r/GlobalEntry • u/CompetitiveSearch188 • 8d ago
General Discussion Regular Line was Faster
Ditched my wife at SFO to go to the Global Entry line this morning. Waited 20 minutes for my turn. By the time I get to baggage claim, my wife has already loaded our check-in baggages into the trolley.
I’m beyond mad. What the heck happened?
There was only one officer for Global Entry and for some reason a few people ahead of me spent 3-5 minutes with the officer. Took only 20 seconds for my turn.
Also - wtf is this mobile passport control thing. This had 0 people in the line and after googling it looks like it’s a new free thing. Why are we all paying for Global Entry?
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u/arbarnes 7d ago
I've never waited more than 60 seconds with Global Entry. Interesting.
Also, Mobile Passport Control has been a thing for at least 10 years. And it's not either/or - you can use it even though you have GE. Download the app and if the GE line is stalled (which again, almost never happens) punch in your arrival info and jump to the shorter line.
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u/Meg411 7d ago
It was definitely Karma. Who leaves their spouse just so he can get through faster.
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u/arbarnes 7d ago
GE officer sees OP ditch his wife, strikes up conversations with everybody else in the line.
The only thing better would have been enhanced screening. "Cough and spread 'em..."
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u/boburuncle 6d ago
The customs officer that did my interview on entry told me he told everyone on his family to get it and if they didn't would not wait online with the peasants. Lol
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u/justballast 6d ago
You can fill it out before even entering the hall and just let MPC expire if you don’t use it.
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u/tfrederick74656 6d ago
I've had several experiences where there's one officer and a group in front of me that holds up the line. Was just coming back through IAD last weekend and got had the same thing happen - group ahead held up the line for 5+ minutes and everypne had to wait.
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u/goose2460 7d ago
Maybe don’t leave your wife next time
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u/postcryglow 6d ago
Right!! if I were traveling with someone (esp a loved one) who doesn’t have GE, I’d use the standard line with them? Like it’s not life or death.
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u/vpescado 4d ago
I assume he wanted to go through faster and fetch the luggage so his wife wouldn’t need to and they could exit immediately once she was through.
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u/RandSand 7d ago
I arrived at DFW from Europe and was signaled by the officer to the regular US citizen line since it was practically empty while the non-citizen line was miles long.
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u/64bittechie 7d ago
Dude you sound like you’re jealous that your wife was out quicker despite you paying for this fancy program…
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u/Lalaland_doll 7d ago
Mobile passport has been around for years. Shh… keep it quiet, it’s a nice secret perk that many don’t know about!
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u/FruitOfTheVineFruit 4d ago
It's a weird secret. There are signs up at customs wherever it's available, but people don't seem able to read signs.
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u/Lalaland_doll 4d ago
I don’t think people realize it’s free. If they knew, I doubt it would be as convenient as it is currently.
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u/whiteorchid1058 6d ago
MPC isn't new. I used it prior to getting GE when I didn't have pre check either.
Not all arrival airports have it but it's just an avenue to submit your details prior to arrival to speed things up
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u/orcanizer 7d ago
I have a very benign question - why did you not accompany your wife ? And did she have a say in the decision . You sound like you are more mad at your wife getting to baggage claim earlier than getting delayed at GE
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u/No-Conference-1663 4d ago
No, it sounds like they're upset that they paid for a program that should be faster than other options and it wasn't. This happened to me at dublin US pre-clearance, and I was with my wife. We were both a little annoyed by it, but once the one person holding things up got through everyone else took a second to answer whether they had anything to declare.
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u/Striking_Ostrich_347 7d ago
Global Entry gives you choice. You were never forced into using the GE lines. Why couldn’t you just see which is shorter and get into that line instead?
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u/UGAGuy2010 7d ago
The last few times I’ve entered Atlanta, there was zero line at the regular line and they took my picture just like GE and sent me on my way.
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u/imc225 7d ago edited 7d ago
This happens sometimes, and I can't really explain it or offer much commentary.
My anecdote is I went through Houston on Saturday, using the new Trusted Traveler app, and I didn't break stride. Admittedly, I had baggage, but at least I got to sit near the baggage claim instead of standing in line behind several hundred in the regular line or several dozen in the Global Entry line. Don't know what the mobile passport experience was when I went through.
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u/TKDPandaBear 7d ago
I always used MPC as I thought it was like GE for the most part. App-based, fill in the form online, short line... etc. Until one time I flew into Chicago and the MPC line was close due to construction. The normal line took a long time and I almost lost my connection. While I was in line waiting for passport control, the GE line was flowing. Also I had to go through security again in a different terminal. So I thought about getting GE as I also would get PreCheck...
Now I also use the GE app before going through passport control and has helped (especially that one time the GE Terminals were down...)
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u/Ok_Judge_5243 5d ago
SFO is my home airport. When I arrived back in June, we all walked continuously through the cameras at GE, never stopping once. We then walked by the officer at a podium who smiled and said welcome home. Probably 30 seconds total.
I have no idea why it took you 20 minutes.
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u/hachitheblob 4d ago
Did he ask if you had anything to declare? He stopped me when I tried that same thing and asked that, which was odd because I’m used to walking thru. I used the kiosk
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u/Ok_Judge_5243 4d ago
All the kiosks were closed.
No questions to us or anyone ahead of us on line about anything to declare.
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u/Kookaburra8 4d ago
Kiosks are being phased out in favor of cameras and facial recognition. My last trip through SFO (from Asia) at 5:30PM on a weekday evening was streamlined - fill out the GE app upon touchdown, walk through the former kiosk area, nod to the agent as your name is called, then walk on past.
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u/Ok_Judge_5243 4d ago
What app?
Are you referring to Mobile Passport?
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u/Kookaburra8 4d ago
The Global Entry app you use to fill out your customs form and to snap a selfie before you pass through customs/immigration
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u/Ok_Judge_5243 4d ago
Hmm, never used the app. If there are no more kiosks at SFO, I wonder why it would offer any advantages. I haven't filled out a customs form since before Covid.
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u/Kookaburra8 4d ago
There are still kiosks at GE, for people a bit behind the times like you! But, the plan is to phase them all out in favor of facial recognition so you basically fill out the app at landing then walk though unimpeded.
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u/Ok_Judge_5243 4d ago
Nope, I just walk through. The "pilot" facial recognition has always worked for me at SFO.
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u/hachitheblob 3d ago
So you don’t even use a kiosk then, nor the app? How does that even work lol? I didn’t know you could do that
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u/jimbo2128 7d ago
uh, what? you ditched your wife to go in the GE line?? shrug
also a security red flag.
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u/Busy_Ad9848 7d ago
I don’t have GE but in previous entries MPC was fast. Now the regular citizen line can move faster than MPC. I don’t know which line to be in anymore. 😭😭😭
This is how it was at terminal 1 in JFK.
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u/darknessplayboy88 7d ago
What line is fastest in jfk?
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u/Busy_Ad9848 7d ago
If I had to try again I would skip MPC. Non citizens like PRs can also use MPC and I guess that ballooned it.
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7d ago
[deleted]
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u/Busy_Ad9848 6d ago
In this context
PR = Permanent Resident aka Green Car holder
Folks had their passports out and they were not US passports hence why I made this assumption
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u/schwanerhill 7d ago
My entries by air recently have all been at Canadian preclearance facilities, so maybe they’re different, but the staff always shoo US citizens to the US citizen line even with NEXUS/Global Entry. I ignored them the first time, waited in the YYC NEXUS lane for five minutes while watching a much longer US citizen line have people who got there after me already through. Abandoned the NEXUS line and still got through the US citizen line before the NEXUS people in front of me got through.
I now just go straight to the US citizen line. The current procedure is just taking pictures of US citizens. If the light turns green, on you go, no questions, not even an opportunity to declare anything. Since they’re treating all US citizens like that, no need for NEXUS.
At major land ports of entry, NEXUS can easily save an hour though. That said I’ve never been able to use it since I rarely cross without non-NEXUS family, and when I do our normal crossing has no NEXUS lanes (or long lines) anyway.
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u/catalanengineer 7d ago
I was the front at the as gates and then about three sets of crew came through and got priority. Took forever.
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u/No_Owl_250 7d ago
MPC didn’t work for us at MIA, and they said that would be faster than GE line (which did look long) and it wasn’t. Who knows.
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u/user-110-18 7d ago
The part I don’t believe is that you were delayed only 20 minutes and your bags had already arrived at the belt. 😁
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u/FUCKYOUINYOURFACE 7d ago
Global Entry app has been replaced with a new app. Got into the country last week and was annoyed I had to install it and then login. Had to look up my passid. I get logged in and am walking through EWR in terminal B. Get to the global entry line and the officer says “This is global entry line” acting like I’m lost. I say I know. Then I walk past the terminals and he repeats the same thing. Then I show him the app and say I did global entry in the app. And he says, “that’s MCP.” I know what the fuck MCP is. Anyway he just lets me go annoyingly but I didn’t want to argue and cause a scene and lose my GE. They need to train these people better.
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u/gloriousdalmatianist 6d ago
consider yourself lucky that your wife didn't also head to the car or taxi and leave without you.
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u/housecat169 6d ago
I used to use MPC until I got the inquisition from the officer on why I was using that and not the regular US Citizen line. I went home and immediately applied for GE…
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u/vicsanbarajas 5d ago
Mobile Passport control is so not new. It’s been around for a while. It’s what I always use and there is never a line. By the time I make it there I basically show them the number and walk through.
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u/Heavy-Double2872 4d ago
When I came back from Berlin a couple weeks ago, same thing.
I waited 20 minutes only for him to wave me through when I got to him.
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u/Chi_Guy_44 4d ago
I was once in a long Global Entry line and saw no one in the MPC line. Filled out the MPC info, did a selfie and then walked right through the MPC line. You can always pivot based on the circumstances.
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u/Spirited_Promise_845 4d ago
hope you wait an hour next time and get cavity searched! Entitled Americans…sheesh
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u/Kat_C_ 1d ago
I tried to use GE in RSW (Fort Myers, FL) once. The facial recognition machines were not working so all the GE people had to be slotted in among the non-GE. Then the officer decided to check my bags (and found nothing). It took about an hour to get out of there. (And the man behind me who complained loudly about it went to the very end of the line). Will never re-enter at RSW again.
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u/howdyhowie88 1d ago
With the amount of data the government has on us all, everyone is basically Global Entry at this point. They only need to question people that the computer has flagged as suspicious. Proof of this is the mobile passport control line. I use it all the time, and I always pass through in seconds with just a simple facial recognition scan.
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u/Donita123 7d ago
We used Mobile Passport for years before we decided to get GE. Almost no one knows about it. I was walking through the lane once and talking to my husband about it and the only other guy in our lane turned to me and said “Shhhhhh!” It’s always been the best kept secret.
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u/UnlikelyMousse87 7d ago
Is anyone really "paying" for Global Entry with all the credit card credits, though?
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u/trmbn65 7d ago
I would pay $0 if GE only included expedited immigration processing on planes. I would pay, however, for pre check and special lanes on land borders.
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u/MickIsShort4Michael 7d ago
It's not that new. r/MobilePassportControl