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Quote:

Originally Posted by MileHigh (Post 13798821)

http://www.usatoday.com/travel/fligh...kin19_ST_N.htm

We'd have to apply to their program :( ... immigration in Germany takes so little time, I don't think this is worth it for US residents. It's certainly a bennie for them to get through immig quickly upon arrival in the US, less so for us at arrival in Germany.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MileHigh (Post 13798821)

http://www.usatoday.com/travel/fligh...kin19_ST_N.htm

Way to go, CBP!! I hope they add the UK, as that would encourage me to go over the pond more often!

Quote:

Originally Posted by GoingAway (Post 13798845)

We'd have to apply to their program :(.

If you don't go and signup with them in person, how are they going to scan your irises? :confused:

I just came in from ICN but my hub was MSP so I could not do my GE interview. My best shot now is a return trip from EDI on June 7 but scheduled arrival into DTW is 3:35 am and the interviews stop at 3:30 pm.

If I change my routing to ATL the equipment and layovers (CDG/ATL vs AMS/DTW) are less desirable and I pay a change fee of $250. If I call DTW, I think they would tell me to reschedule but is there a problem with holding the slot with a hope I can make the 3 pm schedule?

I still really wish the US would go from a fingerprint-based system to an iris scan system like Canada has. Much easier, especially because the live scan pads CBP uses suck.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ESpen36 (Post 13672933)

Yes, I just used the kiosk yesterday, and while it did not say "food," it specifically DID ask about "dairy products." But when I declared the cheddar cheese I was carrying, the officer said "don't bother declaring it next time; it's not required."

So......how does that jive with the stern lecture about "DECLARE ALL ITEMS THAT YOU CAN CONSUME AS FOOD UNDER PENALTY OF REVOCATION OF GE PRIVILEGES" that I got at my interview?

I have no idea why you got that lecture. The guy who did my interview (actually for NEXUS, but he was aware I was going to GE and it is supposed to be exactly the same) said that the main issues were tropical/sub-tropical fruits like oranges and mangoes, fresh meat and fluid milk products. He said that all the traditional exemptions, like any Canadian grown fruit (like apples) as well as processed/fermented milk products like most cheese, yogurt and chocolate are the same as before, in that they are allowed as long as you pay any duty for going over your exemption. Same with wine and olive oil.

Quote:

Originally Posted by paule123 (Post 13682973)

Correct. From what I'm reading, at YUL, U.S. Customs clears the U.S. bound passengers on the YUL side. I understand GE does nothing for me going into Canada, but am hoping I can jump the line on the way back to the U.S.

According to what I was told at my GE non-interview, you can jump the line at any station where GE kiosks are inoperative or not present. That said, the pre-clearance stations are generally weird, so I don't know. Since I have NEXUS, it is not something I will likely experience.

Quote:

Originally Posted by paule123 (Post 13682973)

So, would the proper thing to do be to enter the crew line with my GE stickered passport?

Might be the way to go.

Quote:

Originally Posted by woodway (Post 13727671)

When I had my GE interview/training, the CBP agent told me that if there was a long customs line I should go to the front of the line and show the "CBP" sticker on my passport and GE entry receipt from the kiosk to the agent and skip the lineup. Did the rest of you receive these instructions as well?

My guy said the same thing.

Quote:

Originally Posted by AMRivlin (Post 13749568)

I now have been approved for nexus for $50 more and will have my eye scan on Friday in Vancouver.

Too bad you didn't do NEXUS first. You would have saved the $100 for GE.

Wirelessly posted (goingaway\'s phone: BlackBerry8900/4.6.1.231 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/100)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ari

Quote:

Originally Posted by GoingAway (Post 13798845)

We'd have to apply to their program :(.

If you don't go and signup with them in person, how are they going to scan your irises? :confused:

Not the scanning, but the cost was where my comment was headed.

Quote:

Originally Posted by FriendlySkies (Post 13798846)

Way to go, CBP!! I hope they add the UK, as that would encourage me to go over the pond more often!

for the UK, do the Iris program. Free, easy, and far less intrusive than GE. The UK program is the way it should be.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Global_Hi_Flyer (Post 13801707)

for the UK, do the Iris program. Free, easy, and far less intrusive than GE. The UK program is the way it should be.

Never worked for me. Gave up after three tries. The GE program is easy to use and does not depend on the angle of your head.

Wow, this sounds like a really great program. I just wish it wasn't so darn expensive! $100 per person for only 5 years is quite expensive if you don't fly much.

For my wife and I it probably wouldn't be worth the cost as we only fly once every 5 years. :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by drbala (Post 13801827)

Never worked for me. Gave up after three tries. The GE program is easy to use and does not depend on the angle of your head.

I had only one failure - at LHR - many other times worked well.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Global_Hi_Flyer (Post 13801707)

for the UK, do the Iris program.

I agree that Iris is a good program, but despite it being free, it also requires a minimum number of entry/exits in a given period of time. :(
I used to do a sufficient number, but now don't have access to Iris.

Dave

Hey bseller:

Could you elaborate a bit, please. I got IRIS last XMAS but now my UK travel has dropped off so I have yet to use it. Did they take your IRIS use away? I would hate to walk up to the machine only to have it reject me.

Cheers and safe travels all,
DocD

Quote:

Originally Posted by DocD (Post 13807669)

Could you elaborate a bit, please. I got IRIS last XMAS but now my UK travel has dropped off so I have yet to use it.

I dont recall the specifics, but you could find them on the Iris website. IIRC, it requires 4 trips to the UK in an 18 month period. Maybe. :confused:

I had that many trips when I first got it, then used it a few more times before my UK travel dropped off.

Quote:

Originally Posted by DocD (Post 13807669)

Did they take your IRIS use away?

Yes, they did, although there was no formal revocation.

Quote:

Originally Posted by DocD (Post 13807669)

I would hate to walk up to the machine only to have it reject me.

Precisely what happened to me. I thought that it was supposed to "re-set" after each entry to the country, but apparently that's not the case. Had to go see an immigration officer.

Hope that's of help. I really did LIKE Iris tho!! :)
Dave

Quote:

Originally Posted by N1120A (Post 13799166)

The guy who did my interview (actually for NEXUS, but he was aware I was going to GE and it is supposed to be exactly the same) said that the main issues were tropical/sub-tropical fruits like oranges and mangoes, fresh meat and fluid milk products. He said that all the traditional exemptions, like any Canadian grown fruit (like apples) as well as processed/fermented milk products like most cheese, yogurt and chocolate are the same as before, in that they are allowed as long as you pay any duty for going over your exemption. Same with wine and olive oil.

So what is the intended course of action when arriving at a GE kiosk with, say, a chocolate bar? Kiosk asks "do you have any ... food?" You respond "yes", get an x, and proceed accordingly? Or you respond "no", knowing that a chocolate bar, although food, is permissible food?

Quote:

Originally Posted by bedelman (Post 13807827)

So what is the intended course of action when arriving at a GE kiosk with, say, a chocolate bar? Kiosk asks "do you have any ... food?" You respond "yes", get an x, and proceed accordingly? Or you respond "no", knowing that a chocolate bar, although food, is permissible food?

YMMV, but I am going to do the latter.

Dave