Randyk47

Huh? Roughly the process is apply, get conditional approval, schedule and go to interview, and hopefully get approval. They have to be done in order so I don't understand your question. Bowgie was only addressing and answering a question about his and his wife's interview experience at LAX not the whole application and approval process.

SusanDK

Husband and I applied September 4th (Friday before Labor Day weekend)
Conditional approval September 15th
Interview September 21st at MCO
Approved immediately

There were plenty of interview spots open from two days after our conditional approval and anytime thereafter.

Our appointment was for 9.30; we walked into the office at 9.18 and were taken back immediately; it was 9.33 on the clock in the car when we were back in the parking garage to leave the airport. Emails received at 9.37 and 9.38.

We had the nicest TSA agent ever who basically went through all the details of using GE and TSA-Pre, confirmed the details in our applications, took fingerprints and wished us enjoyment out of our status. No questions other than asking how we heard about GE.

For anyone interested and in the area, both MCO and SFB seem to have plenty of interview openings in the near future. The office was convenient to find in Terminal B at MCO.

Sting.Ray

Any pointers as to, whats the best time to look for open slots due to canceled appointments? Like time of the day?

clr4t8koff

Re-read the post I initially replied to and look at the chronological order of the way things happened. According to that poster they had their interview as the first step, he was approved a day later, the wife still was pending after 13-days.

My understanding is that you have to be "conditionally approved" before you can ever schedule an interview. So how could they interview with the wife's application still pending and not even approved yet?!?!?

donna1167

I just applied for GE last week (9/15/2015). I have a trip planned Oct 31st. Does anyone know how long this process takes at SeaTac? Am I likely to get my interview and subsequently my card before I leave for my trip?

jonstrong

After the initial application, I was conditionally approved pretty quickly (don't remember exactly, but I DO remember being surprised that it was so fast -- just a couple of weeks. I was already in a weekly travel routine (fly out Monday, back Thursday evening - every week), so I was looking to find an appointment time slot at the Atlanta airport that was reasonably close to the time I normally head out there on Thursday afternoons for my return flight.

Finding a workable time slot took me a few weeks.

On the day of my appointment -- I showed up for the interview. There were two people ahead of me in the otherwise empty waiting room. I handed in my paperwork (conditional approval) and it took all of about 10 minutes before I was called in for my interview. I answered just a couple of quick questions (really - just a couple), my picture was taken, and I was handed a sheet of paper with my known traveler number on it. I was able to use that immediately on my airline profiles, and received my official GE card a couple of weeks later.

Jon

Randyk47

Again, they both had their interviews. Implies that both had received their conditional approvals so they both could schedule their interviews. He's saying he got his final approval after their interviews which were at the same time and as of the date he posted his wife had not.

TravelingFitzMe

Just wanted to update in case anybody else encounters a similar scenario. I was able to get an interview a few days before the flight due to some cancellations, but my girlfriend only had conditional approval on the day of the flight. We were able to get her an interview at our destination, but still wanted pre check on the way up for both of us. Since she was issued the known traveler number on conditional approval, we figured there was no harm in asking the check in agent (AA, in this case) if she could re-print our boarding passes with our known traveler numbers (mine also did not show pre-check, possibly due to getting approval after the reservation was made). When she put the numbers in, both printed out pre-check and we had no issues going through.

Not sure if having our Known Traveler Numbers available at the time of check-in was what got pre-check on our boarding passes, or if it was luck of the draw, but in our case it worked out. As always, YMMV.

Also, as a data point for my interview -- I waited about 10 minutes in the waiting room, was called in exactly at my interview time, and was in the "interview" for literally 90 seconds. I was asked four questions basically confirming my application, had my fingerprints and picture taken, and was sent on my merry way. I received my approval email the next morning. Couldn't have been easier.

Kensterfly

First time I've heard of anyone getting PRE based on a KTN prior to interview and final approval. But I guess it's not much different than pulling random kettles out of line and herding them over to the PRE queue.

I've always thought it curious why they even issue a KTN before final GE approval.

Randyk47

Problem is that it's almost impossible to say for certain it was providing the KTN or if it was just luck of the draw and random selection. The KTN might have worked, though you'd think it wouldn't be active until the CBP punched whatever button they punch at the interview, but then again it actually might be a glitch in the system and they've gotten the cart before the horse in their programming.

TravelingFitzMe

Great points, I guess my first post (since edited) was misstated a bit. I agree it could have been completely random that she was able to get pre check on her ticket as well.

lincolnjkc

My guess (assumption) is that that's the unique identifier ("Customer Number") they're using in the database(s), so that when John Smith shows up for the interview they can differentiate/know they're talking to John Smith #AA123456 rather than John Smith #BB789012

Rather than having two different IDs (say "Application #" and then "KTN/PASSID") it makes a lot of sense to stick with one ID through the life of a particular application

But that is solely my assumption...

livestrongforever

This is crazy.
I keep refreshing the SFo location for september and october since we are going to overseas in mid oct. no appointments are opening up. What time of day should I be refreshing?

Randyk47

Personally I checked around 9 AM and then again around 5 PM. No particular logic other than I figured that they handled their schedule at the office level so 9 AM gave them a chance to organize themselves in the morning. The 5 PM was about the same thing and I figured they would have had the chance to deal with cancellations, walk-ins, or whatever. Of course I was dealing with a much smaller operation at SAT that's not a 24/7 operation with only a few flights a day from Mexico. I think I changed my appointment three or four times over a week's time from the initial three months out to finally a week out.

livestrongforever

ok thanks for this information. I was able to reschedule from 6 months out to 2 months out. now gotta try to get this to a week out and I will be good. I will just keep refreshing throughout the day.