Is Global Entry worthwhile?
Jul 29, 2014, 4:42 pm
#3361
Suspended
Join Date: Dec 2012
Programs: A3, AA. Plasticy things! That give me, y'know, Stuff!
Posts: 6,293
Errr... for GE? The US GE machines don't do a biometric match on the photo. Taking your glasses off makes zero difference. Nor do they read the RFID chip. Yet. It's purely OCR and fingerprint matching at this point.
Jul 29, 2014, 5:11 pm
#3362
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Los Angeles, New York, Lisbon-Portugal
Programs: BA Gold, UA Premier 1K, Amex Plat, GlobalEntry
Posts: 844
That's good to know..
The CBP officer told me when I enrolled that they would be installing photo biometric kiosks... I guess that's in the planning phase.
It is a great program, I've used it about 20 times so far.
Steve
It is a great program, I've used it about 20 times so far.
Steve
Jul 29, 2014, 9:45 pm
#3363
Suspended
Join Date: Dec 2012
Programs: A3, AA. Plasticy things! That give me, y'know, Stuff!
Posts: 6,293
Jul 30, 2014, 12:16 pm
#3364
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: SEA, NYC
Programs: DL PM, Bonvoy Plat, Hertz PC
Posts: 645
I got my GE through NEXUS, and I know NEXUS has been doing IRIS scans for years. I've never bothered getting my Iris scanned since I can just use GE and not worry about this, but if you did a lot of flying to Canada that might be worth it.
Jul 30, 2014, 1:55 pm
#3365
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: AMS
Programs: A number, but no status no more
Posts: 3,049
Jul 30, 2014, 10:32 pm
#3366
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: So Cal
Programs: UA Gold/0.744MM, WN AL, Hyatt Diamond, MR Scum, Hertz PC, National Exec, Avis PC
Posts: 5,560
Another nice GE experience today. Actual kiosk usage didn't save any time since we were the first off the plane, the lines were short and we ended up waiting forever for our bags. HOWEVER, by that time the exit line from the baggage area at SFO was a mile long, branching in two directions from two different carousels. Sent my wife on a little expedition and she found the GE exit. Saved a ton of time!
Aug 1, 2014, 2:57 am
#3367
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2002
Location: NYC, USA
Programs: AA EXP 3MM, Lifetime Platinum, Marriott Titanium, HH Gold
Posts: 10,967
Avoid the "bad kiosks!"
Be aware that at DFW, apparently not all GE kiosks are created equal. On my entry a couple of weeks ago, I went up to use a random GE kiosk that seemed to be functional and normal, but it would not scan my passport after several tries. I looked around, and a passenger service representative came over to me and said, "oh, don't use one of the bad kiosks, you need to use one of the good ones." She pointed out a nearby kiosk that looked identical, but when I scanned my passport, it worked on the first try!
Clearly, the rep knew from watching thousands of GE members that some kiosks simply do not scan the passports. And yet, they all appear to be the same (they all have the same screens showing that they are in service). Perhaps the scanning mechanisms are dirty/broken on some of the kiosks?
It is not the first time that a kiosk has refused to scan my passport, but when I try a different machine, it works (at various airports in the system). Has anybody experienced the same?
Clearly, the rep knew from watching thousands of GE members that some kiosks simply do not scan the passports. And yet, they all appear to be the same (they all have the same screens showing that they are in service). Perhaps the scanning mechanisms are dirty/broken on some of the kiosks?
It is not the first time that a kiosk has refused to scan my passport, but when I try a different machine, it works (at various airports in the system). Has anybody experienced the same?
Aug 1, 2014, 10:10 am
#3368
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: LAX
Posts: 6,769
Be aware that at DFW, apparently not all GE kiosks are created equal. On my entry a couple of weeks ago, I went up to use a random GE kiosk that seemed to be functional and normal, but it would not scan my passport after several tries. I looked around, and a passenger service representative came over to me and said, "oh, don't use one of the bad kiosks, you need to use one of the good ones." She pointed out a nearby kiosk that looked identical, but when I scanned my passport, it worked on the first try!
Clearly, the rep knew from watching thousands of GE members that some kiosks simply do not scan the passports. And yet, they all appear to be the same (they all have the same screens showing that they are in service). Perhaps the scanning mechanisms are dirty/broken on some of the kiosks?
It is not the first time that a kiosk has refused to scan my passport, but when I try a different machine, it works (at various airports in the system). Has anybody experienced the same?
Clearly, the rep knew from watching thousands of GE members that some kiosks simply do not scan the passports. And yet, they all appear to be the same (they all have the same screens showing that they are in service). Perhaps the scanning mechanisms are dirty/broken on some of the kiosks?
It is not the first time that a kiosk has refused to scan my passport, but when I try a different machine, it works (at various airports in the system). Has anybody experienced the same?
Aug 1, 2014, 11:14 pm
#3369
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: So Cal
Programs: UA Gold/0.744MM, WN AL, Hyatt Diamond, MR Scum, Hertz PC, National Exec, Avis PC
Posts: 5,560
Yes. I had trouble with bad kiosks in a lot of places, most notably in Dublin the last time. The GE officer there said that sometimes the machines have difficulty reading the RFID in the passport because the sensor gets dislodged. He said the trick is to push the passport all the way in, then slowly pull it back until it reads. He did it for Mrs. FlyMe's passport and it worked on the first try. I tried it on my own and failed.
Aug 1, 2014, 11:19 pm
#3370
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: LAX
Posts: 6,769
Maybe. I could be mistaken, but I did hear the words RFID come out somewhere. In any case, he said you had to jiggle it by sliding it out slowly. I couldn't get it to work, but he said it was a common problem with the GE kiosks.
Aug 2, 2014, 7:19 am
#3371
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 10,217
Be aware that at DFW, apparently not all GE kiosks are created equal. On my entry a couple of weeks ago, I went up to use a random GE kiosk that seemed to be functional and normal, but it would not scan my passport after several tries. I looked around, and a passenger service representative came over to me and said, "oh, don't use one of the bad kiosks, you need to use one of the good ones." She pointed out a nearby kiosk that looked identical, but when I scanned my passport, it worked on the first try!
Clearly, the rep knew from watching thousands of GE members that some kiosks simply do not scan the passports. And yet, they all appear to be the same (they all have the same screens showing that they are in service). Perhaps the scanning mechanisms are dirty/broken on some of the kiosks?
It is not the first time that a kiosk has refused to scan my passport, but when I try a different machine, it works (at various airports in the system). Has anybody experienced the same?
Clearly, the rep knew from watching thousands of GE members that some kiosks simply do not scan the passports. And yet, they all appear to be the same (they all have the same screens showing that they are in service). Perhaps the scanning mechanisms are dirty/broken on some of the kiosks?
It is not the first time that a kiosk has refused to scan my passport, but when I try a different machine, it works (at various airports in the system). Has anybody experienced the same?
Aug 4, 2014, 2:51 pm
#3373
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: where lions are led by donkeys...
Programs: Lifetime Gold, Global Entry, Hertz PC, and my wallet
Posts: 20,340
Aug 4, 2014, 3:16 pm
#3374
Suspended
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Paris, Chicago, Rome, London, St John
Programs: DeltaPrivateJet, Ritz PP, Delta 4 million miler - Flying Colonel; AA Exec Plat (3 million + USAir)
Posts: 796
sometimes there is an advantage when the machine does not work. My D is waiting on hers. Last flight into LAX told by officer to take her to machine and "fail" by smearing fingerprints. Then can go to front of line for normal entry with D