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How does Global Entry work for You?

Old May 4, 2017, 12:01 am
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
Last edit by: drewguy
US Airports

Atlanta (ATL)

E concourse/transfer passengers
Global Entry kiosks are on the left wall as you enter the immigration area (the queues for the non-GE are to the right). After completing with the kiosk (facial recognition, no reset), continue to the far side of the room and turn right for the GE exit booths. Your face will be matched visually by the agent (against a line up of those recently through the kiosks) and you proceed to baggage claim. If you have no problems with your connecting flight (and no reason to open the bags) move them over to the drop off belt. There are two queues at security. Sometimes one is set up as TSA Precheck, sometimes they are both regular. Amusingly, when they have a Precheck line, there's usually nobody in the other one.

Boston (BOS)

All passengers follow a first hallway, then a bend, entering a second hallway; at that point you see the non-GE situation to your left through the glass. GE kiosks are at the far end to the left, with one (or two) immigration agents checking for slips with an X, then downstairs to baggage claim. GE customs exit, easy to miss, at far end (left side as you face luggage belts).

Charlotte (CLT)

No MPC. Customs exit has two booths. There is a dedicated GE customs lane with signage on the left. May have to walk past (and get dirty looks) general customs queue to see GE signage.

Chicago (ORD)

The kiosks are immediately apparent as you come down to the immigration/customs area, although sometimes long lines for "regular" immigration can slow access to the kiosks. After baggage claim there is a single exit to transfer/arrivals, with a specific desk for GE customers sometimes staffed.

Denver (DEN)
After the long walk from your gate, signs for global entry point you straight down the escalator (non-GE get forms checked and may queue). Kiosks to right using 2.0. If an X or to declare a sign points to agent. Otherwise proceed to baggage reclaim area. Give slip to agent at exit and proceed to airport main entrance.

Houston (IAH):

There is a single, roped off separate area on southern (terminal E) end of the arrivals hall with kiosks as you enter the hall, and an additional bank of kiosks near officers at a desk that check (and keep) GE receipts as one is entering the central immigration area. Proceed to the bag claim escalator past agents that may pull people for further questioning. After claiming bags downstairs, proceed directly to recheck. Agents in the area may pull you aside for bag inspection. There is no GE or standard exit queue.

Los Angeles (LAX):
International arrivals come into the Tom Bradley International Terminal (TBIT). After the walk to escalators, GE lines are well marked. LAX uses GE 2.0 facial recognition - just smile at the camera and it will tell you what to do next. You'll then go past an agent with whatever interaction they deem necessary. On to baggage claim and either taxis or a connecting flight.

Miami (MIA):

The kiosks are in the centre of the hall, between US and Tourists. Turn left when you have cleared and down the stairs/escalator to Customs. Turn left at the bottom and your GE Customs line is there.

New York (JFK):

T8
After receiving your "non-X" GE slip, you proceed to baggage area (if you have any), then head for the customs agent. There is a sign on a stand: "GLOBAL ENTRY EXIT", this lets you bypass any "others" waiting to see an agent.; There is a CPB agent who checks your pp (after collecting your slip). You then go to collect your luggage (if you have any), unless you are singled out for extra scrutiny, you are free to leave.
Once you are in baggage collection area, it seems all pax have "equal status" since GE no longer have their slips. [GE pax would still have their GE cards to show if needed.]

T7
Upon arrival in the Immigration area, the kiosks are on the back wall, facing the front of the inspectors booths. Turn left and you may have to walk right across the area to get to them. There is a special exit for Customs.

Philadelphia (PHL):

Global Entry kiosks are immediately on the right if arriving from an A-East gate (A2-A13). After successful facial recognition take your receipt to the Global Entry cubicle next to the kiosks. Hold up your receipt as your pass the GE officer in the cubicle and tell them if you have anything to declare. After claiming checked luggage, exit the FIS through the GE customs line, and give the officer your receipt.

San Francisco (SFO):

International arrivals G concourse - United/*A
Corridor from planes with floor and ceiling markings for different categories (GE, MPC, US, Foreign) that ultimately end up in lanes demarcated with tensa-barriers. GE is to the far left, where the kiosks are along the wall. Use kiosk, wait for agent, who will ask any questions, then pickup any bags and head past all carousels. Connecting flights to left; exit to right.

Seattle
Just before taking the escalator to the baggage hall the GE kiosks are on the right. New software so no receipts. After baggage collection join queue to the left for GE passengers. Agent asks questions as well as checks you for the GE kiosk record.

Washington (IAD):

Main Terminal
The kiosks are around the corner to the far right after you come down the escalator from the moon rover, behind a metal swinging gate marked for crew and GE. Starting Spring 2017 After using the kiosk, you'll enter a lane to for an agent to review your slip and to make any declarations (food, etc.), and then you proceed out a central door to the baggage claim area. There is no further check after this point. Post-2021: Using GE 2.0 and agents tend to take more time studying passport; door to baggage area a bit closer to GE checkpoint. Spring 2023: New facial scanners in place that are touchless - just look at screen, it images face, and directs you (in most cases) to proceed to the line. CBP agent confirms identity and checks passport, and asks if anything to declare.

Midfield (transfers) terminal (UA-UA only; limited hours)
The GE terminals are against the wall, on the left, immediately that you enter the arrivals immigration area. Do not join the barricaded area as you have gone too far. After you have your receipt you walk down the back of the inspectors booths to Customs. Note: No TSAPre available here.


Foreign Preclearance Airports

Montreal (YUL)

(All US bound flights)After CATSA security, the GE machines will be in your left. Facial recognition and no receipts will be issued just instructions to proceed to US or GE officer.

Vancouver (YVR)

(Most daytime US-bound flights. Not available for late-evening / night US-bound flights) GE/Nexus get expedited access to security, although it takes a bit of talking to convince the line guard to grant access because there is no reason to carry the GE card for air travel. Post security, the GE machines are in a dedicated area off to the left. After getting the receipt, you hand your receipt, passport and boarding pass to an available agent. Agent scans your boarding pass and if you have checked bags, a picture of your bag is displayed to the officer. American Citizens are waved past with ease. Non-American citizens are required to answer the standard "Where are you going / what are you doing" questions that apply to non-American citizen travellers. Non-American business travelers using GE at YVR can expect all the standard probing immigration-related questions regarding the nature of your business in the USA.

Dublin (DUB)

Preclearance:
After security, find 3 or 4 GE kiosks located on the left hand side. After getting the receipt, walk up to the CBP agent on the far left (from the passengers' point of view). Need to stop at CBP agent's desk and hand over passport + receipt + boarding pass. The BP is scanned to bring up picture(s) of bag(s) (in case bags were checked).
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How does Global Entry work for You?

Old Oct 24, 2017, 10:55 am
  #166  
 
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Originally Posted by seawolf
I think stopping at CBP is normal practice at DUB and Canada preclearance because checked baggage does not accompany you and they confirm if you have any checked baggage by scanning BP.
At YYZ they have attendants in front of the GE line. If you say "no checked baggage" you're almost always waved through, and if you say "checked baggage" you get into a small line to be seen by an officer (who usually just scans the BP to make sure that a photograph of the bag was taken at check-in).
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Old Oct 24, 2017, 12:47 pm
  #167  
 
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At LAX, it depends on the terminal. In Bradley, the bank of GE kiosks comes before a desk. If that CBP person is busy with another passenger or a phone call, they will usually waive people through with no X. If they aren't, they will often harass GE passengers - even US citizens and LPRs.

At YYZ, they have moved to having no one sitting at the customs desk. Instead, everyone, regardless of checked bags or not, hands their receipt in and scans the BP. They usually ask "checked bags?" If you say no, they have you go by. IDK about if you do, as I don't usually check. I've seen them grilling more GE people since 1/20.

Originally Posted by phltraveler
At YYZ they have attendants in front of the GE line. If you say "no checked baggage" you're almost always waved through, and if you say "checked baggage" you get into a small line to be seen by an officer (who usually just scans the BP to make sure that a photograph of the bag was taken at check-in).
That's not my experience at YYZ lately, at all.
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Old Oct 24, 2017, 2:02 pm
  #168  
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Originally Posted by N1120A
In Bradley, the bank of GE kiosks comes before a desk. If that CBP person is busy with another passenger or a phone call, they will usually waive people through with no X. If they aren't, they will often harass GE passengers - even US citizens and LPRs.
I have a US passport. I have used the GE kiosks at TBIT approximately half a dozen times this year. I have never been harassed there.
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Old Oct 24, 2017, 2:28 pm
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Originally Posted by N1120A
That's not my experience at YYZ lately, at all.
I usually fly Terminal 1 on United and recently needed to go to T3 on Westjet and it definitely was different. The stop was mandatory at T3, whereas I've always been waved through with carry on (or only told to queue in line when I have a checked bag, usually for less than a minute) except for one time at Terminal 1 where I had a very dour CBP officer asking me 20 questions about the purpose of my trip (wasn't secondary or random though; I saw him question several people similarly before me).
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Old Oct 24, 2017, 5:53 pm
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At YYZ terminal 1, no card (which CBP says not to carry) means no Global Entry.
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Old Oct 31, 2017, 8:06 pm
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Originally Posted by TWA884
I have a US passport. I have used the GE kiosks at TBIT approximately half a dozen times this year. I have never been harassed there.
I have a US passport. I've had it happen several times.

Originally Posted by phltraveler
I usually fly Terminal 1 on United and recently needed to go to T3 on Westjet and it definitely was different. The stop was mandatory at T3, whereas I've always been waved through with carry on (or only told to queue in line when I have a checked bag, usually for less than a minute) except for one time at Terminal 1 where I had a very dour CBP officer asking me 20 questions about the purpose of my trip (wasn't secondary or random though; I saw him question several people similarly before me).
I fly through both T1 and T3 all the time. I've had the stop be mandatory in T1 more than in T3.
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Old Oct 31, 2017, 11:32 pm
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Originally Posted by PlatinumScum
At YYZ terminal 1, no card (which CBP says not to carry) means no Global Entry.
Only for security, not for the actual kiosks.
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Old Oct 31, 2017, 11:36 pm
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Which goes against the actual purpose of the card. The card is only valid for land or sea entry, so there is absolutely no reason to carry the card when flying.
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Old Nov 1, 2017, 12:16 am
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Originally Posted by diburning
Which goes against the actual purpose of the card. The card is only valid for land or sea entry, so there is absolutely no reason to carry the card when flying.
Except that the only way to prove you have GE is to show the card same way you would show your Nexus card to prove you have it.
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Old Nov 1, 2017, 12:44 am
  #175  
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Used GE in HNL just over a week ago. Flight came in just after noon and the arrival hall was empty. Off the first Wiki wiki bus but GE was all the way to the right and we had entered on the left. Had ag stuff to declare. One bag was already on the belt and the other minutes behind. Agent asked us what we had (no story, no inspection) but carefully verified our passport photos. Maybe don't trust the fingerprints?

Not too bad. Less than 1/2 hr touchdown to out on curb with checked bags, though the D7 flight used the close-in runway for landing.
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Old Nov 1, 2017, 4:06 am
  #176  
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Moderator's Note

Originally Posted by greglvnv
Originally Posted by diburning
Which goes against the actual purpose of the card. The card is only valid for land or sea entry, so there is absolutely no reason to carry the card when flying.
Except that the only way to prove you have GE is to show the card same way you would show your Nexus card to prove you have it.
The need for the Global Entry card is the subject of the following thread:
Please continue this discussion there.

Thank you,

TWA884
Travel Safety/Security co-moderator
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Old Nov 13, 2017, 2:59 pm
  #177  
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Weird Global Entry/Mobile Passport experience at DFW

Coming into DFW yesterday (Sunday) evening we had a bizarre experience.

Per usual we used mobile passport 'just in case.' Got to the Global Entry area and it was PACKED. Line about 50 or 60 people long at the left hand side of the hall. A ICEer standing there telling everyone to get in line and wait or use the regular line. No explanation. Just....super long line that wasn't moving.

So we backtracked along with a couple of FAs and passed through a 'Global Entry, keep moving' at the center of the queues. So we kept moving. Got downstairs to the customs queue, scanned our mobile passport and just kept on moving.

In the end the experience was fast, but it was terribly confusing and disappointing.

I hope I didn't flag myself somehow by doing this...
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Old Dec 22, 2017, 4:24 pm
  #178  
 
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Slower GE (IAD specific?)

The last couple of times through GE at Washington IAD things have seemed slow because the CBP agent needs your passport and asks questions. Theres a new setup - the check is right after the kiosks and before you claim any checked luggage. Previously one could go straight to customs checker at exit from kiosk, with rarely a question asked (except about food). Now its more like the regular check for non-GE folks.

Any ideas why? Is this occurring in other airports too?
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Old Dec 22, 2017, 4:37 pm
  #179  
 
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JFK has that too (CBP agent asking questions at the kiosk exit)

but there's no check for anyone (GE or nonGE) after you get bags - you just walk out (unless you get stopped)


EWR has kiosk exit CBP agent, AND another customs agent (redirecting people to agriculture check) when you want to exit after getting bags
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Old Dec 23, 2017, 11:43 am
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Originally Posted by paperwastage

but there's no check for anyone (GE or nonGE) after you get bags - you just walk out (unless you get stopped)
Yeah, that's a positive. I guess they figure it's the same whether you have your bags with you or not when they interrogate, and the dogs can sniff the bags before they come out anyway. And obviously if you fail to declare something they can come find you and your bags.

Anyway, the passport inspecting agent now is not as fast as the bag/slip inspecting agent at the baggage claim exit used to be. So net loss in speed.
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