TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin Global entry

Is global entry worth the effort?

Yes.

We travel a lot and have had GE almost since it's inception. For us it is MORE THAN WORTH the effort.

We almost always travel only with carry-on and since having GE it usually takes us less than 7 minutes from the time we arrive at the GE kiosk until we are leaving the Customs Hall - the bulk of that time is spent walking from the Kiosk and to the exit. Of course, on those occasions when we have checked bags we have to wait for them to arrive at the carrousel but once we claim our luggage we are on the move again.

By the way, there isn't much "effort" involved in getting GE- you fill out an application then upon approval you schedule an in person interview with CBP. It took us 30 minutes to drive to the airport for our interview and the interview itself took about 15 minutes - all very easy.

I'm wondering myself if it was worth the effort but then I think back to our return trip from SXM in April 2016 and the miserable arrival experience at JFK and I say to myself, " Oh yes it was!" and in our case it was a bit more of an effort since we live an hour and a half from the nearest interview facility which just happens to be JFK. Need I say anymore?

We don't travel very much beyond SXM these days but remembering the almost two hour wait in the immigration arrival hall and standing in that seemingly never-ending line and wondering why, I have no regrets.

After doing the initial paperwork on line, we scheduled a convenient midday appointment time for both of us at JFK, avoiding all the rush hour chaos that often ensues in getting there. Upon arrival at the appointed time we were pleasantly surprised in that we FINALLY found something that actually works and works well there.

Just knowing we shouldn't ever have to do that annoying wait again makes it all worth the effort and the expense.

But on the other hand, someone I know very well and who doesnt have GE but instead uses an iphone passport app, clears and is generally in, out and in the car in less than a half hour when she does carry-on only. And to the best of my knowledge the iPhone app doesn't have any fees attached. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" />

We use the passport app when we return via Atlanta. I believe it can only be used in a limited number of airports and one of them just happens to be ATL. Last year we made it thru immigration faster than the Global Entry folks did, but the arrival hall wasn't all that busy. Having said that, we do need to get Global Entry for when we drive to Mexico & enter back thru Nogales. That checkpoint is a zoo! I just applied & there are no appointments in PVD or BOS for months so I'll do it out in AZ when we return.

Funny thing about RI appointments - when we applied, I thought, since we knew the interviews would require a lengthy drive 'somewhere' it would be fun to schedule the appointment for RI in the summer and do a day trip to the beach as well when we were finished with our interviews. I called in late April or the very early part of May and the earliest appointments they could give me were in February. As in February of the following year. JFK sounded much better at that point.

The wife and I had scheduled our appointments in Boston about 8 months out, so we won't be able to it upon our return. We decided to take a trip to the uppermost parts of NH, and checked on openings at Derby Line VT. and wouldn't you know it, they had availability in VT while we were up in NH. Went into our accounts and made the change. We were at our appointment 30 minutes early, they took us right in and we were out in about 15 minutes, and able to use GE upon our return to the US via JFK back in November. Glad we changed time with our original GE appointment, as it was a zoo at JFK and we were thru the line in nothing flat.

In general, I'd say it's worth it; however, on our last trip back from SXM through JFK, about half of the GE kiosks were not working. And now, more and more people are getting GE, so there was a back up. It was the first time we experienced that problem. I do think we got through much faster than those who didn't have it. I think 4 planes landed about the same time as ours so there were a lot of people going through Immigration at the same time.

The is also a dedicated exit for GE holders once you pick up your luggage too. It's not well marked, so you have to be on the lookout for it.

Yes!

We travel light so without checked bags it is really just a matter of finding the kiosk. After a Miami 2.5 hour experience I will never go without again in this lifetime.

Several international airport allow it as well. We entered Auckland after a long flight and were amazed they have a US Global Entry line. After 16 hours of travel that was a welcome site. I believe SXM is going to have it as well but not sure if it is for arrives and departures. Arrival has not been a problem except the X-ray as you depart baggage.

Thank you for all the replies. I appreciate it a lot !!

The answer is yes

We thought the questioning would be somewhat intrusive. As others have said, the interview was very quick and minimal questioning. We had to drive 4 hours for a 10 minute interview. We made it 3 day Denver getaway.

I drove 30 min for our interview the day we were leaving to SXM on a red eye. Drove home. Entered the GE number on our profile and then checked in on line. Printed boarding pass with Pre-check and then went back to airport to fly to SXM.
Worked Slick.

Yes!!

Wow, i just looked into it, and my closest enrollment center is Boston's Logan Int. Airport. About 3hr. drive, but i guess it might be worth it.

When we first applied for Global Entry there was no place close to do the interview. So we arranged a two hour layover in Atlanta on the way to Mexico, so we could do the interview there. We were then able to use it on our return ten days later.

We have just renewed our Global Entry and while the forms mentioned another interview might be required, we did not have to have one.

Nice thing is my Credit Card reimbursed my fees as a benefit.

We have an hour and 40 min. layover in Philly, but i don't think i could align those stars. Wow, your card reimbursed you your application fee? What card is that, maybe i have it?

Platinum AmEx. But I think a few other cards do this also.

Global Entry

Most are $300-550/year

Yes, not worth it just for Global Entry. But, if you travel a lot, like us, we find the other benefits can definitely be worth the fee.

The Chase Sapphire Reserve also reimburses the GE fee.

Thanks, i'll have to ck on that with my card co. I thought the price was like a $100.00. I'll have to ck on that too!

Yes, Global Entry is worth it. We signed up online about 20 months ago. We had our interview at the Ronald Regan Building in Washington DC since we live in Southern Maryland about 6 months after applying.

The key to a smooth approval is to be totally truthful. We both have had multiple background checks over the decades since we worked in many Government jobs before retiring. The one key piece of advice that always applied throughout was that "disclosure is INFINITLY better than discovery!"

When you get to the interview, your background check has already been completed. If everything you submitted matches what the BC found, the process is quick and smooth. If there are grey areas, you will be asked to explain. Just always be totally honest.

One month after getting our approval we flew to Amsterdam continuing to Florence for a 10 day tour of Tuscany with 2 days in Rome. Since we were booked by our travel agent on KLM we did not get PreCheck at Dulles. No big deal.

On our way back home we again were booked on KLM through Amsterdam. For this trip our passsports were only stamped when we entered the EU at Amsterdam and again when left the EU there on the way home.

When we arrived back at IAD we rode the mobile lounge from our gate to Customs. When we entered the hall there was the expected zig zag maze leading to Imigration/Passport check...and a seperate path only for GE travellers that led to a bank of 50 Kiosk machines along a seperate path.

At the Kiosks we each had our pasports scanned, smiled at the camera, had our fingerprints electronicly scanned, and answered four questions concerning purchases. Then the machine spit out a long "cash register tape" with our data and we followed the "GE Only" lane to bagage claim.

At Baggage claim we recovered our checked luggage, and followed the GE Only lane on the floor with overhead signs to a single TSA agent, avoiding another zig zag corral, and handed her the paper tape, and she waived us to the exit.

Total time from stepping off the airplane to driving out of the parking garage was less than a half hour. At IAD!

Definitely well worth it!

When traveling do you bring your GLOBAL Card or just putting the info on your plane tickets and passport enough??

Your passport is coded so you do not have to do anything except go to the Global Entry kiosk and scan your passport and verify your identity. You do not have to bring anything like the card...

As was mentioned no card needed for flights to the USA..just passport, fingers and face.

GE cards I believe are used for land entry into the USA from Canada and Mexico (passport obviously also works. Never used the card...always used my passport) Cards also have your Trusted Traveler number (PASSID) on them to get PreCheck when booking flights

Make sure you give the airline your trusted traveler ID number. Add it to your profile and then make sure when you make a flight reservation that your Trusted Traveler number is in the reservation.

I used it for the first time yesterday; was practically the last one off the plane and worrying about missing my bus connection 30 minutes later. The Global Entry line entrance was just to the right with just one couple in front of me. I scanned my passport, had my photo and fingerprints taken, and was out of the airport in 5 minutes! HIGHLY recommended!

What airport did you travel through? That sounds really good, i'm thinking of signing up myself.

You can find a list of the Global Entry Airports here: http://usa.immigrationvisaforms.com/travel/global-entry-participating-airports

Thanks. I was kind of curious if the airport they went through was one of the ones i'm traveling through, to get a gauge on time. We hit PHL and CLT. Do you have GE and find it worth it?

If you re-read Fletch's post (3rd in this thread) they've given that answer.

Got it! That was so long ago. LOL <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Thumbsup.gif" alt="" />

Pat,

You convinced me! I just applied for Don & I - mainly in case we go to Mexico when in AZ. Now just waiting to hear back. I'm going to schedule the interview in AZ for when we return as the time frame for RI or Boston is totally nuts. I even called the PVD office & they recommended we go to Tucson. So hopefully we'll get an appointment before next March!

Boston's Logan airport.

As everybody has said, YES! We joined five years ago and the experience has been outstanding.