Skip the Lines: Your Ultimate Guide to Airport Hacks

Transcript

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Today we're going over everything you need to know about skipping airport lines.

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Even though I don't consider myself an impatient person, I'm always scheming to see how I can skip any possible line.

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Today we'll talk about free and paid ways to skip the most common lines at airports security, food, immigration and rental cars.

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Welcome back to Points for Normal People.

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I'm Katie and I'm here because I know that travel costs add up, especially for a family, but I believe travel isn't just for the rich.

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That's why, on Points for Normal People, I share the tips and tricks that my family has been using for over a decade to help you use your everyday expenses and credit card welcome offers to supercharge your travel points so that you can pay for entire vacations every year.

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Most of the time, we go on a trip to relax, but getting through the airport can feel like an endless collection of lines and that can make it hard to relax, especially for Americans, because, let's be honest, americans, as a general rule, don't like to wait in lines.

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My brain, when I'm in a line, is instantly starting to process what else could be done to make this a more efficient process, what else could be done to make this a more efficient process.

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So this episode is my brain downloading all the things that I've learned about how you can skip lines, specifically at the airport.

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I'm structuring this episode more or less by the airport experience, so that's the order.

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We'll discuss the lines and how to make your wait shorter at each turn.

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The first line you'll usually encounter is the security line.

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Now this can vary so much by airport by season, by the time of day you're traveling.

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There have been plenty of times that we've walked into one of the Chicago airports and the security line is almost non-existent.

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But I have also seen security lines that are so long that they snake back and forth through the baggage check-in area.

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So here's how to handle those lines.

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First, I want to talk about some free options that aren't as well known as they should be.

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Reserve by Clear is the name of a free service where you can reserve a time slot to go through the security line.

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This means your actual wait time should be very reduced.

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This isn't available at every airport.

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In fact, right now it looks like it's only available at seven US airports, but one of those airports is Orlando, which is notorious for having crazy security lines.

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So if you are flying out of Orlando and you don't have TSA PreCheck, which we will discuss in a bit you'll want to do this.

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You can google Reserve by Clear to find a list of all the airports and it will take you to a page where it's really easy to sign up for this.

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You can only sign up to reserve your spot about a week in advance, but you can sign up a whole group together.

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This is currently available at Denver, lax, minneapolis, new York specifically JFK, orlando, phoenix and Seattle.

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It also happens to be available at a few international airports.

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It's in a few Canadian airports and you can also find this option in Amsterdam, frankfurt, london, luton and Rome.

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Now, those specific airports can change, so you can always just google reserve by clear when you have a trip upcoming, just to check if you can take advantage to this.

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Another free program is TSA Cares.

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This is a TSA support program specifically for people with disabilities, special needs and mobility issues.

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Tsa Cares also has to be reserved in advance.

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There's a simple form to fill out online to request assistance or a number that you can call for assistance.

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I've only used this once myself, but I had a great experience.

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Keep in mind that this is different than requesting something like wheelchair assistance, which has to be requested through your airline.

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This is specific assistance for the TSA line.

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In my case, I used this when I was traveling with my kids without my husband, and my son has some significant special needs and the airport terminal I was going to didn't have TSA pre-check options.

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So I knew it might be really hard for us to get through the line without my husband to help us and all stay regulated and calm For us.

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After I'd made my reservation for TSA Cares, we went to the help desk and a TSA agent met us there and helped us through the security line, and it just went so much more smoothly.

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The agent actually told me at that time that she wished more people knew about the program, because it's a great option for people that need it.

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Even if you don't personally need it, it's a great one to keep in the back of your mind because you probably know someone who would benefit from using it someday.

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I think, in particular, a lot of parents traveling with autistic kids can really benefit from it, because it just helps take stress out of the security process and it makes it easier for the agents to provide accommodations.

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So those are the free programs to know about for security lines Reserve by Clear and TSA Cares.

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I'll put links for both in the show notes.

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There are also two paid options.

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Those are TSA PreCheck and Clear.

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So let's talk about what they are and their differences.

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Tsa PreCheck is a trusted traveler program certification.

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That means that you've completed a pre-screening and you're qualified to go through the TSA PreCheck lines with special benefits.

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In the TSA PreCheck line, you don't have to take off your shoes, you don't have to take liquids out of your bag and you don't have to take laptops and electronics out of your bag.

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Now, those three things alone are well worth it to me personally, because it means that going through security, I don't have to undress or unpack my bag at all.

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It also means, if I'm honest, that I don't even put my liquids into a Ziploc bag anymore.

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Now I still have to do this for international travel, but for domestic travel I just keep all my liquids packed into my toiletry bag.

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The line for TSA PreCheck also typically moves quite a bit faster and is shorter than the normal line.

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I think that's because people who have it are usually somewhat frequent travelers, so they know the basics of what is expected of them at airport security.

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To get into the TSA PreCheck line, you have to have three things.

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First, you have to have a trusted traveler number.

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Now, you get a trusted traveler number if you've completed the signup process for TSA, precheck, global Entry or Nexus.

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I will talk a little bit more at the end of the episode in regards to which one of these you should get, but the main thing you need to know here is that you will need one of those to get into the TSA PreCheck line.

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But it's not just that.

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You also have to have added your known traveler number onto your airline reservation.

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The good news is that if you've forgotten to do this, it's usually possible to even add it at the airport and just reprint your boarding pass, because ultimately, you won't be allowed into the TSA preCheck line unless the words TSA Pre are printed on your boarding pass, even if you've completed your application.

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Your known traveler number has to be connected to your airline reservation, and the last qualification is that your airline has to participate in TSA PreCheck.

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I actually think this is becoming a less common issue, but it used to be that a lot of international airlines didn't participate in TSA PreCheck.

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So even if you had a known traveler number and the airport had a TSA PreCheck line, you still couldn't use that line.

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The way that TSA PreCheck works with kids has a few nuances.

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If you have TSA PreCheck as an adult and are traveling with a child that is 12 or under, they can just go through the TSA PreCheck line with you.

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If you are traveling with a teen aged 13 to 17 that is on your same airline reservation, they should automatically have had TSA Pre printed on their boarding pass too, which means that they can go through the TSA PreCheck line with you.

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But the one place this breaks down is if you have a Southwest Companion Pass and your teen is your companion.

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That's because those are technically two different reservations, so your teen likely will not have TSA Pre printed on their boarding pass.

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In this case they would have to get their own TSA PreCheck access and their own known traveler number.

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I'll go into at the end how to do that for free.

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In addition to TSA PreCheck, there's also Clear.

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At some airports Clear is different than Reserve by Clear.

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You can have Clear but not have TSA PreCheck, or you can have Clear plus TSA PreCheck.

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Clear is run by a private company and it doesn't give you the TSA PreCheck benefits like keeping your shoes on or your liquids inside your bag.

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It's just a service that helps you access shorter lines.

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It's also a lot more expensive than getting TSA PreCheck.

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Tsa PreCheck costs $85, or if you get global entry it's $120.

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But both of those last for five years with that one fee.

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Clear, on the other hand, costs $199 per year, although it's fairly common to see discounts that will bring that cost down, but still it's an annual cost, and very few credit cards offer a benefit for Clear.

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But there are some American Express cards that currently do.

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Right now those include the American Express Green card as well as the Platinum cards.

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So if you have one of those, it's definitely worth getting.

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If you don't, you can choose to use a free trial of Clear sometime when you really need it.

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At the airport they're almost always offering a two-week free trial, but sometimes online you can find up to three months free for Clear.

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I will say one thing I really like about having Clear and also TSA PreCheck is that you really have the best of both worlds.

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While we had an Amex Platinum, we were able to use both, and with Clear, one of my favorite perks is that you don't need to take your ID out because they actually scan your eye and your identity is verified that way.

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But once we got rid of our Amex Platinum card and we didn't have it paying for our Clear benefit we got rid of Clear as well.

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With Clear, any kids under 18 can automatically go through with you.

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Well, with Clear, any kids under 18 can automatically go through with you After you get through security.

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The next line is typically a food line or, if you're going to an airport lounge, a lounge waiting list.

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I'll talk more about airport lounges next week, but a quick tip for food lines is just to get the app for the restaurant.

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Usually, airport locations will be excluded from coupons on the app, but many times you can still place an order.

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This means that you can order while you're walking to the restaurant or you can just sit down at the gate and order and go get your food when it's ready.

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Most airport Starbucks also have online app ordering, and another time we've used this is sometimes when we land and our kids are starving.

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We'll put an order into McDonald's that's on our way out of the terminal.

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Usually, by the time we deplane, our food is ready and we can just head out of the airport.

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Now, if you've been traveling out of the US and you're re-entering the US, you'll also have the line for immigration.

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This is another one that can vary so much from no line to lines of multiple hours.

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Now, when you're going to another country, there's usually no way that you can skip that immigration line when you're arriving somewhere else, but when you return to the US, there are ways that you can shorten your wait substantially.

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The first one I want to feature is mobile passport control.

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This is totally free, but the downside is that it isn't available at all airports and even in the airports where it is available, they sometimes close down those lines Like.

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I've heard anecdotally that at O'Hare they often close down the mobile passport control line at 8 pm.

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To use mobile passport, you need to download the app from Customs and Border Patrol, or it will say CBP.

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The app is called Mobile Passport Control and has an MPC symbol.

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It should say that it is created by US Customs and Border Patrol.

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What always surprises me is how few people use it, even when it is available.

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Last year we were on a United flight back from Japan that was heavily advertising mobile passport control and we got back to Chicago with a pretty long line at immigration.

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Even then there was no one in the mobile passport line.

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At the time I actually didn't even have the app for it, because we have global entry, but that day, for some reason, the global entry line was really long.

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So while I was waiting in the global entry line, I downloaded the mobile passport control app.

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I added our info in and then we just switched lines and we were done before almost everyone else on our flight For mobile passport.

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Only one person in your family needs to download the app to set it up.

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You end up entering details and scanning passports.

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You can't submit the form, though, until you've de-planed in the US.

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I think it's worth having the mobile passport control app on your phone, just in case you run into longer lines when you arrive.

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You can look for mobile passport signs to find the right line, and I'll link in the show notes to a list of the airports that currently have it.

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Now the main way, the consistent way, to skip that immigration line when you arrive back in the US is to have Global Entry or Nexus.

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The signs you're looking for in this case would say Global Entry.

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Global Entry actually has an app now, so you can even speed up your entry a little bit more.

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Previously, you always had to wait for a little kiosk that takes your photos and then finds you via facial recognition.

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Even with the kiosk, you still have to stop at a desk and have an officer review your paper that it prints out, but it's very fast.

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Now, though, you can actually download the app and use that instead of the kiosk.

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It's important to note that every single person has to have their own Global Entry access in order to go through the Global Entry line yes, even babies.

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And in order to get access, every person has to complete an interview and be fingerprinted.

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Yes, even babies.

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It feels a bit weird to have to do it with kids, but that's just the way that it is.

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The good news is that this is now free for kids to get if their parents have it, but they still do need to go through the whole application and interview process.

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So I've mentioned a few trusted traveler programs, but let me break those down so you can see which one makes sense for you.

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Many credit cards offer reimbursement for these trusted traveler programs.

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Usually, the reimbursement is capped at $120 every four years.

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If you end up in this hobby a while, you'll probably end up with way more credits than you can use, and once you do, it's worth knowing that you can use your benefit for someone else To do that.

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You just need to pay for their fee with your credit card that has that trusted traveler benefit, and then you'll get a statement credit to reimburse you.

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If you're following my three-year plan, you can see that the second card I recommend is the Capital One VentureX Rewards credit card, and this one has that benefit.

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The cheapest Trusted Traveler program is if you just get TSA PreCheck.

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Tsa PreCheck costs $85 to get, but this one is also the most restrictive.

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It will only give you access to the TSA PreCheck lines at the airport.

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It doesn't allow you to get TSA PreCheck for anyone else in your family, though kids under 17 on the same reservation could go through the TSA pre-check line with you.

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Now, the one advantage of TSA pre-check is that approval is usually fairly quick and it's easier to complete the in-person portion because there's a lot more locations, including even Staples office supply stores.

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So if you want to get TSA pre-check quickly and don't plan to do international travel, it might make sense to pick this one.

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But if you have a little more time and plan to do any international trips, or if you have older kids, I'd recommend Global Entry instead.

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Global Entry costs $120, and when you get it, you'll have access not only to Global Entry lines when you arrive back in the US, but you'll also get a known traveler number which you can add to your reservations so that you can go through the TSA pre-check line.

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Starting October 1st 2024, if you, as a parent or guardian, have Global Entry or are applying for Global Entry, your kids will all get their application fees waived.

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Now, every person, even kids, will have to have their own Trusted Traveler Program account to apply.

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And, as a side note, if your kids don't have their own email address, you will need a unique email address to create an account for them.

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If you have Gmail, a really easy way to have an email for them that just routes straight to your email is to use the plus trick.

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So whatever your email is, you can add the plus symbol and the child's name or any text, and it will still route to your email.

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So if my email was katiestraveltricks at gmailcom, I could put katiestraveltricks plus ruby at gmailcom and it would still go to my regular inbox, because the Trusted Traveler Program considers that a unique email With the kids' accounts.

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It will initially look like there's a charge when you're signing them up, but eventually it will give you the chance to link to your account and that will waive their application fee.

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There's no limit to the number of kids, so if you have a big family, this is even a better deal for you.

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Yes, you'll still have to attend an interview with your kids, but then they will have their own trusted traveler numbers.

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And remember that global entry lasts for five years.

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So if you have a teen, it's a great idea to get them global entry before they turn 18.

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If they get it right before they turn 18, they'll have it until they're 23.

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One more little trick here can actually give you global entry for almost six years.

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That's because with global entry, you get it for five years from your next birthday after you're approved.

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So if you get approved right before your birthday, you'll get it for five years from your birthday that you're about to have.

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But if you have your birthday and then you get approved a few days later, the clock doesn't start until your next birthday, which is basically a year later, and from that next birthday you'll have five more years.

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Now for most people.

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I don't think you need to maximize this, but it's worth knowing in case it's helpful.

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Now, I think the hardest part with global entry is getting an appointment.

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For some people, conditional approval can take a while too.

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It's honestly unclear why some people get conditional approval which means you can schedule your interview.

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Some people get that within 48 hours and for some it takes several months.

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Once you have conditional approval, then that's when you can go ahead and schedule your in-person interview.

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And sometimes when you click to schedule an interview it will just say that none are open.

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But really you don't need to panic.

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Interview times are released all the time.

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But really you don't need to panic.

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Interview times are released all the time.

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Officially, the CBP says they release a big batch on the first Monday of the month at 9 am local time.

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So if nothing else, set your alarm clock for then to check.

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But I found the last time that I needed an appointment for my renewal that even just checking once a week, I was able to find one pretty quickly.

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Personally, my hiccup on renewal came because I accidentally selected the wrong Korea when I was selecting countries I had traveled to.

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So I accidentally selected that I'd been to Democratic People's Republic of Korea instead of Republic of Korea, because I had been to South Korea and not North Korea, and when I did my interview I got the impression it's a fairly common mistake, because the officer was able to easily change that.

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For me, another option and this is what we did with our kids the first time when they got global entry is to do interview on arrival.

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That means that whenever you arrive back in the US, you do your global entry interview then.

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I think that most airports offer this now, but not all and not all the time, but it's certainly worth a try if you can do it.

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One more point is that if you live near the US-Canada border, you should look at getting Nexus instead of Global Entry.

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This gives you speedier entry into Canada, as well as all the Global Entry and TSA PreCheck benefits, but the interview locations for Nexus are a lot more limited than Global Entry.

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In general, I really think that TSA PreCheck and global entry are things that, once you get them, you really can't go back, particularly when traveling with kids.

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It's just so nice to have shorter lines and a few less things to think about.

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Can you travel without them?

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Of course, but with all the credit cards that offer them for free, why would you?

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The last category of lines that I want to touch on briefly is rental car lines, because this is another one that I see people waiting in unnecessarily all the time.

00:20:07.678 --> 00:20:18.297
Now, there may be some lines that you need to wait in, but the very easiest way to skip lines for rental cars is often to just join the loyalty programs of the car company.

00:20:18.297 --> 00:20:24.910
Once you've joined, you need to make sure your license info has been uploaded and you have a credit card on file.

00:20:24.910 --> 00:20:30.929
Then make sure your loyalty number is noted on the reservation, especially if you booked with a third party.

00:20:30.929 --> 00:20:40.317
This alone will be enough with almost all rental car companies that we've used to let you skip that initial line, which is usually the longest one.

00:20:40.317 --> 00:20:42.465
We once arrived in Orlando and I literally downloaded the budget app while we were initial line, which is usually the longest one.

00:20:42.465 --> 00:20:54.566
We once arrived in Orlando and I literally downloaded the budget app while we were in line, joined the program, added my licensing credit card, added that new loyalty number to my reservation and was able to skip the whole rest of the line.

00:20:54.566 --> 00:20:58.356
I tried telling everyone else in line to do the same, but no one was listening to me.

00:20:58.356 --> 00:21:03.808
Having elite rental car status can help too, but that's a longer discussion that I will skip for today.

00:21:04.330 --> 00:21:09.692
For action steps today let's figure out how to get you skipping some airport lines or at least shortening your wait.

00:21:09.692 --> 00:21:14.719
First of all, check to see if any of your credit cards have a trusted traveler credit that you haven't used.

00:21:14.719 --> 00:21:19.069
I'll link to an article with a roundup of some of the best options in the show notes.

00:21:19.069 --> 00:21:28.848
If you don't have one yet, bookmark the Reserve by Clear page and look over the airport list to see if it has destinations you think you'll be visiting For your next departure.

00:21:28.848 --> 00:21:34.871
For one of these, set up an alert seven days before departure so that you can make your appointment for security for free.

00:21:35.545 --> 00:21:42.893
If you have global entry and have kids, open accounts for them and get the process started of getting them approved now that it's free for them.

00:21:42.893 --> 00:21:53.155
If you don't have Global Entry, and actually even if you do, download Mobile Passport Control app so that you have another option to skip lines when you arrive back in the US.

00:21:53.155 --> 00:22:05.471
And last, if you have any upcoming car rentals, double check that you've joined their loyalty program, added your license and credit card, and that your loyalty number is connected to your reservation.

00:22:05.471 --> 00:22:07.726
Thanks so much for spending time with me today.

00:22:07.726 --> 00:22:12.390
I look forward to seeing you next time, where we will continue to unlock these secrets of travel points together.

Skip the Lines: Your Ultimate Guide to Airport Hacks

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Skip the Lines: Your Ultimate Guide to Airport Hacks

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