Is this at all airports? or just SFO? I've had officers tell me I can cut the line before. I've also had other officers tell me to wait in line.

I saw this in SF today ... also posted an update (every GE had to stand in line to get passport verified).

Sorry. I don't see this. Where are you seeing this update? I went to the Global Entry site and looked under the updates tab but didn't see any mention of this.

I had a similar experience at ORD in May. A CBP officer was stationed in a booth past the GE kiosks and was asking those with GE receipts a couple of questions each. I was just asked where I was coming from (TPE via NRT) and purpose of travel (visiting in-laws) and sent on my way.

Perhaps it's to check and clear you if you get the X. My guess is that people might have been thinking that meant handing the form to the officer while leaving the customs hall. Most of my GE use has been at DFW or LAX (TBIT), and there is really no convenient path and you have to swim upstream if you get the X and have to report to passport control.

I didn't say this was an update from GE ... see the link in my post above.

Had first GE experience at SFO. Probably saved 15 minutes or so, because non-GE line was pretty short. Answered "Yes" to item about carrying food (candy, spices, truffles), and the receipt did not have an "X" as reported elsewhere, but had a big Circle on the receipt. After talking to CPB officer, we were referred to Agriculture, who X-rayed our bags. They saw the bottles containing the truffles, and despite their own website saying that they are allowed, they wanted to see the bottles. All of this only held us up by 5 minutes.

Because we were connecting to a domestic flight, the "Precheck" logo was NOT on our domestic boarding pass. However, a UA Global Services agent told us that our bar code would have the Precheck embedded in it, and to go the the Precheck line. Sure enough, despite no Precheck logo, the majic beeps got us through the line.

Yes. Global Entry is worth it.

Delete duplicate post

Is Global Entry worth it?

Landed at JFK T4 today in the afternoon. Walked over to the immi line and where it splits off into the three separate lines (citizens/permanent residents, global entry/diplomats/crew, visitors) I was waived through the GE line. The citizen line started there, at the beginning...super long. Breezed through immi and customs (didn't have to pick up a bag, travelling just with a carry on). All in, took me about 25 minutes from touch down to the air-train.

So yes, it is absolutely worth it.

I'm going to say yes, it's totally worth it if you're a regular traveler. Had my first experience last month, and it was pretty smooth.

If you are just traveling a few times a year and don't mind waiting a bit, then it's not that big of a deal. Some people in my family fits this profile, so I don't recommend it for them.

And don't forget the value of GE in where you are travelling to as well. I make 3-4 RTs a year to Australia and with GE you can use the smart gates in Sydney as well! This is especially important when arriving on the early morning VA or DL flights because of the Sydney embargo on early morning landing times when the customs/immigration lines can be very lengthy!

Well my appointment time finally arrived today.

I did check periodically (not daily, about 1-2x a week), and no appointments at all opened up at PHX. They are now booking into Feb :rolleyes:

Anyway, I called this morning to verify where they heck they were at. One address said T4, another mapped somewhere near the FedEx hub (which you access quite differently, a few miles away by car).
They are in T4, level 1, near the US/WN baggage claim. Go to the big signs for where it ways what flights get which carousel, then it is just on the WN side.

I was about 25 min early, and there was one woman waiting. She said her appointment was at 11:40 (time was 11:42 on my iPhone) and she complained how they were running late. About a min later, an agent came and got her (looked like her husband came out).
About 2-3 min later, another agent came out, asked me my name, and brought me in.

There are 3 cubes, and they had 3 agents working. He had me verify my address, phone number, employer, etc. Took a few pictures (I'm doing Movember and asked if I'd be ok with or without the facial hair, and he said yes), then had me do fingerprints on a scanner-type thing (the last time I had fingerprints done was for a possible NSA job ~17 years ago, and I had to use an ink pad).

After everything was done, he took me over to a sample kiosk, and I used it. I commented how it was quite similar to what I used at YVR (he didn't know what to make of that).

I was done right around noon (my appointment time). As I left, I saw at least 4 people waiting outside (they have chairs outside the office, and you're waiting right near a WN baggage carousel).

Not sure if they allow walk-ins... I was at PHX a few weeks ago for some biz travel, and was early. I think if you're there anyway, it would definitely be worth a shot to try it (although it doesn't say anything about walk-ins for PHX on the website).

Less than 5 times a year forget it, especially if you ride in front of the plane.

If you have a wheel chair meet you, forget it...

It takes a lot of time and money to go to the interview.

For me it was a pass I might change my mind in 5 years, and take the trip to ORD, and the day off.

:confused: I travel intl on average once a year with my wife. It paid for itself on the first use coming back from CUN via IAH in J. Let alone the almost guaranteed Pre access.

Came in ORD this Tuesday sitting at first row of Economy. All non-GE citizens were directed to the kiosks and there's no wait line when I arrived. I noticed a wait line at the GE line interviewing with the officer. I think there might be too many GE in the front cabins that I actually passed through immigration faster than many business class passengers. I have my GE interview coming and now I'm wondering if it's really worth it.

I'm not sure I'll renew. It was great at first, but bit by bit they're downgrading the experience. They have people standing right there so they should be able to see if I somehow switch passports. I don't see why they need to open my passport and check the picture against the one on the receipt when I've just scanned my passport AND my fingerprints to match what they have on file. If they think the 2 don't match you get the X. At first there was no check, then a quick look at the picture, yesterday passing through ORD I got the random questions as in "what was the nature of your trip." Um, excuse me, I've had the background check and I'm a trusted traveler. You fingerprinted me, and unless I stole someone's fingers, what I just scanned 2 seconds ago MATCHED the files. I did this so I could avoid just these questions. Now, with the other kiosks, I just don't know what I should do.