Global Entry System

[waynee]

Has anyone used their Global Entrycard in any European air ports? I just received ours and was hoping to use GE at Amsterdam Schipol air port.

Thanks to all

[Donny-Joe]

Has anyone used their Global Entrycard in any European air ports? I just received ours and was hoping to use GE at Amsterdam Schipol air port.

Thanks to all

 

GE is only for entering the USA from a foreign country, and TSA Precheck, which is only in domestic airports when flying on participating airlines. So you'd be able to use GE when you come back from Amsterdam and arrive in your home airport, but not in Amsterdam.

 

Other countries have trusted traveler programs of their own, and in some cases US citizens can sign up for them, but they typically only make sense for people who travel to that specific country a lot.

[bobjoek]

Response times recently on Global Entry have been very short. I received the pre approval within 3 days of filling out the online form. The airport I selected (Dulles) had interview availability almost immediately.

 

Bob

[HALrunner]

Has anyone used their Global Entrycard in any European air ports? I just received ours and was hoping to use GE at Amsterdam Schipol air port.

Thanks to all

 

I know there are a few international airports listed as "preclearance locations", such as Dublin and a few in Canada on my GE document. If you are en route to the states, you essentially go through US customs/GE there instead of stateside. Unfortunately Amsterdam is not on the list.

[POA1]

I know there are a few international airports listed as "preclearance locations", such as Dublin and a few in Canada on my GE document. If you are en route to the states, you essentially go through US customs/GE there instead of stateside. Unfortunately Amsterdam is not on the list.

You'd need to add FLUX and Privium to your Global Entry if you travel to the Netherlands or Holland frequently.

 

I know what you're thinking. What the FLUX?

 

http://www.cbp.gov/travel/trusted-traveler-programs/global-entry/international-arrangements/flux-netherlands

Edited January 28, 2016 by POA1

[Laminator]

Definitely worth it if the Global Entry kiosks are working.

You can avoid the giant lines and sail right thru customs.

TSA-Pre was also included with it.

 

We were told that if the kiosks are down you are supposed to go to the front of the line and hold your GE card up in the air and you would be taken next. On only one occasion were the kiosks not working in PHX. Before we could get the GE cards out the officer called us up.

[mom23guys]

Well it took 3 days for my pre approval, just waiting for husband's so we can make our appointments. Thanks for the replies about timing of the final approval.

[travelinjones]

Has anyone used their Global Entrycard in any European air ports? I just received ours and was hoping to use GE at Amsterdam Schipol air port.

Thanks to all

 

Global Entry does not work for Amsterdam but it does work if you are traveling to Australia. U.S. citizens with Global Entry get to use the Australia SmartGate (very similar kiosks to US Global Entry) which is a very nice perk especially after completing 30 hours of flight time to Perth. Details are here: https://help.cbp.gov/app/answers/detail/a_id/1662/~/australia-extends-smartgate-to-u.s.-global-entry-members

[Tampa Girl]

Global Entry does not work for Amsterdam but it does work if you are traveling to Australia. U.S. citizens with Global Entry get to use the Australia SmartGate (very similar kiosks to US Global Entry) which is a very nice perk especially after completing 30 hours of flight time to Perth. Details are here: https://help.cbp.gov/app/answers/detail/a_id/1662/~/australia-extends-smartgate-to-u.s.-global-entry-members

 

Is Australia the only other country that will accept Global Entry? What about the UK?

[Tampa Girl]

Is Australia the only other country that will accept Global Entry? What about the UK?

 

After some research, I think I just answered my question. Although the the Global Entry program has just been extended to the UK, it appears that U.S. card holders still have to register (and pay 70 GBP a year) for the UK's Registered Traveler program.

 

So back to the first part of my question, are there no other countries except Australia and Canada which have actual reciprocity? The Netherlands was one of the first to join the program, but I don't know if it gives reciprocal rights to US card holders.

[travelinjones]

After some research, I think I just answered my question. Although the the Global Entry program has just been extended to the UK, it appears that U.S. card holders still have to register (and pay 70 GBP a year) for the UK's Registered Traveler program.

 

So back to the first part of my question, are there no other countries except Australia and Canada which have actual reciprocity? The Netherlands was one of the first to join the program, but I don't know if it gives reciprocal rights to US card holders.

It appears that answer to this question is complicated. A good resource is this blog post http://thepointsguy.com/2015/07/fast-track-arrival-options-around-the-world/

 

Global Entry appears to give U.S. citizens fast-track immigration without any extra steps or expense through Australia and New Zealand. (We can personally vouch for Australia.) Germany requires an additional screening in Germany. Many other places (i.e. The Netherlands, Great Britain, Korea, Panama, etc.) recognize G.E. credentials but require both a separate application and a payment for fast-tracking through their immigration.

[Tampa Girl]

It appears that answer to this question is complicated. A good resource is this blog post http://thepointsguy.com/2015/07/fast-track-arrival-options-around-the-world/

 

Global Entry appears to give U.S. citizens fast-track immigration without any extra steps or expense through Australia and New Zealand. (We can personally vouch for Australia.) Germany requires an additional screening in Germany. Many other places (i.e. The Netherlands, Great Britain, Korea, Panama, etc.) recognize G.E. credentials but require both a separate application and a payment for fast-tracking through their immigration.

 

Great website! Thank you.

[KirkNC]

Well we just completed the sign up process. I hope they are ok with all the places we have been. Hopefully we will be setting up interviews soon.

[Jim Avery]

We also have GE but be advised, TSA Pre Check is NOT guaranteed. We have been turned down even with Passports and GE cards in hand because it was not pre printed on our airline boarding cards. Yes, I know, the GE people tout Pre Check when they are selling you the program but do not be surprised if, for some unknown reason, you do not get Pre Check on your boarding pass and get back in the long line. Be sure all your airline profiles and bookings are completely filled out with all your GE info. I filed a formal complaint with TSA and were told that it is not guaranteed. Not exactly what you see on their website touting GE. Having said that, it has saved us amazing time.......when it works as advertised. My only real gripe is that since all this is done with taxpayer money, they should know who "Trusted Travelers" are in the course of their jobs and not for an additional $100 per person "traveler tax". Just the opinion of a lifetime traveler.:D

[Vict0riann]

Well we just completed the sign up process. I hope they are ok with all the places we have been. Hopefully we will be setting up interviews soon.

 

Haha! When we went for our interviews and spent some minutes spewing out the names of all the places we had been, my interviewer said she should have just asked me where I hadn't been, the list would have been shorter!:)

[Randyk47]

Well we just completed the sign up process. I hope they are ok with all the places we have been. Hopefully we will be setting up interviews soon.

 

We had some concern about that as we signed up after we'd done two of our eventual four Med cruises. We'd been everywhere from Spain to Turkey, some 30 ports visited, and I was most interested if Turkey or one of the past Soviet block countries were going to come up for discussion. As it turned out our CBP interview agent was more interested in me being retired Federal civil service as he was three years out from retirement and wanted to know how was that working for me. Other than that the interviews pretty much went along the lines of "Are you still retired?" and "Do you still live at the same address?". Countries we had visited never came up. What seems to get their attention is if you've ever been arrested for just about anything from a relatively minor moving violation to some indiscretion as a minor. People get tripped up frequently because they may have been arrested but charges were never issued or dismissed. Be careful, the question is not were you found guilty but were you ever arrested....a big difference to the CBP folks. Another trip wire is have you ever been reported for a Customs violation. Amazing the number of people who are found, even innocently or by accident, trying to bring food products into the US. If CBP found the items and reported it in their system your chances of getting GE are reduced and maybe eliminated depending on the circumstances. Honesty is the best policy with the GE process. They seem to be much more understanding if you say "I screwed up and did this or that" than not be forthcoming from the get go.

Edited January 30, 2016 by Randyk47

[Donny-Joe]

We also have GE but be advised, TSA Pre Check is NOT guaranteed.

 

They may say it's not guaranteed, but it's intended to work every time. I've taken maybe 30 flights since getting GE, and all of them have had PreCheck except when I was flying on a carrier that isn't a participant. You should get it on every flight, IF:

 

- Your known traveler number (KTN) is associated with the ticket

- The airline is a participating airline (right now, all domestic airlines plus Air Canada)

- The airport is a participating airport (pretty much every US airport)

- The name and birth date given with the ticket matches the name and birth date on your Global Entry account. In my experience, the first and last name must be identical (Don doesn't match to Donald), but you can use just your middle initial on the ticket and still match the full middle name on GE.

 

Having your KTN attached to your frequent-flyer account is not, in my experience, enough. I've had multiple experiences where my KTN did not get associated with the ticket, even though I have it listed in my account. When you're filling out the traveler information, you should fill in the KTN if that field is blank, even if you know your KTN is already entered in your account.

Edited January 30, 2016 by Donny-Joe

[Jim Avery]

They may say it's not guaranteed, but it's intended to work every time. I've taken maybe 30 flights since getting GE, and all of them have had PreCheck except when I was flying on a carrier that isn't a participant. You should get it on every flight, IF:

 

- Your known traveler number (KTN) is associated with the ticket

- The airline is a participating airline (right now, all domestic airlines plus Air Canada)

- The airport is a participating airport (pretty much every US airport)

- The name and birth date given with the ticket matches the name and birth date on your Global Entry account. In my experience, the first and last name must be identical (Don doesn't match to Donald), but you can use just your middle initial on the ticket and still match the full middle name on GE.

 

Having your KTN attached to your frequent-flyer account is not, in my experience, enough. I've had multiple experiences where my KTN did not get associated with the ticket, even though I have it listed in my account. When you're filling out the traveler information, you should fill in the KTN if that field is blank, even if you know your KTN is already entered in your account.

 

All good advice and yes it should work every time but as you have listed, there are exceptions. There is also the less than perfect airline systems. I guess I am saying just don't be surprised if and when you are denied TSA PC. It happens but mostly GE has saved us time.

[hrhdhd]

At my interview, the agent told me that although I should receive Pre-Check most of the time, there would be occasions that I wouldn't. There is still some randomness to the checks--they reserve the right to send travelers through the "shoes off" line.

[Donny-Joe]

At my interview, the agent told me that although I should receive Pre-Check most of the time, there would be occasions that I wouldn't. There is still some randomness to the checks--they reserve the right to send travelers through the "shoes off" line.

 

I suspect (but don't know) that they may just tell people that because it's easier than explaining all the different situations where you won't get it. Between my sister's family and mine, we have at least 100 flights using Global Entry, and have always gotten PreCheck when the airline and airport were participants. Maybe we've just gotten lucky, but it seems to me if they were randomly selecting people to not get PreCheck we would have experienced that at least once.

[FloridaTourist]

My wife and I both have had it for about 8 months now. We both travel a lot for our jobs. I thin as long as your number is entered into your reservation you will get pre-tsa. That being said 2 weeks ago when going through Regan National the pre-tsa line was closed because it was a slow travel time, mostly because our flight was 4 hrs delayed. They let us keep our shoes on but made us take laptops out.

[jaspersmycat]

I have Global Entry and have given my number to the airlines I use. On my last Southwest flight, I had pre-check going but no pre-check on the return flight. So randomly I believe you may not get it.

[bobjoek]

DW and I had our interviews today at Dulles airport. The interviews took all of 5 minutes. We received our approvals 2.5 hours after the interviews (that was surprisingly fast). We are now good to go.

 

Bob

[boze9999]

Watch your newspapers/stations - for two years, the interviewers have been traveling to a variety of large towns, setting up interview appointments for Global. My sister has an appointment in Lincoln/Omaha Nebraska in the near future.

[Vict0riann]

We had an email from Nexus yesterday, suggesting we may be eligible to apply for a United Kingdom system called Registered Traveller - similar to Nexus, I guess. Except it costs L70 to join, and L50 a year thereafter! Makes Nexus a really good deal!