A while back, I posted an entry which commented on a couple of options I was considering for a Hawaii cruise, and then mentioning my choice of Global Entry for TSA Trusted Traveler status. Well, I dropped the hammer on a deal, and I should be saying "Aloha" to Hawaii sometime within the next 12-14 months. Additionally, I have started the process of getting my Trusted Traveler number, so that I can get past airport security with as few hassles as possibles. And therein lies a problem for many that I wish our government would resolve.
TSA Pre Check provides 99.9% of the benefits I would want when going to the airport. Given that most of my airport experiences will be domestic in nature, I could save $15 by using this option. Since this program is "designed" to pay for itself, there are many more places one can perform the in-person interview than available for Global entry. Because of its supposed self funding, Pre Check interviews didn't stop during government shutdowns. However, Global Entry is a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) program that is not meant to be self funding, its interviews were halted during government shutdowns. Yet, this is not the big problem I have. They do not have enough available interview slots to handle the demand for this variant of Trusted Traveler certification.
In the above image, I have captured a list of Global Entry interview sites that have at least one slot open between January 15, 2022 through June 30, 2022. Doesn't seem like much.... If the government had been smart, it would have treated Global Entry in the same way as it does Pre Check. If anything, it would have been wise to combine the two programs, and do what is necessary to process as many people as possible, collect as much money as possible, and benefit both domestic and international travelers as much as possible. Instead, I had to wait until June for an appointment at Newark airport.
If I change the filter to select sites that have at least 2 slots open, the list shrinks even further. No wonder why people are upset at government.
At least, I now have an appointment. And I expect that I'll be taking a day off for this interview. It could be much worse - it could be jury duty in Downtown Manhattan during the summer....
PS: They opened up a month's worth of extra appointment slots in NYC. (See above.) So now, I have an earlier appointment (in May) at a place easier for me to get to (Bowling Green).
PPS: A spot opened up for 9:00 am this morning at JFK. If it weren't for the snow, I might have gone for it.
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