Because I travel a lot, I applied for Global Entry, the so-called “trusted traveler” pass, to get me through airport security and US Customs lines faster, on special security lines.
At airports in the USA, Global Entry includes TSA Pre-Check. The line is shorter because you don’t have to take off your shoes or take your laptop out of your carry-on.
But you still have to abide by the rule limiting the amount of liquids you can take in your carry-on, such as cosmetics.
An important bonus is that I don’t have to go through those awful, intrusive X-ray machines.
That alone is worth the $100 cost of the card. It’s because of radiation concerns, not privacy concerns.
On the return from an overseas trip, Global Entry lets you skip the long lines at US Customs and go directly to an electronic kiosk. Input your Passport, get an electronic fingerprint check, and you are on your way.
The only downside is that by skipping the line, you don’t get that precious stamp added to your US Passport.
This article was published in 2013
The time-saving value of TSA Pre-Check and/or Global Entry remains valid in 2024.
You can register online – click here to start the process online – by filing such information as US Passport and driver’s license numbers, and other information to verify your identity as a US citizen or legal resident.
The final step is an in-person interview at a US Customs office, including at many airports, to have your photo and fingerprints taken.
My in-person visit was at the US Customs Building in Lower Manhattan, just steps from the World Trade Center.
The Global Entry pass also is honored by several foreign governments, including Canada, Mexico and Netherlands, so you can speed through their customs and immigration process on arrival by showing your card.
And some individual airports overseas, including Frankfurt, Germany, have added a Global Entry line for US Passport holders.
Add Your Trusted Traveler Number to Frequent Flyer Programs
Global Entry does not notify airlines that you have – er – passed inspection. You have to do that yourself.
I’ve added my Global Entry card number to all my airline frequent flyer membership programs, so it is included when an e-ticket or boarding pass is issued.
Smaller US airports aren’t equipped with special Global Entry/TSA Trusted Traveler priority lines, like on my recent return trip from skiing at Steamboat, Colorado.
And even large airports like NYC’s LaGuardia Airport my not have TSA lines open for really early morning flights.
But you can still use the card as ID instead of your drivers license, and being recognized as a road warrior will most likely get you directed to the fastest and most efficient of the “regular” lines.
Safe and speedy travels.
ecoXplorer Evelyn Kanter is a journalist with 20+ years of experience as a newspaper and magazine writer, radio & TV news producer & reporter, and author of guidebooks and smartphone apps – all focusing on travel, automotive, the environment and your rights as a consumer.
ecoXplorer Evelyn Kanter currently serves as President of the International Motor Press Assn. (IMPA) and is a member of the North American Travel Journalists Ass. (NATJA) and the North American Snowsports Journalists Assn. (NASJA)
Contact me at evelyn@ecoxplorer.com.
Copyright (C) Evelyn Kanter
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