TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin Global Entry

This may have been posted before but I couldn't find it.
With GE, I would assume the procedure with checked baggage is the same as without GE? Does GE facilitate the baggage process at all?

No, not at all.

Just like clearing immigration through the GE kiosk, you will have access to a special lane to clear customs. Last month in charlotte, the line to clear customs was over 100 people deep with 1 customs officer to go through. With GE, we went to the left for people with GE and skipped that line and handed our GE receipt and passport to the officer and we were out through C/I in minutes where everyone else had a good 30-45 mins since multiple flights had arrived at same time.

It depends on the airport, and what they have set up. I've not experienced the separate GE customs lines in CLT as the post directly above mine states, so that must be new there. For us the holdup in CLT has always been baggage claim. It's nice not to have to stand in those long immigration lines, but there's still a lengthy wait for the bags to come off the plane.

Yes, if the airport you are arriving at has GE there will be a special GE line when leaving the Customs Hall. Depending on the airport it's usually the same one or very near the "Crew" line. Just look for the GE "exit" signs. As with everything in life there could be a few exceptions such as if your arrival coincides with a shift change or there's a staffing shortages, etc. then it is possible the GE Customs "exit" will not be open.

Now, if you have checked luggage - you'll still have to wait for your bags to be off-loaded and arrive at the carrousel with everyone else's bags that were on your flight - and that "wait" will seem a bit longer since with GE you'll have probably gotten through Immigration and be at the carrousel very, very quickly. Once you claim your luggage look for the GE exit sign.

I'm sorry, but that is not completely correct. It truly does depend on the airport and what they have set up. As I stated earlier, CLT didn't have a separate customs line for GE participants the last time we flew through there, which was this past December. Apparently they do now, as another poster has stated, but as long as we have had GE, there has never been a separate customs line for GE at CLT. A separate immigration line, yes, but not customs.

Sorry too, but I've travel internationally at least 10 every year and have had GE for about the past 8 years arriving at different US airports (LAX SFO DFW IAD JFK EWR MIA ATL and yes even CLT - levery one of them have had a special GE "Customs" exit line. It may not have always been open and/or the queue may not have been short but there's always been a GE sign pointing the way.

Regardless, OP never inquired about CLT but rather was inquiring whether GE shortens the procedure for "checked luggage" at whatever airport he/she will be arriving at. The answer is not by much - he/she will still have to wait for luggage to be off loaded from the aircraft before they will be able to leave the Customs Hall ( using either the GE exit or the regular exit).

When we came back from SXM in APril to CLT...there was indeed a separate GE line...and no one was in it. All the machines were closed but there was one agent at a desk.

We waited in the immigration line about 75 minutes because we did not have our GE...we got through...ran to our gate and immediately boarded...it was that close.

When we got home we applied and got our GE...we won't do that again.

Thanks all. We will be coming back thru CLT, and will make EVERY EFFORT (hope Katherine reads this) to have only carry on bags.

It was there in December of 2015, as we came back from SXM on December 10th and there was a GE line that we used.

In CLT, it really is the same exit as regular passengers, except you keep to the left side and that is the line for GE passengers. The only sign telling you is a stanchion sign that has the Global Entry logo on it. If you are looking for permanent signing directing you to a Global Entry exit, you won't find any. Just like you are told in the GE interview, it does not exempt you from inspection, but does give you head of the line privileges.

My sincere apologies! I actually do recall now that there was a small sign with the GE logo at customs in CLT in December. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Blush.gif" alt="" />

At some airports you have to mention that you have GE to be directed to a special line or be put at the head of the line.

Yes; no waiting in lines when you get home and I'm usually waved right through.

The secret is to learn how to travel with carry-on's! This spring we took a 21 day trip with a cruise and SXM with just carry-on's. Makes life easier at every step. Yes, we had some cleaning bills onboard and had a washer in SXM but it is easier than it sounds!

We found that secret many years ago and we go to SXM for 2 or 3 weeks. Laundry keeps everyone happy. And, you don't have to break the airline rules for size of carry-ons. That is one of my pet peeves, seeing people shove oversize bags into those overhead compartments.

We did a month in Europe with carry on. Two backpacks, my computer bag, and wife's large tote, yes we did laundry a few times, but no real problems.