If you renew your passport after you get global entry, you have to go in person to update (tho no appt needed). I suspect any time you want to renew you will have to go in person as well.
What exactly is difference between TSA precheck and Global Entry? My D just got precheck because she is studying abroad fall semester flying in and out of London. Will precheck help on her international flight out? Is it possible to “upgrade?” I feel like we messed up…thanks.
According to their website, if you renew your passport you can update Global Entry on-line:
@4Gulls - TSA precheck is only domestic and you apply through the TSA. Global Entry is for international flights and helps you get thorough Customs faster. You apply for it through US Customs (though it does include TSA precheck), Since they are two different organizations, I doubt you can “upgrade”, but I assume you can just go get the Global Entry. Though by the sounds of it you probably won’t get it in time. (And now you are paying $185 instead of just $100).
We did only TSA precheck which is okay since we rarely travel internationally, but I’m thinking we should do Global Entry “just in case”. Or maybe we can wait it out for 5 years so we don’t spend money twice!
Global entry lets you go through the US customs faster AND gets you into the TSA pre line in the US. It does not give you any advantages abroad.
Last 2 times I traveled internationally, entry through customs at Seatac was very painless and quick, but we had nothing to declare.
I had no issues at JFK or LAX this past month. No pre check, just normal. Probably 20 minutes at LAX, 15 at JFK (I did pay for somewhat expedited security with JetBlue but the regular line was about the same anyway).
Airports are great for people watching - you’re bound to see some drama or complete meltdown!
Our family has Global Entry & we haven’t flown to an airport yet this summer with long lines for precheck.
Maybe we will all have to pony up for CLEAR at some point?
http://www.cntraveler.com/stories/2016-05-03/delta-announces-deal-to-speed-up-airport-security
Thanks. I just looked at the TSA website and it sounds like Precheck will help when she’s flying out of JFK to London - but not on the way back or internationally. When she travels overseas she will be with friends - and I have no idea if any of them have Global Entry. It’s going to be an expensive semester regardless. Wish I’d known the difference last week when she went and applied. Oh well …
@4Gulls - Precheck will help your D every time she leaves the US because she will go through the faster security line. Coming back, Global entry may or may not help her in London, but it would get her through US customs faster when she lands.
I think it would help most if you live near an international airport. For H and I, we always have a connection and end up with a 5-7 hour layover so we don’t mind waiting in a customs line a bit longer. When we get to the point of renewing precheck, we’ll probably switch to Global Entry (or whatever new thing might exist) to get the extra service.
Every time I’ve gone through our airport in Maine, the lines have been non-existent. I guess I’ve been lucky, because there have been TV reports about long lines there.
Yeah, what is the deal with Clear? They are trying to get people to sign up where I live. Anyone a member?
I’ve seen TSA precheck lines as long as “regular premium” lines. It annoys me to no end that they pulled random people into TSA recheck after some of us bothered to pay for it. So much for “security.”
The easiest way to think about TSA precheck vs global entry is … TSA precheck gets you to your gate faster - that is, outbound. Global entry helps you come in to the US faster, that is through customs / immigration.
Not all airlines participate in pre-check. Here’s the link: https://www.tsa.gov/news/releases/2016/05/20/tsa-precheck-expands-include-aeromexico-cape-air-etihad-airways-and-seaborne
As I said earlier, I fly international more frequently than domestic. TSA pre-check does not help me when I’m flying with international carriers. With TSA pre-check, it is connected to your frequent flyer profile for the participating airlines. I get TSA pre-check on domestic flights when flying my standard United or American flights.
Global entry is helpful when returning to the US - no matter what airline.
Both programs are a bit of “security theater” even though they interview you and take your fingerprints. Many times you can get in a super fast line by paying for Business class or first class anyway.
Yeah, but I’m not interested in paying for business class or first class for domestic travel - that’s a real waste of money for me.
^^re post 73 I wonder about security theater also. I have very bad luck - I’m always the one randomly selected (and I do think it is random) at a foreign airport for extra scrutiny before being allowed to board a plane to the US. In the last year, I’ve been randomly searched and patted down in Berlin, Hong Kong and Singapore. Last month in Singapore, as the attendant was opening my bag and about to spill my dirty underwear all over the public search area, I reflectively said, “Oh stop! That’s my dirty underwear.” Unbelievably, she did stop, sealed up the roll-aboard and sent me on my way!
My son warned us that Bradley was bad, but we had a short line on Sunday. That said, we saw someone accidentally open an emergency exit door in the airport, setting off an alarm. That alarm rang for the entire time we were in the airport. “The sheriff’s dept is suppose to deal with it, but you know…It’s a Sunday and it’s Father’s Day”. What kind of security is that?!!
Phoenix is always bad. They didn’t even have a TSA pre-check line the last time we were there. People were begging to cut in line.
Security lines at Minneapolis and Detroit are pretty reasonable.
When deciding if it’s worth applying for the services, it does help to know what is typical at your local and most used airports. I know what ORD is generally like, but elsewhere, I have experienced a range from no Pre-check operating (maybe my bad timing) to only me in the fully staffed PreCheck line while other non-Precheck lines stretched half the length of the concourse.
As for Global Entry, getting through immigration is faster at O’Hare, but when I’ve had to wait for bags, I hit customs at the same time as those who went through the regular lanes. Kid flew in on Sunday, does not have Global Entry, but had no checked bags. I believe he was the first traveler out from his plane - I was monitoring the tags on the bags as people emerged from customs. The airport was packed with many more summer only flights than during the year and I expected to wait forever. I was shocked at how fast he made it through - less than 20 minutes from gate arrival to walking over to greet me. That’s about the same as I typically make it through with Global Entry and no bags.
"As for Global Entry, getting through immigration is faster at O’Hare, but when I’ve had to wait for bags, I hit customs at the same time as those who went through the regular lanes. "
I agree with that at ORD. About half the time when I traveled internationally, I did so with only carryon so it was definitely worth it; the other half the time I had lots of (often empty) suitcases and didn’t save any time.
I can disappoint you even more. I do not have a Pre-Check and totally untrustworthy but on my last long flight with 2 layovers they stamped Pre-check on my ticket when I was checking in my luggage.