RandomBaritone

Nope. The information provided after our rejection was contradictory from the start -- e.g., CBP suggested I call the station manager where I had my interview as a first step toward redress, but she was openly hostile when I called and refused to meet with us. Our letter to the ombudsman resulted in a single-line reply six months later confirming our rejection.

Perhaps most frustratingly, my three successive FOIA requests each went unfulfilled for bureaucratic reasons that weren't mentioned in the documentation. In other words, it became clear CBP had no intention of providing any information, since no legal body was requiring them to make the process transparent.

I took some small comfort in the fact that NY Times journalist Seth Kugel also had his GE revoked for no reason, and they wouldn't respond to his requests for a rationale, even when the questions were posed journalistically. Schadenfreude in its purest form! If it can happen to one of the most widely read travel writers in the world, I suppose at least we're in good company.

And in case anyone reads this and think my comments smack of entitlement, read the whole story upthread. I'm fine with being left to stand in customs lines -- fortunately I only travel internationally 2-3x per year. It's the lack of accountability in the agency that's disappointing.

scubadu

I'm beginning to wonder if GE is going to matter as much going forward. My wife has GE as she travels a great deal for business. I do not have it.

However, in December upon returning to DFW, they now have like 100 customs kiosks to handle customs in a "DIY" fashion. I simply went up, scanned my passport, said yes this info is me, smiled for a picture, said no I don't have more than $10,000, no I'm not bringing fruits, vegetables or cows back into the country and it printed a receipt and I was on my way.

Ironically, my wife went through the GE line and they were having issues with those kiosks and I actually beat her out of customs!

So, going forward I'm having trouble seeing the value add of GE, particularly, if like myself, you predominately re-enter the US via ports like DFW, ORD, JFK, MIA, and LAX.

Any thoughts? Will GE matter as much going forward? What is the value add versus these new kiosks.

Regards

RandomBaritone

This is potentially great news. Folks on here are always bemoaning the fact that improved processes are only for those who pay more -- some even liken it to extortion, a label I reject -- but in this case CBP genuinely seems to be taking what it's learned from GE and applying it to all travelers.

I'm curious why you left EWR off the list? It's my primary international gateway, as I'm a UA flyer based @ BOS.

scubadu

Simply because I could care less about EWR; I don't fly in and out of there and when it comes to clearing customs my primary concern is, well, me

I hadn't really looked into this in detail (though I do recall reading an article sometime ago that something like this was coming) and kind of just stumbled upon it was we returned from EZE in December. At least at DFW, the experience was pretty seamless, they have clear signage, etc.

In fact, for the airports that have this you no longer even have to fill out the US Customs Declarations card that is usually handed out on the plane. The FA actually told me this, but I filled it out anyhow as I'd not gone through the process, but indeed the card proved unnecessary.

So, in the interest of sharing for the benefit of others in this thread I went out and found some supporting info:

"Automated Passport Control"
http://www.cbp.gov/travel/us-citizen...rt-control-apc

This link explains the process, who is eligible, and what airports currently have APC kiosks in place.

My question to others, even more so after reading the linked info, is what does this mean for the value of Global Entry going forward?

Regards

P.S. And yes, EWR is on the list

RandomBaritone

To coin a phrase: "woo hoo!"

JonNYC

What's the downside?

RandomBaritone

Presumably somewhat longer lines for current GE members, rather than exceptionally expedited screening for those in the know.

Often1

Stations equipped with both APC and GE still show substantial value for GE. More and faster access to a machine and, generally speaking, no Customs inspection of any kind.

JonNYC

Can't see that as a downside to having Global Entry membership, since, it clearly isn't.

RandomBaritone

You misunderstand; I was referring to the downside if GE was subsumed into a combined, all-electronic system, as suggested by another poster. Some would consider it a victory, close to the "GE for everybody" ideal.

Some, though, might see a downside, since no one would get special treatment. I wouldnt, but some might.

GUWonder

You are talking about the APC kiosks. At various airports, I've seen the APC kiosks line for US citizens backed up and have a wait while the GE kiosks were available without any line or barely any wait time.

While APC kiosks have in the aggregate cut down directly on the wait and processing times for US citizens, Canadians, and VWP-ESTA users, GE is saving me time still over APC kiosk use. With regard to BOS last year, GE saved me a large chunk of time -- multiple times at that -- over what being left to use APC kiosks would have meant for me. That said, if you have checked luggage, then the gap between being a GE kiosk user and an APC kiosk user as a US person is not going to be as great as it would otherwise be -- although you may see a few more or less secondary searches as a result of one or the other.

Here is a big thread about APC kiosks.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/check...t-control.html

GUWonder

There is still a customs inspection, as for APC kiosk users, so for GE kiosk users -- at least in so far as the ATS-driven customs inspection process is applied in the same way to people using GE kiosks and to people using APC kiosks.

GE does generally get to more quickly turn in a customs declaration form/receipt on the way to exiting the international baggage claim hall.

FlyingHoustonian

And hopefully more airports will go to the one-stop type system (like at IAH) where those with no checked bags skip the second altogether as do those with int'l-to-int'l connections. The fewer lines the better for all.

RandomBaritone

Amen. The only two I'm aware of are IAH and ORD. Can't figure out why they don't expand the program, especially since it only requires one desk per airport.

FlyingHoustonian

It has been reported on here that DFW now has some sort of system in place, though I have not used the "new" version at DFW recently.