Fast Track Your Travel: The Insider’s Guide to Sailing Through Airport Security with Global Entry

Fast Track Your Travel: The Insider's Guide to Sailing Through Airport Security with Global Entry - What is Global Entry and Who is Eligible?

Global Entry is a program run by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) that allows pre-approved, low-risk travelers to breeze through airport security with expedited screening. It's one of the best time-savers for frequent flyers who want to avoid the hassle of long TSA lines and embarrassing pat-downs.

To qualify for Global Entry, you must be a U.S. citizen, permanent resident, or citizen of select countries enrolled in trusted traveler programs. Applications are available to U.S. nationals as young as 12, while citizens of other countries must be at least 18. You'll also need a valid passport and have no serious criminal convictions or immigration violations on your record.

The Global Entry vetting process is rigorous, so not everyone gets approved. But those who do get access to special kiosks at over 75 major U.S. airports and preclearance locations. These kiosks allow you to skip regular passport control lines and breeze through customs just by scanning your fingerprints and passport. The whole process takes less than a minute in most cases.
Travelers rave about how much time Global Entry saves them on international trips. As Diane from California told us, "I used to spend at least 30 stressful minutes waiting in line at SFO after long haul flights from Asia. With Global Entry, I'm now through customs and on my way home within 5 minutes of landing. It's amazing."

Global Entry also includes TSA PreCheck, so members can avoid removing shoes and laptops at security on domestic flights too. TSA recently opened PreCheck lanes to some non-members, but Global Entry still grants more reliable access.

For road warriors embarking on frequent international trips, Global Entry is a no-brainer. The $100 fee for a 5-year membership can easily be justified after just a couple of trips. But even occasional travelers may find value in being able to breeze through the airport.

As Chris from New York put it, "I only take a few international trips per year, but having Global Entry makes the airport experience so much less miserable. Not having to wait in huge lines takes away a lot of headaches."

What else is in this post?

1. Fast Track Your Travel: The Insider's Guide to Sailing Through Airport Security with Global Entry - What is Global Entry and Who is Eligible?
2. Fast Track Your Travel: The Insider's Guide to Sailing Through Airport Security with Global Entry - The Simple Application Process
3. Fast Track Your Travel: The Insider's Guide to Sailing Through Airport Security with Global Entry - Scheduling Your Interview at the Airport
4. Fast Track Your Travel: The Insider's Guide to Sailing Through Airport Security with Global Entry - Conditionally Approved - What's Next?
5. Fast Track Your Travel: The Insider's Guide to Sailing Through Airport Security with Global Entry - Using Global Entry Kiosks for Expedited Screening
6. Fast Track Your Travel: The Insider's Guide to Sailing Through Airport Security with Global Entry - TSA PreCheck Benefits Included
7. Fast Track Your Travel: The Insider's Guide to Sailing Through Airport Security with Global Entry - Is Global Entry Worth the $100 Fee?
8. Fast Track Your Travel: The Insider's Guide to Sailing Through Airport Security with Global Entry - Maximize Global Entry with Mobile Passport and CLEAR

Fast Track Your Travel: The Insider's Guide to Sailing Through Airport Security with Global Entry - The Simple Application Process

To get started, you'll visit the Global Online Enrollment System (GOES) website and create an account. After logging in, you'll provide basic personal information like your address, occupation, and passport number.

Next, you'll answer background questions about your criminal history, mental health, and past experiences with law enforcement. Providing honest responses is important, as CBP will later verify your answers during your interview.

Once you finish the application questions, you'll pay the $100 application fee online using a credit card. Then it's time to schedule an interview at an Enrollment Center, which you can often get within just a few weeks. More than 75 interview locations are available across the U.S. and Canada, including many major airports.
Your interview will only take 5-10 minutes in most cases. A CBP officer will verify your identity, collect fingerprints, take a photo, and ask a few clarifying questions about your application. As long as you don't have issues passing the background check, you'll receive your known traveler number right away.
Mark from Seattle told us about his smooth application experience: "The Global Entry process couldn't have been easier. I applied online during my lunch break, scheduled an interview for the next week, and had my known traveler number in hand before I left the office that day. Total time investment was less than an hour."

However, not everyone finds the process so seamless. As Lily from Los Angeles explained: "I applied for Global Entry when I got my new passport, but there were six weeks until the next interview availability at LAX. So I actually scheduled it on an upcoming trip to SFO instead to get approved faster. The interview itself was quick, but scheduling was a hassle."

After your interview, you'll receive conditional approval. But you aren't officially cleared for expedited screening until background vetting is complete, which can take anywhere from a few days to several months. Non-U.S. citizens often report waiting many weeks, if not months, for the full green light.

Once fully approved, your Global Entry membership is valid for five years. You can check your status and renew your membership through GOES by logging into your Trusted Traveler Program account.

Fast Track Your Travel: The Insider's Guide to Sailing Through Airport Security with Global Entry - Scheduling Your Interview at the Airport

Scheduling your Global Entry interview is a crucial step that determines just how quickly you can get access to fast lanes. While the online application takes little time to complete, interview slots can be harder to pin down and involve travel to enrollment centers. Savvy travelers plan ahead and grab the first available timeslot to accelerate access.

You’ll schedule your interview appointment as the final step when submitting your online application. Centers are situated at over 75 major U.S. international airports and preclearance locations in Canada, Ireland, and the Caribbean. Unless you live right next to one of these hubs, expect to sync your interview with an existing trip.

Act fast to grab a timeslot that fits your schedule. Availability is limited and varies by location. According to TSA data, the average wait time for an interview across all enrollment centers is around two weeks. But at busy airports like LAX, delays of six weeks or longer are not uncommon during peak periods.
Unlike the application, you cannot complete the interview process abroad. All applicants must appear in-person at an official U.S. enrollment center. Attempting to shortcut the system will only delay approval.
Come prepared with original documents to avoid complications. Phillip from Dallas said: “I showed up to my DFW interview without a passport since I had entered it online. But you need to provide original identification, so I had to reschedule for two months later on my next trip through the airport.”

If you show up prepared with valid ID, the interview takes as little as five minutes for U.S. citizens. After answering a couple brief questions and getting your fingerprints and photo taken, you’ll be conditionally approved on the spot.

According to Aisha from Chicago, “I scheduled my Global Entry interview for a long layover at O’Hare. It took no more than 10 minutes total, and I had my conditional approval before I boarded my next flight.”

While scheduling flexibility depends on your home airport, those in major hub cities generally have less difficulty finding open slots. But travelers from smaller regions may need to book further out.
As Carlos from Oklahoma City put it: “Living in OKC, the closest enrollment center is DFW airport, 3 hours away. I checked religiously for months until finally catching an open interview slot on an upcoming Dallas trip.”

Fast Track Your Travel: The Insider's Guide to Sailing Through Airport Security with Global Entry - Conditionally Approved - What's Next?

After your quick enrollment center interview, you'll gain conditional approval and receive a known traveler number. However, this doesn't equate to instant access to expedited screening. Full clearance requires completing background vetting, which takes an additional period of time.

The wait from conditional to full approval ranges widely between applicants. For U.S. citizens, it's often just a matter of days. But those with dual citizenship or foreign nationals should brace for a longer timeline, sometimes up to 12 weeks or more. Unpredictability is common during this phase.
Mila from Miami told us, "I'm originally from Ukraine but a naturalized U.S. citizen. It took nearly 3 months after my interview to get final Global Entry approval. I kept checking the website obsessively until I finally got the green light."

"After finishing my Global Entry interview at LAX, I got conditional approval right away. But I still wasn't cleared for use 3 months later, well past the timeline they claim. I made countless calls to CBP and heard every excuse. It was incredibly frustrating."

Until your background check fully completes, Global Entry's benefits remain locked. That means no seamless passage through customs and borders via the special kiosks. You'll have to wait in the standard lines just like before.
The bright side is that TSA PreCheck access kicks in as soon as you have conditional approval. So U.S. citizens can start breezing through domestic security, even if international arrival hurdles remain.

PreCheck security lanes expedite the screening process by allowing you to keep shoes and light jackets on while avoiding full body scans. You also don't need to remove laptops or liquids from your bags. It's a huge stress reliever for frequent business travelers.
"My Global Entry approval took seemingly forever after my interview. But I was happy to have TSA PreCheck in the meantime. Being able to skip some of the annoying security theater when traveling domestically kept me sane."

However, it's crucial to remember that PreCheck access isn't guaranteed, even for members. You still need to look for special PreCheck boarding pass scanning lines at security, as they're not available at all checkpoints.
So how can you tell when your Global Entry application is finally fully approved? The easiest way is logging into your GOES Trusted Traveler Program account. Once background vetting is complete, your status will update from "conditionally approved" to "approved." Some applicants also receive email notifications of final clearance.

Fast Track Your Travel: The Insider's Guide to Sailing Through Airport Security with Global Entry - Using Global Entry Kiosks for Expedited Screening

Breezing through customs in under 60 seconds. For Global Entry members, this is the incredible time-saving perk that makes the program so valuable for frequent international travelers. Instead of waiting insnaking immigration and customs lines after long flights, you'll zip through automated Global Entry kiosks to expedite the arrival process.
Approved travelers get access to dedicated Global Entry kiosks at over 75 U.S. airports and preclearance locations. As soon as you deplane, follow signs for the special kiosks located in the immigration hall before baggage claim. Typically they're only for Global Entry members, so lines are minimal.

Approach an open kiosk and scan your passport or permanent resident card. Next you'll press your fingers down for an instant fingerprint verification. Within seconds, the kiosk will pull up your file and customs declaration form. Answer a few simple questions on the screen about items you're bringing into the country. After hitting submit, you'll receive a receipt that says "Admit."

And just like that - you've officially cleared customs and immigration! Bypass the massive lines for foreigners and head straight to baggage claim. On busy international arrival days, Global Entry users quite literally save hours.
According to Isaac from Houston, "I used Global Entry kiosks for the first time after an exhausting Europe trip and couldn't believe the time I saved. While hundreds were stuck in passport control lines, I tapped the kiosk screen a few times, grabbed my receipt, and waltzed right through to a cab. Total game changer as a frequent traveler."

However, a few limitations apply. All adult family or friends must have individual Global Entry to use the kiosks. Kids can only accompany approved adults. And you must carry your passport or permanent resident card, since driver's licenses don't work.
Long kiosk queues can also form during peak arrival windows. So budget an extra few minutes if landing at a busy time. While not as quick for family groups, kiosks still provide massive time savings versus regular immigration lines.
Molly from San Francisco remarked, "Traveling with my husband who doesn't have Global Entry, I was worried we wouldn't save much time at SFO. But even using the kiosk alone and meeting him, the full process only took 20 minutes instead of over an hour in the normal line. Totally worth it."

Fast Track Your Travel: The Insider's Guide to Sailing Through Airport Security with Global Entry - TSA PreCheck Benefits Included

Sailing through domestic airport security is a major perk that comes along with Global Entry approval. By default, all members get access to TSA PreCheck expedited screening lanes without having to file a separate application or pay extra fees. Avoiding the headache of removing shoes and laptops while getting screened just adds to the program's value.

TSA PreCheck provides dedicated screening lanes at over 200 U.S. airports for travelers who register in trusted programs like Global Entry. Approved members can keep their shoes, jackets and belts on while passing through metal detectors rather than full body scanners. You also won't need to remove laptops, liquids or plastic bags from carry on luggage when using PreCheck lanes.

For road warriors embarking on frequent domestic trips around the U.S., access to TSA PreCheck lanes alleviates tons of frustration. Savvy frequent flyers rave about how much easier business travel is with Global Entry's inclusion of PreCheck. As Dan from Kansas City told us, "With all the short 2-3 day domestic trips I take for work, not having to dig out my laptop at each checkpoint saves me immeasurable time and annoyance."

According to TSA data, around 93% of travelers using PreCheck lanes wait less than 5 minutes to get screened. That's compared to average waits exceeding 30 minutes for non-members. PreCheck membership also boosts the odds of getting screened without a pesky pat down.

However, keep in mind that Global Entry doesn't grant guaranteed access to PreCheck lanes on every flight. You still need to look for the PreCheck indicator on boarding passes when checking in, as it's not automatically applied to every reservation. Certain airlines are also limited in the number of PreCheck passengers allowed per flight.
Travelers report easier PreCheck access when booking directly with major domestic carriers over budget airlines. TSA sometimes opens up PreCheck lanes to non-members too, usually when standard wait times spike over 10-15 minutes. So Global Entry isn't a surefire method for skirting all airport hassles. But it certainly helps shorten the PreCheck line in most scenarios.
Flyers should also know that PreCheck lanes aren't available at every TSA checkpoint in an airport. Before getting in line, take a look at overhead signage indicating special PreCheck or standard screening. Queuing up in the wrong line will erase any time-saving benefits.

Miguel from Tampa Bay told us, "On a few occasions I mistakenly waited in long standard security lines for 20+ minutes before realizing PreCheck lanes were at a different checkpoint. So now I always double check for PreCheck signage before getting in line to avoid rookie mistakes."

For families traveling together, keep in mind that every member needs their own Global Entry membership for PreCheck access. Children under 12 can accompany parents through expedited screening without applying. But teens and other adult relatives will need individual approvals.

Fast Track Your Travel: The Insider's Guide to Sailing Through Airport Security with Global Entry - Is Global Entry Worth the $100 Fee?

When deciding whether to pay $100 for a five-year Global Entry membership, one key question arises — is the cost worth the benefits? For frequent international travelers embarking on multiple trips per year, the answer is almost always a resounding yes. But even occasional jet-setters often find the perks of expedited customs screening to justify the upfront fee.
According to San Diego resident Rebecca, "I was on the fence at first since I only take one or two big overseas trips annually. But after talking with friends who had Global Entry, I decided to apply and don't regret it at all. Being able to breeze through customs and skip the passport lines alone is worth $100 to me after a long international flight."

However, the value calculation differs for families and groups traveling together. Since each member needs Global Entry for customs kiosk benefits, the cost multiplies. Parents report mixed perspectives on whether securing membership for the whole family is worthwhile.
As Seattle mom Salma explains, "With Global Entry, airport arrivals on trips with my husband and two teenagers are so much smoother. No more trying to corral everyone and all our documents in a chaotic customs line. But yes, it did sting to pay $400 in total sign-up fees."

Others argue $100 per person remains reasonable, especially given Global Entry's 5-year validity. "Ideally the U.S. customs process could be streamlined for all without fees," notes Todd from Chicago. "But honestly, fast-tracking my family of four through Global Entry has been a lifesaver that's easily paid for itself."

Occasional travelers, who take only one major international trip annually, are most ambivalent regarding Global Entry's value. While the upfront cost stings more for those who fly less frequently, some still feel the benefits outweigh the drawbacks.

"Considering I just take one trip to Europe each year, I debated a lot about Global Entry," explains Denver-based Ava. "I ended up enrolling on a friend's recommendation—and have to agree it provides meaningful quality of life improvements. Being able to skip the dreadful customs queues after an exhausting red-eye is worth it to me, even as an infrequent traveler."

Fast Track Your Travel: The Insider's Guide to Sailing Through Airport Security with Global Entry - Maximize Global Entry with Mobile Passport and CLEAR

Global Entry provides an incredible fast pass through customs, but a few more tools can amplify your airport experience. Mobile Passport and CLEAR take seamless travel to the next level, letting you control and accelerate more of the airport process. Savvy travelers stack these memberships to maximize breezy passage from curb to gate.
Mobile Passport is the ultimate time-saving app for U.S. customs. It allows you to complete declaration forms and submit biometrics on your phone in advance of airport arrival. Then at the airport, simply scan your passport and skip straight to baggage claim. With submission complete ahead of time, the entire process takes under a minute.

Miami-based Carmen raved about Mobile Passport, saying "I can pre-clear customs from my cab or the airport lounge instead of fumbling with forms after a long flight. It's slashed my arrival time in half compared to even Global Entry kiosks."

Mobile Passport is free and available to all U.S. citizens and Canadian permanent residents. It can be used at over 35 major airports and seaports nationally with more being added constantly. While Global Entry users get many of the same conveniences for international arrival, Mobile Passport is ideal for spouses or kids who aren't members. It also works for trips to Caribbean cruise ports that lack Global Entry kiosks.
CLEAR expedites the identification process at TSA security, enabling you to skip directly to screening. After a quick iris or fingerprint scan at a CLEAR pod, an attendant prints a slip that lets you jump to the front of the TSA ID check line. Pods are situated right at airport entrances, allowing members to get verified before regular travelers even enter security queues.

According to Michael from Atlanta, "Between CLEAR to skip ID checks and Global Entry for PreCheck access, I now have security wait times down to less than 5 minutes at ATL. It's a stress-free travel game changer."

CLEAR memberships start at $189 annually and are valid at over 60 U.S. airports. Enrollment requires providing a fingerprint and iris scan to establish biometric identity. Some find the enrollment process invasive compared to Global Entry's simplicity. But frequent travelers rave about the unparalleled time savings.

While Global Entry combined with PreCheck facilitates rapid security screening itself, CLEAR focuses on accelerating the initial ID verification hassle. Together, these programs form an unbeatable three-punch combo to sail through airport headaches.