Is Global Entry worthwhile?
Dec 1, 2012 | 7:04 pm
#2866
Join Date: Jan 2010
Programs: AA Plat 2MM/UA G MM/DL MM DM 2015/BA Silver/Hyatt Diamond
Posts: 3,103
I had an annoying one recently at IAH (which, by the way, has a very nice setup of kiosks as you enter the passport area - best I've seen). My wife and I both GE and both cleared by our machines but my printer jammed and no ticket came out at all! There is an agent dedicated to the GE line so I asked if I could redo the entry on a different machine and he said no - have to fill out a manual blue form and have him stamp it, which he did. He seemed to know that that machine's printer was acting up already and from what I could tell he didn't go over to put and OOO sign on it. Not a real big deal but still an annoyance and not clear how customs would have worked if I had wanted to use the GE exit since I had a manual form. Still overall a great program.
Dec 2, 2012 | 5:28 am
#2867
Join Date: May 2012
Location: ATL
Programs: AA PLT, DL
Posts: 309
Dec 4, 2012 | 2:11 pm
#2869
Join Date: May 2012
Location: ATL
Programs: AA PLT, DL
Posts: 309
Just did my interview today: scheduled for 1pm, started at 1:05 or so, finished at 1:17, got an email on the way home at like 1:30. He asked me if someone told me to apply for them and paid me money to do it. Scary implications if you think it could happen. Drug mules. But i got my sticker so I'm happy.
Dec 5, 2012 | 7:28 am
#2870
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: DCA / WAS
Programs: DL 2+ million/PM, YX, Marriott Plt, *wood gold, HHonors, CO Plt, UA, AA EXP, WN, AGR
Posts: 9,386
Dec 5, 2012 | 7:32 am
#2871
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: AMS
Programs: A number, but no status no more
Posts: 3,050
Dec 5, 2012 | 8:08 am
#2872
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: SEA/YVR/BLI
Programs: UA "Lifetime" Gold, AS Titanium, OW Emerald, HH Lifetime Diamond, IC Plat, Marriott Gold, Hertz Gold
Posts: 9,583
Dec 5, 2012 | 2:54 pm
#2873
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Washington, DC
Programs: UA Plat & 1MM, AA, DL
Posts: 8,707
Just did my interview today: scheduled for 1pm, started at 1:05 or so, finished at 1:17, got an email on the way home at like 1:30. He asked me if someone told me to apply for them and paid me money to do it. Scary implications if you think it could happen. Drug mules. But i got my sticker so I'm happy.
Dec 5, 2012 | 5:24 pm
#2875
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: The best state in the USA - Florida!
Programs: Marriott Titanium/LT Plat, AS Titanium, Disney AP
Posts: 14,532
Officer said that he had been hearing that a lot of late when I interviewed (about a year ago) and said it was a good perk to the card.
Dec 5, 2012 | 10:55 pm
#2876
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Florida
Programs: UA 2MM
Posts: 1,923
MissKok is GE, she landed in ORD recently and she used the kiosk. It printed the form with her pic, which she presented to the agent near the kiosks. He asked her the same questions she would get asked if she had not used the kiosk (where are you coming from, what countries did you go to, how long have you been gone, etc.) I'm wondering if this is an anomaly or this is the way things are going. To me, if they are planning to do this each time, it defeats a benefit of GE (fast and easy entry)
Dec 5, 2012 | 11:10 pm
#2877
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: WAS
Programs: AMEX Platinum, Global Entry, Priority Pass, SPG Gold, HHonors Gold
Posts: 1,594
MissKok is GE, she landed in ORD recently and she used the kiosk. It printed the form with her pic, which she presented to the agent near the kiosks. He asked her the same questions she would get asked if she had not used the kiosk (where are you coming from, what countries did you go to, how long have you been gone, etc.) I'm wondering if this is an anomaly or this is the way things are going. To me, if they are planning to do this each time, it defeats a benefit of GE (fast and easy entry)
Dec 5, 2012 | 11:15 pm
#2878
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: So Cal
Programs: UA 1K/0.828MM, WN ALP, Hyatt Diamond, MR Gold, Hertz PC, National Exec, Avis PC,AA Gold
Posts: 5,666
MissKok is GE, she landed in ORD recently and she used the kiosk. It printed the form with her pic, which she presented to the agent near the kiosks. He asked her the same questions she would get asked if she had not used the kiosk (where are you coming from, what countries did you go to, how long have you been gone, etc.) I'm wondering if this is an anomaly or this is the way things are going. To me, if they are planning to do this each time, it defeats a benefit of GE (fast and easy entry)
Dec 5, 2012 | 11:29 pm
#2879
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: Washington, DC
Programs: UA Plat MM, AA Gold, Hyatt Explorist, Hilton Gold, IHG Plat, Marriott Titanium Elite
Posts: 5,015
Second, usually I walk right from the kiosk to baggage claim (always at IAD), but I have had the picture on my kiosk printout checked visually against my person at two airports prior to entering baggage claim (at SFO and DTW). In neither case, was I asked any questions - I was just greeted with a smile and "welcome home."
Dec 5, 2012 | 11:46 pm
#2880
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Catania, Sicily(CTA)/South Jersey (PHL)/Houston(IAH)/Red Stick, La.(BTR)/airborne in-between
Programs: United Plat (1MM), AA ExecPlat, ITA/AZ Freccia, Hilton Diam, Bonvoy Gold, Hertz Prez, IHG gold
Posts: 3,875
Now they have 15 kiosks in a row in a seperate section that you walk by first when coming in from E (you walk past the visitors section to get to them from D). At the end of the row of 15 there is an agent at a booth though no computer that I could see (it is not the normal processing booth set up).
picture of it here http://www.fly2houston.com/0/3526110/0/0/ but you can't see the agent, they would be to the left in the photo
as an aside here is a recent article on GE growth at IAH with numbers:
"During fiscal year 2011, 11,532 people were approved at IAH to participate in the Global Entry program. During fiscal year 2012, that number jumped to 19,983. During the same time periods, the number of kiosk users increased from 94,318 to 161,426. Kiosk users as a percentage of total internationally arriving passengers also increased, from 2.4 percent to 4.1 percent. "
About a month ago I used GE and 12 of the 15 kiosks at IAH were in use, one was marked out of order and I still had no wait getting to #13.
"From July 1, 2011 to June 30, 2012, an increase of more than 70 percent was recorded in both the number of passengers approved to participate in the program and the number of people using the self serve kiosks, which are located in the Federal Inspection Services (FIS) facility at IAH. "
Some older articles noted IAH was tops in enrollment and use this seems to note someone else is tops in enrollment now:
Weve been a leader in enrollment in the past and these numbers indicate that the buzz surrounding Global Entry is still growing.