Comments on: How Global Entry Saved Me $570 When I Arrived Late to the Airport

By: Donna

Donna — Thu, 29 Aug 2019 00:51:54 +0000

I have pre tsa, is it possible to upgrade to global entry

By: Beth-ann

Beth-ann — Sat, 13 Jul 2019 20:19:23 +0000

@Leslie – Definitely log into your account regularly to check the status. And then – if availability for an appointment isn’t soon enough, there sometimes IS an alternative to “just waiting….” We are lucky enough to have a couple of places in our metro area to check availability for appointments, but the program has gotten so popular that the wait has become longer. For my initial appointment, the availability in another city to which I happened to be traveling was much shorter, so I booked it, got to the airport super early, and got my status there! (And, if you find an appointment in an off-the-beaten-track airport or facility, maybe find a low-cost flight and rack up your miles!) I know it sounds extreme, but after once waiting on the immigration line for 2 1/2 hours, I swore that would never happen again. And now, with Global Entry, I’m always out of immigration and customs before our luggage arrives at the belt.

ONE MORE TIP for people taking a trip to DC: we have an in-city Global Entry processing center at the Reagan Center. It’s often empty. So take a few days R&R to tour the amazing (and free!) Smithsonians and get your Global Entry while you’re here.

FINAL TIP: appointments become available! So keep checking, even after you’ve booked your appointment, as you may be able to get it done sooner, either near your home base or at another facility if you find yourself traveling for any reason. Do get it. It’s fantastic!!!!

By: Beth-ann

Beth-ann — Sat, 13 Jul 2019 20:08:16 +0000

@Diane: Global Entry definitely includes TSA Precheck 100% of the time. We used 2 different platinum cards to get ours (and got reimbursed for both!), and then I got one for our grandson traveling with us and my mother-law (because we want everyone traveling with us to have precheck!), and we have renewed 3 of them already. At $20/year, it’s one of the best bargains on the planet for travelers.

By: Denise

Denise — Sat, 13 Jul 2019 16:06:20 +0000

My family of 4 has Global Entry thanks to our Amex Plat cards. We will be using GE for the first time going to Bonaire. So glad to know about pre-clearance. Too bad they don’t have that on Bonaire.
Thanks for the info. Glad you made your flight!

By: Andrew Wan

Andrew Wan — Mon, 10 Jun 2019 17:34:59 +0000

In reply to Priscilla M. Cunanan. Global Entry is AMAZING! Anything to get through security more quickly. I even tried a free trial of CLEAR a few months ago. Combined with my TSA PreCheck/Global Entry, I was through security in a matter of minutes. It was so awesome!

By: Priscilla M. Cunanan

Priscilla M. Cunanan — Sat, 08 Jun 2019 20:57:26 +0000

I have Global Entry and I love it! I brag about to my friends and families and tell them to apply for it!

By: Emily

Emily — Sat, 08 Jun 2019 18:45:29 +0000

In reply to Joshua. It’s about to not be free. They just announced a subscription price.

By: Emily

Emily — Sat, 08 Jun 2019 18:44:41 +0000

In reply to Joseph Hostetler. Saved my butt in a similar situation. My flight was late getting to Toronto which has preclearance and requires US flights to preclear. So my layover was then not long enough to get through customs. But I had the exact same experience when I said I had Global Entry. I was told to go on through. Thank goodness.

By: Emily

Emily — Sat, 08 Jun 2019 18:41:36 +0000

In reply to Leslie. Wait.

By: Emily

Emily — Sat, 08 Jun 2019 18:40:09 +0000

In reply to Diane. It’s not misleading at all. If you get Global Entry you will be enrolled in TSA Precheck. If you get Precheck you won’t get Global Entry unless you apply. The fact that you thought it was too far to go for the GE interview doesn’t make it untrue that GE comes with TSA Pre. It does.