TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin TSA, Pre check-Global Entry

Does any one know the difference ?

Global Entry is a program which allows participants a “fast track” through Immigration and Customs when returning to the US from a foreign country. Global Entry also gives participants access to TSA Pre-check(see below).

TSA Pre-check is a program that allows participants flying on participating airlines to use a special line that expedites clearing the TSA “security” checkpoints at most, but not all, US airports.

To clarify, if you enroll in Global Entry you’ll automatically get TSA Pre-check. If you enroll only in TSA Pre-check you DO NOT automatically get Global Entry.

But pre check is not a guarantee that you'll always get it.

That’s right, even if you are enrolled in Pre-check or have by virtue of enrollment in Global Entry there is no guarantee you’ll have Pre-check for any given flight.

Global Entry is terrific,and only costs an additional $20 over TSA Pre Check, however, you must schedule an appointment and sometimes they are 6 months out.

We had no problem getting a Global Entry appointment within a few weeks of when we applied. It was at the Detroit Airport, so it may vary by airports. Just recognize that they look up everything! If you had some youthful indiscretion, it doesn't matter if it was 30 or 40 years ago, be prepared with documentation of the disposition of the case.

As it should be.

Global Entry is fantastic. If you travel light you get though customs in less than two minutes and that is not an exaggeration. Eye scan and about 5 questions so if you don't have to wait for checked luggage it is worth every penny.

We also have used it in other countries. We entered New Zealand using Global entry. I only wish they had it in Prague. After 14 hours of traveling the slow and intimidating customs there about ruined our trip.

Mine has no eye scan. Just fingerprint and picture.

Thank everyone for the info. I went online to renew my GE and was given an appointment 3 days later. To my suprise, after walking the entire terminal C at newark looking for TSA. I was told I could only renew Pre Check for $85. When the shutdown is over, for another $100. I could apply for GE. Wasted 3 hours, I can never get back. No I didn't get sucked in to renew Pre Check. I will wait for the government to resolve the shutdown, or until I turn 75 years old. Which ever comes first!

How could you be given a GE interview appointment without appliying for it and clearing for the interview? Makes no sense.

Wow, that sucks!! Hope that situation gets resolved soon!!

Scubaman:

That's why I made the first post. I applied for GE, but was given an appointment for Pre Check. It almost seemed like a scam to get an additional $85. The office was so hard to find and was about the size of my closet, maned by one person. I think it is a private company, contracted to do this.

I’m with scubaman on this one, makes no sense. Even before you go to the airport or where ever the interview is, the appointment is already set up. If they don’t have the personal, why setup the appointment. Even during the shut down, TSA is constantly updating their website (adding and subtracting things, times and locations).

We're you notified you could make an app for GE after you paid the 100 to pass the GE backround check? Without doing that what your saying doesn't make much sense.

My husband and I went to Newark Airport for our interview for Global Entry. The office in Newark is manned by TSA personnel. Process was fairly straight forward and had our Global Entry membership approved within a day or two of the interviewers.

Xraylady:

was it during the shutdown? They told me that office was closed.

I had a GE appointment yesterday in Philadelphia, and a couple of days prior a "notification" was posted on my dashboard on the website, showing my appointment had been cancelled. Some people had posted various places that they got an email, I did not. Made another appointment in a couple of weeks.

I would have said I will wait until I can get a GE interview...

We have had Global Entry for years and love it. On our most recent return, we tried Mobile Passport and it worked nearly as well Global Entry.

A quick post script... Some credit cards offer the benefit of paying for (or reimbursing) the cost of Global Entry once every 4-5 years. I think a Global Entry is a 5 year rotation. So check your credit card program before you sign up or renew.

Actually can be 5yrs 11months depending on birth date and when approved.

JoeC047

No it was prior to shutdown.

Looks like the shutdown did not affect GE renewals as I applied for mine during the shutdown and received my new card in the mail yesterday. Hope that solves the debate.

With Global Entry do you have to use your cellphone at the airport? I returned to Ft. Lauderdale last night using Mobile Entry and couldn't get a signal on my phone. Luckily I had a great tsa person who signed into my phone with an internal airport password and final approval was on my phone. Would rather not count on my phone.

Global Entry DOES NOT require a cell phone. You simply use the special GE Kiosks to scan your passport & fingerprints, answer a few questions verifying your arriving flight info and whether you have anything to declare then you are on your way. All takes less than a minute or so.

We joined Global Entry around three years ago, before we went on a group trip to Tuscany set up through our Chamber of Commerce. It was a wonderful trip and GE was just as wonderful.

For overseas travel we usually fly in and out of IAD. Before Global Entry it usually took at least one or two hours (or more) to wind our way through Immigration, baggage claim and customs. With GE we just stopped at one of the dozens of electronic kiosks, answered a few yes/no questions, and had our fingerprints scanned to get the long paper tapes printed with our info.

On that trip it was only 23 minutes from the time we stepped off the aircraft until we were driving out of the parking garage...and 10 of those minutes were spent waiting for our luggage to come off the carousel. Global Entry is great!

You guys are right, no guarantees. Last week coming to SXM my wife got precheck and I didn't. We both have GE.

Thanks so much. Looks like I'll have to set up my appointment.

Hey Dan,

Check your registration on the airline website. Occasionally, your GE number may have gotten left off of your reservation. That happened to us on an AirFrance flight a few months ago. We just checked in with the AF agent and they added our number to the reservation, reprinted our boarding pass and shazam, both of us had precheck again.

Exactly.....I can understand some getting precheck that do not have GE but if you have GE precheck is part of the deal. I've caught many bookings with missing trusted traveler numbers and had to add them (again)....in six years we have never not had precheck when the data was correct.

For some reason Delta never remembers my wife's number even though it is saved in the profile