Practical Travel Safety Issues - Any one apply for Global Entry just for Precheck?

I've been following several thread here about GE Nexus and Precheck.

Has you actually applied for GE just to get Precheck? If you did, how was the interview?

I am asking because I was thinking about getting GE for my son while he is in college. He'll be traveling between DFW and ORD about 4 times a year on AA.

Let me add another question to that: Does having Global Entry allow the use of PreCheck regardless of foreign nationality?

Edit, answering my own question: No, foreigners still need to take their shoes off to fly within the US, but not to fly to the US. Makes huge sense.

I've been following several thread here about GE Nexus and Precheck.

Has you actually applied for GE just to get Precheck? If you did, how was the interview?

I am asking because I was thinking about getting GE for my son while he is in college. He'll be traveling between DFW and ORD about 4 times a year on AA.

I don't know how the interview will go, though I can't imagine the CBP officer will really care.

In my opinion, your son is the classic example of someone who should apply for GE. Remember that eligibility for PreCheck is based on a risk score calculated for each trip. Flying 4 times a year with AA may not be sufficiently frequent travel to reduce his risk score into the PreCheck eligibility zone. Flying 4 times a year on different airlines definitely would not, as airlines do not communicate with each other (to PreCheck, he would look like somebody who flew once a year). GE membership, in contrast, can be used on each participating airline (soon to be all the majors) and will help him lower his risk score much more, I think, than 4 trips on AA and certainly more than 4 trips spread over multiple airlines. GE is valuable for reducing the risk score because of the records check and interview. Frequent flying (if 4 trips even counts, and I don't know) does not help as much because you have not turned over any personal information.

In short, the rules don't preclude joining GE solely for the PreCheck benefits. And, when it comes to reducing his risk score for PreCheck, GE should count for more than his flying pattern.

I don't know how the interview will go, though I can't imagine the CBP officer will really care.

In my opinion, your son is the classic example of someone who should apply for GE. Remember that eligibility for PreCheck is based on a risk score calculated for each trip. Flying 4 times a year with AA may not be sufficiently frequent travel to reduce his risk score into the PreCheck eligibility zone. Flying 4 times a year on different airlines definitely would not, as airlines do not communicate with each other (to PreCheck, he would look like somebody who flew once a year). GE membership, in contrast, can be used on each participating airline (soon to be all the majors) and will help him lower his risk score much more, I think, than 4 trips on AA and certainly more than 4 trips spread over multiple airlines. GE is valuable for reducing the risk score because of the records check and interview. Frequent flying (if 4 trips even counts, and I don't know) does not help as much because you have not turned over any personal information.

In short, the rules don't preclude joining GE solely for the PreCheck benefits. And, when it comes to reducing his risk score for PreCheck, GE should count for more than his flying pattern.

As a UA flier, I don't have any personal experience with Precheck.

By what you posted, it looks like only a selection from the Precheck pool gets the expedited screening on a given day. I was hoping that GE would significantly increase my sons chances of getting expedited screening on a regular basis.

But it will also mean that I don't have to wait in immigration lines when we travel internationally together.

By what you posted, it looks like only a selection from the Precheck pool gets the expedited screening on a given day. I was hoping that GE would significantly increase my sons chances of getting expedited screening on a regular basis.

That's exactly what I meant -- GE will help you get more regularly selected for PreCheck by reducing your risk score. As far as getting selected for PreCheck on any given trip:

GE >> frequent travel on one airline >> frequent travel spread across many airlines, where ">>" means "substantially better than".

Other factors that likely go into your PreCheck determination: destination; travel profiles of other passengers on the plane; size/type of plane; etc.

TSA won't say how much these factors matter relative to GE and the frequency of your travel. It all goes into one big mathematical recipe that gives you a risk score for each trip. Have a low risk score and you will enjoy PreCheck for that trip. If not, you'll get regular security.

The other thing to consider is the airport roll-out. Yes it is at DFW, but only one security checkpoint so far, unless they added some in the past month. If you are not flying AA out of DFW, you definitely are not going to get Precheck and unless you use the one specific AA security checkpoint, you are not going to get it flying AA out of DFW either.

I've been following several thread here about GE Nexus and Precheck.

Has you actually applied for GE just to get Precheck? If you did, how was the interview?

I am asking because I was thinking about getting GE for my son while he is in college. He'll be traveling between DFW and ORD about 4 times a year on AA.

If possible, I highly suggest getting it via the NEXUS route instead of GE.

It's cheaper ($50) and you get GE gratis with it without paying anything extra. Once you get NEXUS, you bypass the immigration lines when you visit Canada, you also bypass US immigration via GE when coming into the US (from Canada or anywhere in the world), and you get Pre-Check to bypass the TSA. For $50/5 years, it's quite a deal. ^

The only caveat: interview locations for NEXUS are quite limited. I did mine at YYC along with a summer trip to Banff. Then again, I make trips between LAX-YVR every 2-3 months anyway so having NEXUS really makes life easier for me getting in and out of both the US and Canada. ^

I've been following several thread here about GE Nexus and Precheck.

Has you actually applied for GE just to get Precheck? If you did, how was the interview?

I am asking because I was thinking about getting GE for my son while he is in college. He'll be traveling between DFW and ORD about 4 times a year on AA.

That doesn't seem like often enough to apply for it. I didn't apply JUST for PreCheck, but it was the tipping point. I had been considering it already for international travel, but it's a pain in the butt for me to get to LAX for the interview. With the added lure of PreCheck, however, it seemed worthwhile.

If possible, I highly suggest getting it via the NEXUS route instead of GE.

It's cheaper ($50) and you get GE gratis with it without paying anything extra. Once you get NEXUS, you bypass the immigration lines when you visit Canada, you also bypass US immigration via GE when coming into the US (from Canada or anywhere in the world), and you get Pre-Check to bypass the TSA. For $50/5 years, it's quite a deal. ^

The only caveat: interview locations for NEXUS are quite limited. I did mine at YYC along with a summer trip to Banff. Then again, I make trips between LAX-YVR every 2-3 months anyway so having NEXUS really makes life easier for me getting in and out of both the US and Canada. ^

Since we live in Chicago and don't travel to Canada, Nexus isn't very viable.

http://usa.immigrationvisaforms.com/travel/nexus-pass-interview-centers

I don't see an interview location within 200 miles of Chicago.

My family can interview for GE at Terminal 5 ORD (20 minutes from our house).

That doesn't seem like often enough to apply for it. I didn't apply JUST for PreCheck, but it was the tipping point. I had been considering it already for international travel, but it's a pain in the butt for me to get to LAX for the interview. With the added lure of PreCheck, however, it seemed worthwhile.

Did you interview for GE indicating PreCheck as a major reason?

Did you interview for GE indicating PreCheck as a major reason?

My interview is next week - do they ask why you applied?

My interview is next week - do they ask why you applied?

I really don't remember that it was a point of discussion in my interview.

I fly a lot internationally, so the agent doing the interview looked at my passport (including extra pages and a many many visas) and we did not have much discussion about it.

I want to get it for my son who will be flying between ORD and DFW a fair amount and asked the original question in this thread to see if the agents do ask why you want GE and if they are cool with applying just for PreCheck.

I really don't remember that it was a point of discussion in my interview.

I fly a lot internationally, so the agent doing the interview looked at my passport (including extra pages and a many many visas) and we did not have much discussion about it.

I want to get it for my son who will be flying between ORD and DFW a fair amount and asked the original question in this thread to see if the agents do ask why you want GE and if they are cool with applying just for PreCheck.

Future travel plans (real or imaginary:D) is a good reason to apply.
PS: If you have an Amex Platinum card, they will cover the $100 fee--so if you haven't used this perk yet, the GE is essentially free.

Future travel plans (real or imaginary:D) is a good reason to apply.

That's the reason we used at our GE interview. "We haven't done much international travel, but we would like to", which is (hopefully) the fact.

That's the reason we used at our GE interview. "We haven't done much international travel, but we would like to", which is (hopefully) the fact.

cool :D

And if my experience is typical, it will pay off. If it saves you one missed connection on re-entering the US .....

Had my interview today at the FLL location. The officer did not even ask about the reason. It was pretty much done before I even showed up. Though, he did mention that he could see everything about me in the system since I went through naturalization process recently enough.
And yes, I want it for the Pre program mostly.

I got GE last year. The process included an online application form that asked all addresses lived at for decades. Much like a credit card application.

I live in Seattle and the interview was at the airport. Pretty straightforward for me. They looked at my passport and visas therein. I travel to Asia several times a year and occasionally to Europe.

Very easy going interview and immediate approval at the end.

Then they entered my info into their computer system and taught me to use the GE kiosk and I was off. Painless

Just had my interview. No questions about why I'm doing it at all - very painless, immediate approval.