Originally Posted by
yoyo
Well two weeks ago (Dec 31) I flew into JFK from HKG with the rest of the family. I have GE but they don't so I joined them in a queue at JFK. Once I reached the custom officer he said next time I can cut the line and bring the rest of the family along. I couldn't believe it so I asked again he confirmed it. Thought it is kind of unfair to other people waiting in the queue. Now it looked like what the officer told me was wrong.
From the FAQ, GE privileges cannot be shared (eg: taking a non-GE family member in tow through the kiosks). Head-of-line seems to be a gray area. According to the FAQ, head-of-line is only available when the GE kiosks are down, or
as directed by a CBP officer. It appears the rule allows for some leeway, and from what I've observed, the officer you spoke with was not necessarily wrong.
Before my kids had GE, I used to approach the first CBP officer I could find, flash my passport with "CBP" sticker, and ask if my family (usually queued at that point) would be eligible for front-of-line privilege. Sometimes the answer was yes, and sometimes no.