BA A350 to Chicago - which exit is used?
 

I want to be nice an close to the exit so as to be at the front of the mad rush to immigration. Is the exit at the front of the plane or the exit between the two Club World cabins used in Chicago?

It's door 2L. But it's an urban myth that this makes any difference to arrival at passports. I know it feels like some people take forever to get off an aircraft, but in reality the difference is vastly eclipsed by (a) your walking speed and (b) whether the Germans have gotten in first. If this is the sort of thing that irks you then it's time to get Global Entry.

You walk to passport control?! I am the douche that sits by door L2 and then race walks/fast jogs down the jetway, paranoid that the Germans are clogging up the immigration hall :D

Thanks, CWS. I considered Global Entry but after hearing the stories my US colleague told me about getting Pre-check (I mean the interview process was the third degree), I decided not to. Anyway, after 14 years of monthly cross-Atlantic and a very welcome 2 years break, I am never going back to that frequency again. So I will be patient in the queues.

My own pre-check interview, which admittedly was during the trial stage, was entirely about Brandon Flowers, of the Killers, so I've had more stressful encounters at the ticket counter of Hexham train station. I'm not aware of any of my colleagues having more than a cursory check that the CBP agent is talking to the same person whose record is on screen. If you are American then you are in a different relationship to the CBP, but in your case you would appreciate that pre-check is an offer not an entitlement. And you only do it once.

She had a snotty sheriff (or something similar) who wanted to show who was in charge and asked her about every detail of every traffic violation. I assume then it is down to who you get and what kind of day they are having and how misogynistic they are (in the case of a female applicant).

Along the same lines as CWS my Global Entry was 1 question: "have you robbed any banks recently?"
I think the US authorities have already vetted you to the hilt before the interview stage, if nothing remains unanswered by the interview stage then its a pretty simple step.
Global Entry has saved me at least 20 hours in the last 3 or 4 years.

If you want to get off the plane first to beat the rush to immigration, just get Global Entry. I have never encountered a line at the machines. You are more than likely to have a jumbo full of people ahead of you in the immigration lines, even when you are off first. Last month took less than 10 seconds to get my approval from the GE machine. $100 well spent!

Anecdote isn't data. If you have traffic offences then you need to be able to discuss that calmly and confidently, ditto for any banks you may have recently robbed. They have a job to do, I doubt in that line of work they are too bothered about resetting moral compasses, but YMMV.

Hmm... that reminds me. I paid £40 and then $100 (I think) for GE in about September 2019. Never got to the interview stage thanks to Covid. I suspect my application has expired! Grrr...

Define "recently".

Mine was a discussion of the best places to go in Minneapolis :D

Not entirely true that you only do it once however. When I renewed I was not called to a second interview, but my husband (US citizen) was, and we had to do it on a trip there last year.

I did my in person interview in Miami, December 21, It consisted of me confirming the name of my employer and my email address, quite the grilling :D

I'm looking forward to a speedy Enrollment on Arrival early next month - will report back. My previous interview was in person at the old US embassy, and whilst the interview lasted all of five minutes, it cost a half day off work ! Prefer this new way

My interview was in Las Vegas, I hadn't finished sitting down before he told me I was approved. Only question was Confirming I entered using an ESTA.