<p>It was pretty quick and painless from application to approval less than a month. H and I had our interviews today and watched a short video, got our photos taken and had fingerprints taken. The hardest part was finding the customs and border patrol office! Other people applying for the program had the same complaint! We are happy and think it was well worth $100 for 5 years to be always able to get into the pre-check line at the airport and get through customs and immigration more quickly. We are going to fly internationally in April, so figured we might as well get the Global Entry for $100 instead of just the US Pre Check for $85. Both run concurrently and last 5 years. </p>
<p>Personally, I hate the full body screeners and don’t believe they have no health risk and much prefer having this alternative to using the screeners, where I just go through the metal detector instead of the pat down or body screener. Yea! I think this will make flying much more pleasant than wondering if we will be lucky enough to be pre-check or not on our flights. (We often got it but not always and now we will have it for the next 5 years.) </p>
<p>If our passports expire within the next 5 years (mine is set to do so), we just have to go back to their office with our new passport so they can enter it and they prorate the remaining time for the program, so you don’t lose any of your 5 years. You can renew online without having to go into the office–just pay them more $$$! ;)</p>
<p>Anyone with any experience with this program? Good? Bad? Unexpected? I’m hoping it will get us pre-check regularly and help us get thru quicker in our rare out of country trips. </p>
<p>S has had this for years and no complaints so far from him. </p>
<p>I have pre-check. On a recent round trip to NY, it seemed that at least half of us were “randomly” selected to go through the body scan both ways. In addition, the pre-check line at JFK didn’t seem any shorter than the regular line.</p>
<p>I was able to keep my shoes on, though :)) </p>
<p>Yea, have read about folks who are irked that they seem to get pre-check less after they sign up than they randomly used to. I sure hope that doesn’t happen for me. That would really bug me. I had been getting pre-check about 75% of the time before and just hope this gets me more pre-check than less. </p>
<p>Most of the airports I frequent, the pre-check line is much shorter than the other one. I always opt out of the scans and get the pat downs instead. I don’t need extra health risks and potential radiation. </p>
<p>It’s also supposed to help you get back into US via shorter lines. Hope it at least does that!</p>
<p>The key is Global Entry. No more huge lines when re-entering country. Use the kiosk, insert passport, put your fingers on the scanner and the machine takes your picture. Answer a couple questions from the screen, a print out occurs. Bring that paper and give to the officer and leave. Two minutes and done.</p>
<p>If you live close to the border, you could apply for the Nexus card. This gives you dedicated lanes on land borders between Canada/USA, Global Entry, TSA-Pre for $50 for five years.</p>
<p>Just remember to enter your PASS ID in your airline passenger profile page. If you have a frequent flyer account, you can enter it in your profile page or enter it manually for every airline reservation (if you are booking on an infrequently used airline). You need to enter this number, otherwise the airline cannot pass onto TSA that you are eligible for TSA-Pre.</p>
<p>I don’t have global but have the tsa pre-check. It never works and a lot of airlines I fly don’t have it. I’d have to see that actually work first before I did the Global Entry. I’m flying today on AirTran and though Southwest allows it, and owns them, they don’t. </p>
<p>I’m on a trip now and had the pre check on my boarding pass and it made it so much easier. While waiting for our plane to get to it’s gate I was talking to my seat mates who both had the global entry. I’ll be flying more often the next couple of years and pre-registered while sitting there and have an appointment next week. If it’s only $15 more for global, why not?</p>
<p>Did I understand someone here say that you don’t always get to go thru the pre check line? I thought that was the point. </p>
<p>There is not always a separate pre-check line and in some airports/times the pre-check line may be the same length or even longer than regular entry. I’m afraid if it becomes more popular, that will increasingly be the case.</p>
<p>We traveled last week. DH has a pre check account and got a pre check boarding pass. I was on a different itinerary and randomly got pre check from my Delta frequent flyer account. 17 yo DD, who was on DH’s itinerary had to go through the regular line. We were perplexed.</p>