gcuk

Didn't get a card but wasn't expecting to. They are only issued to US citizens, US permanent residents and Mexican nationals.

Link here: http://www.cbp.gov/travel/trusted-tr...bal-entry/card

lowpitch

Exactly the same experience, with exactly the same timings. Very slick operation.

Apparently all the remaining slots for London are full, but the slots at Citi were only added yesterday morning, and they are trying to create more while the team from Washington are still here.

DanielK23

thanks for that lowpitch, will definitely keep checking on GOES then to see if new slots open up.

jms_uk

Yes, nothing available at any London location anymore.

Nor at SFO/DFW in the coming days. Now booked at LAX for the end of following US trip in January, but will keep checking if anyone cancels.

BAGoldBoy

Just mailed geinbox in relation to opening up again on 3rd December and got this reply:

Simply go to GOV.UK after 10am on Thursday morning and search Global Entry and complete the registration form.

Simon Schus

I was approved last week and was able to use some of the GE benefits immediately, as I got TSA Precheck for a US domestic flight (with AA) by adding in my Known Traveller Number that the CBP officer gave to me at the interview.

Now... I am under the impression that I won't receive a GE card because it is only for the Nationals mentioned in the quoted post/webpage and I am not one of them. I wouldn't need a GE card anyway because the card would only be good for entry by a land border anyway so is irrelevant for air travel where you just use your passport(s) or green card. Now, the CBP officer didn't mention the nationality issue to me and instead explained that I *would* receive a GE card. He required a US or Canadian address from me for CBP go send this GE card to (the requirement that GE cards be sent to only US or Canadian addresses is mentioned on the GOES system). I just gave him my partner's US address (and explained that it was her address too). Now, I'm not actually expecting a GE card to that address because I don't think I'm eligible given I'm not on the eligible nationalities. However, I'll keep an eye out. I phoned the GE Helpdesk yesterday and asked them if I should
expect a card and they said they didn't know but that I should expect it soon if one is sent out.

So, no... one does not need a GE card for the GE air travel benefits which I think are just TSA Precheck and using the GE Kiosk for expedited entry at the US border when arriving by air. You just need your passport for entry at the border, and a Known Traveller Number for the TSA Precheck benefit. Your unique Known Traveller Number should be given at the end of the CBP interview assuming you have been approved (and if you are approved by aren't given the number at interview, then you can wait to get an email from GOES with the number... or if you can't wait for the email then you can just log onto GOES and it'll list it for you. It might be referred to as a PassID and I believe it'll begin with 986 for anybody joining from now on). Despite not needing a GE card, my experience this far means it is unclear whether we are eligible for a GE card for land entry. This experience is due to a discrepancy between what I was told in person and what the CBP website tells us. I'm willing to bet it is the latter and that UK Citizens are not eligible for the GE card at this time.

I'd add to the very positive comments for the GE application and interview process, both in terms of the professionalism and the speed (though obviously the speed might change with the program being opened more widely on December 3rd).

I've not used the GE kiosks yet as I only left the US on Sunday evening and haven't returned as I've been enjoying the M1, M6, M42, M5 and M25 ever since. However, I look forward to using them at least once in December in DUB near the end of the month, but also possibly in JFK in two weeks. For Anybody who does use the benefit in the next few weeks, it'd be good to hear your experience.

Despite not using the expedited immigration entry benefit, I have used the other benefit of the GE. The TSA Precheck benefit that comes as part of GE was excellent in BOS (Terminal B) and much faster than the AA priority security lane on a busy Sunday thanksgiving weekend afternoon, and massively faster than the standard non-priority lane by about 15 minutes. The speed was probably due to fewer people using the TSA Precheck lane compared to the other lanes but also the reduced need to prepare oneself for security. In particular.... I was not required to take my laptop off, my shoes off, or my belt off. I even saw one guy wearing a hat and was not asked to take it off! Very convenient! I think that the TSA Precheck benefit is only available when departing on a flight in/from the US and only with selected airlines- I had the benefit listed on the boarding passes for the AA domestic and an AA international flight for which I had added my known traveller number when checking-in online. I had to go to the AA bag drop desk to ask them to print a boarding pass for me because the mobile boarding pass did not read "TSA Precheck". The boarding pass that the bag drop agent printed for me did include it. In addition. the TSA Precheck benefit is not officially available when flying on flights operated by Virgin Atlantic, EI, or BA that depart from the US at this time (although BA and Virgin have both told me that you might be able to add a known traveller number when you go to the bag drop desk at the US airport but with no promises as to whether it'll work).

So yes, those are my experiences after being approved for GE last week.

MADPhil

Just to follow up on Simon Schus' summary. The card is indeed only useful at land crossings or as an ID (though there are reports that TSA don't think that the photo is good enough!) You may get one if you have a US address and I guess we'll see. You won't get Pre-Check unless the airline has signed on, which BA and most foreign airlines haven't, and international terminals tend not to have lanes anyway. If you have a feeder on a US airline and give them your KTN then you should get it on that leg but you probably need an FF account with the airline to feed the KTN in. If you have an ongoing domestic flight in the US you will probably need to get that airline to print a BP to get Pre-Check.

710 77345

Even if you have a US address and the agent says you'll get a card, you won't - in my experience.

NWIFlyer

There is no need to have a FF account - the information is transmitted in a separate field as part of the APIS data. It works for AC, UA & AA to my personal knowledge (although AC used to have to reprint the boarding passes at the airport to get it to show).

Pre-check certainly has always shown on my AA BPs printed outside the US.

MADPhil

But does this work if you are ticketed by a foreign airline, such as BA, which has no provision for the KTN? GE is tied to your passport number, so that will work, but how does the KTN get into the PNR? AC is signed on to Pre-Check.

QueenOfCoach

About the GE ID card:

I am a US citizen. I was approved for GE back in 2011. In those days there was no such thing as an ID card. Later, ID cards were added to the program. I used GE several times with no card in my possession at all. After they started giving out cards, I had to send $15 to get myself a card. When my GE was renewed this year, I got a new card automatically.

I don't see the utility for a GE ID card, other than being a government-issued ID that will get me through TSA as an alternative to my drivers license. I use it in airports so there is no question I am Pre-Check eligible.

I returned to the US last Wednesday night. The queue in LAX for Immigration was huge. I walked right past it to the GE machines. Yay.

NWIFlyer

The ticketing agent won't matter - it's the APIS data that you fill in for the operating airline that counts, so if you have an AA flight in your itinerary, you'll be doing that on the AA website with their PNR.

AC had a systems problem when they first joined PreCheck, in that mobile and home-printed BPs didn't show the designation, which necessitated an airport re-print - it's probably fixed by now.

GUWonder

I've got BA-issued award tickets for AA and AS operated flights on the same itineraries as my BA flights. I go into my AA and AS record locators and enter my GE PASSID number into the KTN field.

The passport number in APIS fields in the PNRs won't work to get PreCheck LLL in the way your GE number in the KTN fields on the AA and AS PNRs will. Without the GE number in the KTN field in the PreCheck eligible carriers' PNRs, the chances of getting PreCheck LLL drop big time; and the passport number won't be generally effective in getting PreCheck LLL.

BlueHorizonUK

So update from me.

Applied on 24th for code from Border Force and received that same afternoon. Filled in form and got approval on the 25th in the afternoon. Applied on GOES on evening of 25th (day before Thanksgiving) and received approval yesterday afternoon and can arrange interview. Although I applied at the same time for my wife and daughter (actually submitted theirs first) only mine was conditionally approved (I would expect theirs to come through this afternoon).

Looked for appointments and found one at CBI on Friday afternoon (only 1 appointment left for the whole of London). I would expect more dates and locations to open up when this is fully launched tomorrow.

techie

I got the code from BF, but sent them a question whether there is a process for those who are already cleared in terms of background checks (like I am) and if I can just fast track to the code for GOES on that basis. If I do not hear back by the end of the day, I will apply through Home Office anyway as it would be good to get in ahead of the rush.