Is there any downside to traveling? Well, If I had to think of one, it would be getting in and out of the airports. Even the normal two hour window for international flights is sometimes not enough anymore. Getting through security, immigration, or even customs can take hours if they're backed up.





Photo (c) https://www.flickr.com/photos/oddharmonic/ License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/





Here are a few options that'll get you through this process much faster:

Global Entry

Global Entry – Great for International Travel - My favorite! Like skipping lines? I do! Global Entry allows you to do just that. This program allows for expedited clearance, upon arrival into the United States. Who wants to stand in a long Immigration line and then a long Customs line at the end of a vacation? Not me! I want to get home and unwind. For years I stood in lines, sometimes over an hour, upon arrival back into the US, until I got Global Entry . Now I'm out of the airport in 15 minutes, if that long, making this one of the best purchases I've ever made.





Once you've exited the plane, proceed to the Global Entry Kiosk area to scan your passport or resident card, scan your finger prints, and complete a short customs declaration. No need to fill out the paper form on the airplane upon re-entry. It literally takes 2 minutes or less. Then proceed to the baggage claim (if you checked in luggage) and through a designated Global Entry exit.



By US Customs and Border Protection - http://cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/trusted_traveler/global_entry/, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=18221721





TSA PreCheck

TSA PreCheck is useful for international and domestic travel when departing from the United States. With this program, you'll receive a membership number which you can enter when making an airline reservation, into the "known traveler number" field. Your boarding pass will then print with the TSA PreCheck logo, which will get you through the TSA check points a lot faster. Another perk is you won't have to remove your shoes, jacket, belt, liquids, or laptops. Awesome!

Photo (c) https://www.flickr.com/photos/dionhinchcliffe/ License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

