Originally Posted by
Landing Gear
Excuse me for not yet reading the entire thread but I did search it.
Is Global Entry essentially the same as PortPass which was suspended after 9/11? (PortPass was the renamed version of INSPASS.)
I loved PortPass, even though the machine at AA JFK didn't often work. If you were at the machine they waived you to the first available inspector.
Well, sort of but not really. INSPass and PortPass were designed specifically for business travelers. They used hand geometry (which I guess was considered a better technology at the time) as the biometric indicator. The program included an issued card, whereas GlobalEntry does not have a card. Instead, you insert the passport's MRZ (or green card's MRZ) into the GlobalEntry kiosk and you provide four digital fingerprints.
I was an INSPass member, but tried to use the program only once. When I used it, the Customs inspector pulled me aside and asked me many questions about my travel for "business," since INSPass was supposed to be for business travelers only. What a nuisance!
Fortunately, GlobalEntry is not restricted for business travelers only. AND, there are no minimum international travel requirements.
Anybody who wishes to pay (and is eligible to join) can become a member. And the processing is MUCH quicker.