Global or Precheck?

On the Trusted Traveler website they say that they are so backlogged that if you don't plan to take multiple international trips each year to get Precheck.

I agree with the Points Guy.

Points Guy is absolutely right. If they want people just buying Pre-Check, reduce the cost to make it worth their while. To get Pre-check alone for $85 when you can get BOTH Pre-check and GE for just $15 more makes no sense.

People always look at the price, but lets face it, my wife had her pre-check in a few weeks with the security part done by a company in our town...Global Entry will take you months plus travel to a interview location (unless you live in near a major airport) and much more information provided.

Precheck you can use every time you fly, you get a shorter line, keep your shoes on, get to leave stuff in your bag. Of course that means you get through quicker, but you all wait at the gate together anyway.

Global entry you use only on re-entry to the US, it saves you some time in immigration, maybe. If your point of re-entry is one of the multi-airline mega hubs...then maybe it has value. In my case, Detroit, Minneapolis, even Atlanta...it would save me nothing. I get through the regular line a few minutes after the global people...and we all wait for checked bags together.

If you travel once a year...seems like a lot of hassle for global entry, you simply will spend more hassle on trying to get it, than time you save waiting to get through immigration. For time invested, Precheck offers more return.

@Paul: GE includes PreCheck. So getting GE means you can use PreCheck every time you fly, not just internationally.

Plus several credit cards will pay the Global Entry fee if you charge to that card. Then it is free. How can you beat that !!!

….Minneapolis….it would save me nothing. I get through the regular line a few minutes after the global people...and we all wait for checked bags together.

Paul: true with SkyTeam @ Terminal 1, but not true @ Terminal 2 (Icelandair, Condor, Sun Country) where twice I have waited over 90 minutes.

GE has saved us from missing connections home a few times. Very glad we got that when we could. Consider how many international trips you'll be making, when you weigh the cost vs Pre.

Admittedly haven’t read the article, but the element missing from this conversation is Mobile Passport. Just as fast as Global Entry with none of the initial hassle.

@Paul: GE includes PreCheck. So getting GE means you can use PreCheck every time you fly, not just internationally.

Yes, but my point is, the added hassle to get GE over just precheck really is not worth the hassle in my eyes. I get 90% of the benefits of GE, with 10% of the hassle.

My experience was traveling every other week for business, with international flights 2-3 times a year, and I did just not see the benefit. I do avoid the mega hubs with 20 flights arriving within the hour, but even JFK was no big deal. Some common sense scheduling of your connections, being prepared, etc. makes it easy. Just do not see the sense in spending time filling out the paperwork, waiting months to try to get an appointment, spending money and time going to some interview, for what? Saving a few minutes or even an hour once a year?

For the casual traveler, Global Entry is just not worth the hassle, heck even Precheck is not, but hey, it has a prestige appeal, and many like that.

We have Global and swear by it. When we come home from international flights, it is so nice to just walk to the machine, it sees our face and off we go. We live in the Seattle area, so it was no problem when we first signed up and had the interview as we are not far from the airport.

Frank, could you please share more details about credit card companies paying for GE? Thanks

@Scudder: Admittedly haven’t read the article, but the element missing from this conversation is Mobile Passport. Just as fast as Global Entry with none of the initial hassle.

Thank you for mobile passport comment as I wondered about the convenience since we only have Precheck. Well I do, still waiting for husband’s approval that is taking much longer. Global just isn’t worth the effort and distance with only one International trip a year. (formerly from Hudson Valley!).

@Paul:
Global entry you use only on re-entry to the US, it saves you some time in immigration

Friends with Global entry tell me sometimes the non global line is shorter and they use that line. Having Precheck will at least help with an East coast domestic connection from our International flight.

Definitely go with the Points Guy. Setup for your interview if needed when you return.

Frank, could you please share more details about credit card companies paying for GE?

Chase Sapphire and United Explorer are 2, the United Explorer has no fee the first year, Sapphire Preferred $99. Watch for very high annual fees on most of the free global entry cards, $300 and up.

American Express Platinum also covers the Global fee.

Thanks all for the GE information.

I had pre-check initially and thought it was worth it. I did not realize when I did it at that time that the global entry came with pre-check. My pre-check has now expired. I applied in the April for myself and my 14 year old daughter for global entry, and we are still waiting for a conditional approval.
Every time I have returned to ORD, The Global entry line is drastically shorter than the non-global entry line.

I arrived ORD through Global Entry August of 2021 and June 2022. Both times there were kiosks available - no waiting. The walk at ORD to get to the immigration lines and global entry kiosks feels like a mile. With Covid precautions, the machine just took my photo. I was not asked to place my hand for finger print verification. My travel campanion came through the non-global line about 25 minutes later. The luggage had not made it to the carousel so the only benefit would have been if I was traveling solo and had no checked luggage to wait for.
When departing ORD in June for Madrid, TSA pre-check was not available, maybe due to insufficient staff, but going through security was efficient without waiting in line.

Thanks for the tip on American Express Platinum. For $695 annual fee I get the once every ten year $100 Global Entry fee waved. Excellent.