Good afternoon everyone,
This post relates to travel and making it easier on everyone taking the trip, including family members. It also applies to future trips, both domestic and international. My wife and I have an easier time than most getting through security, because we
always get to use the pre-TSA line when it's available. Many of you may have been randomly selected at some point to use this line, but doing what we did makes travel so much easier and predictable.
We applied for Global Entry back in 2012. We completed an online application (remember your name and password because you'll have to refer back to this and if you don't remember this info you'll have to start from scratch), which took about a half hour to complete, paid a $50.00 fee (it's now $100.00), and waited about 6 weeks. In that period, background checks were done on both of us. After six weeks passed, we both received e-mails inviting us to a Global Entry enrollment center. Most international airports in major cities have one. We made an appointment and went. It was basically a formality. We received some information on how Global Entry works, what the card looks like, how to get "pre-TSA" automatically printed on your boarding passes, and how to use this for U.S. Customs. The cards came in the mail roughly one week after this appointment.
Here is what you do to get the "pre-TSA" to show on your boarding pass. For any given airline, there is a place in the traveler profile to place trusted traveler number. Completing this will insure that you have "pre-TSA" showing on your boarding pass. For airlines with which you are a frequent flier, this information can be saved, so you don't have to do it each time you book a flight.
By having this printed on your boarding pass, you get to use the pre-TSA line at the airport. This allows you to go through an express line where you do not have to take off your shoes nor belt. Furthermore, you can leave your laptop and liquids in your carry-on. You still have to stick to the 3 ounce limit for liquids, but you don't have to take the plastic bag holding them. Also, in many airports, they will let you go through a metal detector instead of a body scanner. This saves time. It makes going through security a breeze.
In terms of customs, when you return from most countries, you bypass the customs line and walk up to a machine. It reads your irises and you check off directly on the screen the same questions that you see on a customs declaration form. After completing this, a receipt comes out. You hand it to the customs official nearby and most of the time, they will say "Welcome Home" or "Have a good day". There is virtually no grilling about the reasons for your travel.
Here is a link to Global Entry: I hope you all consider this if you haven't joined already.
Benefits of Global Entry | U.S. Customs and Border Protection
Gene