If you travel a lot as a cam artist you may be wondering if you should take the splurge and get TSA PreCheck and/or Global Entry.
Both of these Federal trusted travel programmers give you basically a “get out of jail” free card… that is you don’t have to feel like a criminal going through the airport checkpoints like the rest of the world. You’ll be able to skip the long lines, you won’t have to remove your laptop or plastic baggie full of liquid goods from your luggage, and you won’t need to take off your shoes. The checkers will mostly be nice and when you come back into the country (if you have Global Entry) you won’t have to stand in endless passport lines.
As reported on by The Points Guy, “ninety-five percent of PreCheck users waited less than five minutes to get through airport security in August, per data from the Transportation and Security Administration.”
Sounds great! Right?
It is, but before you pull out your wallet ($85 for TSA PreCheck and $100 for Global Entry*) it’s good to think about a few things.
First, determine if you’re a good candidate.
The interview process is thorough, and sometimes they can be jerks so think about what you may have lurking in the past before wasting your time and filling out the lengthy application. I had a friend who is an upstanding citizen who got denied simply because he got picked up for spray painting three decades ago when he was sixteen – he didn’t even do any time and he was a kid! PreCheck denied his claim.
Second, if you’re a person who likes your privacy, the program may not be for you.
In order to get PreCheck you have to tell the government a lot about yourself, so if you’re someone who doesn’t want them knowing anything about you… though they probably already do know more than you wish if you’re not being naïve… that’s something to take into consideration as well.
Third, think about how much you travel.
If you take one or two trips a year, it may not be worth the price tag and hassle – it took a full twelve months to get my Global Entry that’s how long the process took! If you fly three or more times a year I think it’s worth it. But that’s my opinion; only you know your comfort level with standing in long lines. Obviously if you only fly domestically you’re not going to apply for Global. If you fly international at all, I would go Global as it’s only $15 more than TSA PreCheck and you’ll definitely want it for the ease of getting through passport control on the way home – it saves a lot of time.
Fourth, what airports and airlines do you normally use?
Though over 200 U.S. airports and 90 domestic and foreign airlines take PreCheck, not all do. So, if you mostly take flights through only one or two airports and/or are big on a certain airline, it would behoove you to make sure they’re on the list. It’s frustrating when you find out the regional airport you use or airline you love doesn’t take it and you’ve paid for it.
Once you have the answers to these questions, it should be clear if you should take the plunge.
As someone who has Global Entry I will tell you it’s been a gamechanger and I love it. One thing to keep in mind, if you do opt to get PreCheck, is to make sure you report your Known Traveler Number during booking or in check-in as it has to be stamped on your ticket in order to have access to the upgraded line. I didn’t know this the first few times and was furious when airport security made me go through the regular long line and denied me the PreCheck lines.
* Check out this list of Credit Cards which will help take care of all or most of your PreCheck application fee.
Main Photo credit:iStock.com/LorenaGaribo
First Photo credit: iStock.com/DavidTran
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Alyssa Collins hails from Minnesota, where snowy days were the perfect excuse to stay warm inside and write. Over the years, she turned that joy into a career and has authored numerous articles for various publications (under pen names). Email Alyssa via alyssa@ynot.com.
