Global Entry or TSA Pre Check

Both are valid for five years. Global Entry costs $15 more. The small premium is worth it in my opinion given the expedited return process....when I am dog-tired. See comparison chart at http://www.dhs.gov/comparison-chart

I have Global Entry. Pleased I qualified BUT understand you have to be interviewed and once you sign up for it that appointment might be 6-8 months away. Was for me. IMHO worth it as I fly in and out of LAX, which can be hell on earth coming or going!

When we looked at the website, it was $100 PLUS $129 fee for background check. Still worth it?

You might want to consider a Nexus card. This provides global entry and TSA pre-check as well as quick border crossings to Canada. The cost is $50 per person and it is good for several years. It does involve an in person interview, but that was not very hard.

Here is the website: http://www.cbp.gov/travel/trusted-traveler-programs/nexus/nexus-overview

Just signed up! be careful to get on the right government site. when i Googled, i was put on a site that was going to charge an additional $129 for the background check. it looked legit so that is why we were questioning the cost. thank you for the link to the correct site and we are all registered.

What am I missing here? Nexus is only $50, allows expedited entry, and has TSA pre-check. There must be a drawback that I'm not getting. Could someone fill me in because I'd go with the $50 price tag over the $100 any day. Actually, I'll post this as a separate question thread.

Andrea,

worth it is up to you and your values.

I decided to try the Global Entry (GE). Since i travel every year, i figured i would give it a try and see if its "worth it" for me. I was able to use it this past september and enjoyed havent not to spend time in line. If you are not aware the GE is good for 5? years.

happy trails.

Bets, A couple of years ago Nexus was only valid for travel between U.S. and Canada. However, in looking at the website, it seems to imply that Nexus members can use Global Entry kiosks
so it sure looks like the list of benefits is same

i've had Global Entry for nearly 3 years. I did not have to wait long for an interview. I love that I can get through immigration in about 2 minutes and also never have to wait in line at customs. I always fly into Dulles. However, I wouldn't bother with either precheck or global entry if I only flew every 2 years. The precheck line is not always shorter and only certain airlines participate.

This is really strange . When we left for England from Newark on 8/31 , we were waved through the TSA pre check line and never signed up for the service . Enigmatic , to say the least .

Steven, probably just a "free sample" based on your past flying experience. Has happened to others we know. Like most "free samples" they might be hoping you'll sign up. TC

Well , it certainly was a nice surprise , beats a free newspaper .

I flew domestically last spring with my mom and again this fall by myself, to the same destination. When I printed out my own boarding passes at home, they had the TSA checkmark at the top; my mom's pass did not.
My understanding was that I had to have signed up, so I didn't "get" why I had the checkmark. Kind of confusing. I thought maybe, as TC says, that it was based on my more extensive flying history.

The last few of times I've flown, I was sent to the TSA Pre line. First time I thought it was because the line was empty, and I'm older. Last time I noticed I had TSA Pre-check printed on top of my ticket (I never asked for it, nor paid anything). I am a United Mileage Plus member and have a United Explorer card. I thought I read somewhere that is was due to one of those things.

More and more airlines are offering the Pre Check randomly. Some of it is yes to promote the program, some of it is to help at airports that are busier. Some times Pre Check is slower than the regular lines and I think some airlines are catching on to that as well. We have Global Entry. We think it is worth it.

Looking at the comparison chart, it looks like Global Entry combines $85 TSA Pre with expedited border entry, which, for those of us who return from Europe frequently, would be worth the extra $15. However, NEXUS is only $50, and seems to give the same benefits of Global Entry. Shouldn't that make it a better deal? (Or does Nexus only apply to US/Canada flights?)

Does anyone who has NEXUS have experience with flying to Europe?

OK, I found the list of NEXUS enrollment centers. The closest one to me is in Seattle! There is a Global Entry center at DIA.

It appears that Nexus only applies to entry from Canada:

"The NEXUS program allows pre-screened travelers expedited processing by United States and Canadian officials at dedicated processing lanes at designated northern border ports of entry, at NEXUS kiosks at Canadian Preclearance airports, and at marine reporting locations."

I fly between Honolulu and Seattle regularly. In the last couple of years, when printing out my boarding pass at home, I often notice a TSAPre* imprinted in the upper right hand corner of the boarding pass. I have considered purchasing the Global Entry pass since I also go to Europe every summer, but have decided to wait awhile to see how long and often I keep getting the TSAPre* stamp for free. I am a frequent flyer on Hawaii Airlines and use a credit card of theirs sponsored by Barkleys. I have been flying between Seattle and Honolulu since 1985. Both of those, along with my advancing age, may be contributing to my getting the "freebies". In this case, I can not beat free.

For those who got Pre-Check without ever signing up, TSA was allowing certain people, they won't say who, to use the Pre-Check lines even though they never paid or had background checks. Part of it was to speed up the regular lines, part was to see if they could interest people into joining.

A few weeks ago, TSA announced that enough people had signed up for Pre-Check and they were worried those lines might get backed up if they continued allowing non-signees into them. So, very soon, if not already, if you haven't signed up for Pre-Check, Global Entry or Nexus, you won't get Pre-Check.

Nexus was originally only for the USA and Canada but they have since extended the program so that both it and Global Entry are almost completely interchangeable. While Global Entry interview centers are throughout the USA and even the world, Nexus interview centers are all located close to the US/Canada border.

I wouldn't be surprised to see the two programs eventually combined.

Some airlines are also springing for TSA PreCheck for certain tiers of frequent fliers.

Global Entry is the best $100 I've spent. I fly every week for work and to know I will get to go through pre-check makes travel so much easier. This year will make the first time I'll use it for the intended purpose of fast-tracking through customs. Even if I only flew one time per year, that would make Global Entry $20/year and that's still worth it.

As for the interview times, it depends on the location you select for your interview. Some have immediate appointments available but some are 4-6 weeks out. To wait that long is rare - once you have pre-approval, stop by the location if it's convenient to see if they can work you in. I made my appointment during a layover and several people that were waiting had "popped in" hoping to be seen. They saw everyone and I thought that was nice. Just have your conditional approval letter and identification with you. Don't show up without having received conditional approval.

Interviews are around 30 minutes - you watch a video, answer a few questions, get fingerprinted and your picture taken. The questions are appropriate and assuming you were truthful on the application, you'll have no worries.

I worked for Customs and Border Protection for awhile. One of my assignments was Global Entry when we were first building it.

I had the Wall Street Journal's "Middle Seat" guy at Dulles one day to show him how it worked. He and I were observing the kiosks with a couple of uniformed officers. Everyone sailed through in seconds, many were aircrew. Some noticed us observing and offered unsolicited positive comments including "this is the best thing since sliced bread." I asked Scott when he heard that last from someone referring to a government program?

After you apply, Global Entry requires an advance trip to an airport to get finger prints, interview, and instructions. Once you get that out of the way, you can save a lot of time getting through airports - especially if you're a carry on traveler.

When I was at CBP we were working on bilateral agreements with other countries where we honored their trusted traveler program and they honored ours. I don't know how many agreements are in place now. It might be worth knowing so you can save time at your European airport too.

Global Entry is miserable, terrible invasion of privacy. Once you answer all of those questions and they do that background check they will know enough about you to black mail and extort you!!!!!!! Don't do it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (come on guys, if you keep selling it the lines at the kiosk will get longer. I like it the way it is. Short, sweet and fast ............ so: shhhhhhhhhh).

Obviously James was rejected. Our experience with the whole interview process was ten minutes tops. My wife's was even shorter with one question - Are you with him? Go !!!

@Frank; what part of the don't advertise the great deal because it will get crowded sarcasm didn't you get? Guess I should have been more direct.

Hey guys. Right now there are no lines at the Kiosks and if you guys
keep promoting it that may change so lets keep the secret. I like it the way it is

I think I posted this elsewhere, but at the sake of being repetitive GOES is great when you have no luggage and just sort of convenient if you do. Most of our trips it has taken so long to get the checked luggage on the conveyor belt that the non-GOES folks have caught up with us. With nothing but carry on you just fly through the airport.

James was being facetious but he's not completely wrong. The people on the Global Entry list actually have a background check run on them daily. It's all invisible unless something pops up on your record, then you get a letter saying your trusted traveler status has been revoked. Even if it's in error, you have to appeal.

We hope to travel internationally every year, so we went with the GOES. We got through customs in a flash. And the TSA Pre- check is great. When I flew from Las Vegas last week the TSA guy said that now they have allowed random people to sample TSA Pre-check and enough people have signed up, they are going to cut back on the freebies. Is he right? I guess we'll see.

Sure, it doesn't make much sense to charge people for PreCheck and then allow lots of people to use it for free. Free for all or free for none.

My wife and I both have Global Entry for a few years now. We travel internationally 3 times a year and domestic every month. It's well worth the $100 dollars each we paid for. Especially the TSA-Pre Benefit.

Unfortunately since the beginning of 2014, TSA-Pre lines are no longer efficient. LAX is my home base airport. TSA there sends random people into the TSA-Pre line every time we fly, it no longer saves us time. In a way it concerns us, why do we pay $100 dollars and go through extensive background checks and interviews while TSA just randomly select people for the line anyways.

Started about mid 2014, when we return from international flights. There will always be a huge line at the Global Entry machines in LAX compare to the US citizen line. The Custom agents also started asking a whole lot of questions compare to the 1-3 before.

It is still a nice investment, just don't expect it to dramatically reduce your wait time.

just to add.

I didnt pay any more than 100 USD for my Global Entry (GE) card. I figured for 20 USD/year i could afford to try and see how it is.

so far its been "worth it" to me. It saved me time this trip. fortunately PDX hasn't become like LAX or any of the bigger airports, yet. But I'm sure with more people traveling its just a matter of time.

since i paid for 5 years, i will use it for 5 years and re-evaluate it then. Also, if i see a longer line at the GE kiosks, i will just do the normal entry.

happy trails.