Global Entry and TSA Precheck

[pimper]

Evening chaps!

I've got a flight booked to the US in mid November this year (hoping COVID calms down by then etc.) I'm looking at enrolling into Global Entry and TSA Precheck... I see that at JFK you can have your enrolment interview at the airport, which is a bonus, my question is, and i've been to JFK before but never bothered to look, can you get to arrivals from departures in terminal 8? I am aware that I fly into T7 but they close at midnight and my flight lands at 22:50 so my chances of getting from the plane through security to my interview before midnight is literally nil... so my best bet is to hop to T1 as their office doesn't shut till 3am, have my interview then go to T8 for the connecting flight from JFK, my flights at 6:30am.

Thanks

 

[pimper]

I did the same, flew in (was SSSS on the way out!) land at JFK, then take the monorail / shuttle train to the interview terminal and have interview.

Thanks for the info! just looked on US Customs and it looks like T4 is a 24 hour operation there so I might have more luck there? Any idea about walk in's or can you arrange an appointment at an Airport terminal?

 

[pimper]

Nope and nope, you need to book the interview in advance, and ensure you give yourself enough time to land, clear CBP and make your way over to the interview location with time to spare.

Likely you'll end up hanging around for an hour or so to ensure you're not late.

Right, so my flight lands at T7 around 11pm. Lets say it takes an hour to get off the plane, clear security and grab my bag. Would I be able to assume that I could say book an appointment for 1:30am at T4's enrollment office, giving me from 11pm till 1am to get from T7 to T4 with 30 mins spare have my interview and get over to T8 for my flight @ 06:30?

I've only ever flown into JFK in the morning / early afternoon never at night but I assume lines for security will be shorter / quicker at that time? Its too tight I reckon to book an appointment in T7 as they close up shop at midnight, so T4's my only bet... surely i'd have enough time? my flight from T8 is domestic so for a 06:30 take off I would only need to be past check in and TSA by what 4am?

 

[pimper]

Just looked on their website and after June 1st when they are due to re-open JFK has nothing in November and neither does CLT.... how the hell can they be booked already?

 

[pimper]

What I'm saying is that 1 hour to get off the plane, clear security and grab your bag is risky.

Yes it's quieter at that time, but sometimes they will have literally one officer at the security desks during these quiet times. They do not care about making you wait.

Don't really think a rolleyes is necessary when someone takes the time to give a bit of friendly advice, useful or not.

No no! rolleyes was not at anyone on here! it was in disbelief that theres not one appointment at all for either JFK or Charlotte for the entire months of November, December etc...

The advice is appreciated

 

[pimper]

Ah ok, I'm sorry, I mistook it

No worries, apologies if it seemed that way!

 

[pimper]

If you’re doing Enrolment on Arrival then you don’t need to book an interview. There’s normally signs in the customs hall directing you to a specific queue where you have to tell them you’ve done the pre-check stuff and need to have you interview.

https://www.cbp.gov/travel/trusted-traveler-programs/global-entry/enrollment-arrival And https://thepointsguy.co.uk/guide/how-to-enroll-in-global-entry-on-arrival/ explain it quite well.

I’ve not done it myself (but do have colleagues that have) and a few found when they asked the first couple of times they were told there wasn’t anyone available to conduct the interview and to try again next time, so it can be a bit hit and miss. I was lucky and managed to get an interview at the US Embassy a few years ago!

I will say its a brilliant program if you’re travelling through the US a lot though. Last time through Chicago I was off the plane and through immigration within 5 minutes and out of the airport with my bags in under 15 minutes. TSA Precheck is great as well, although some airports have slightly different rules if you’re going through a “international” check rather than a domestic check, which has always confused me given that often you’re being dumped into the same area that the “domestic’ lines go through.

Huh! So essentially I can get off my plane at T7 JFK around 11pm and just go to the line for security and tell them I want to enrol and i've passed pre checks and they'll do it there and then?

Seems like it should be doable then!

 

[pimper]

That's how enrollment on arrival works, yes. They don't always have an officer available to do it though so it's not a dead cert.

Fair do's. I'll go for it, i'll just barge my way to the front of the plane and then bolt it to immigration. Failing that I could always try walk in at T1? CBP says its open till 3am?

 

[pimper]

This, I left myself 4 hours, and ended up having to sit around for 2 hours, but felt that was better than missing my interview.

Interview itself was super simple and pleasant.

I have a connecting flight to CLT the following morning, land around 08:30 they have an enrollment centre there but don't open till 1pm would it be easier to walk into arrivals there and enrol or do I have to be in the line for immigration in order to do that?

 

[pimper]

No idea, I never did it that way.. I prefer to plan and know I have a slot than risk things.

If you cant find time on the way in, maybe schedule it for the way out instead?

Good shout, if its possible as the enrollment centres all seem to be arrivals side, can you get to arrivals from departures in US airports?

 

[pimper]

Annoyingly I expect my provisional approval to expire. Applied in January 2019, flew to LA in early April 2019, was conditionally approved in late April 2019. Trip to Austin, TX in November was called off due to work, then my trip to Colorado was cancelled due to C-19.

I dropped them a line about an extension, which they have granted (I get an extra three months from April 2020) but no chance of me getting over there now. May end up doing a quick trip to Dublin as you can do the interview there.

Actually yes! I had thought about Dublin aswell! Might be cheaper and quicker to just go via Dublin than risk JFK which will be a vastly more busy airport.. wonder when flights out to Dublin will start again?