up getting in because 2 people didn't show for a later time slot.

The interview was super fast and we were approved.

We received our cards within 2 weeks.

Does Global Entry include TSA Pre Check, or do you have to apply for that seperately.

Includes

For the most part, Global Entry gives you TSA Precheck about 99% of the time! or so they told us during our interviews, although it's not a guarantee, but it isn't with Precheck either because they can always pull you out of line randomly. It's about as close as you can get to a sure thing but 'stuff' happens sometimes. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" />