Is it worth it?
I wish I had signed up years ago. Pre-check is only $80 for 5 years. $17 a year to not have to take my shoes off, keep my laptop and liquids in my bag.
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Yes we have it and it's great! Shorter lines when you have a child is so key
Eta we have global entry-- it gives you precheck plus I travel internationally quite a bit so shortens customs lines. Lo had to get global entry for herself which is ridiculous but was easy -
Yes, we are signed up for pre-check and it is totally worth it. We fly several times a year and the line is always so much shorter, leave shoes on, and the TSA agents are insanely nice compared to the regular line stressed-out agents! They almost always give LO "Junior TSA agent" stickers and simply not having to remove my shoes and liquids and whatnot is sooooo nice.
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Everything @yoursilverlining: said. 1000% worth it! I wish I had done it sooner.
I should have done global entry. I think we'll do that next.
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Get Global Entry. It's only $20 more and includes Pre-Check. We have it and it's awesome.
ETA: LO doesn't have it but still gets pre-check on her boarding pass when she flies with me or DH domestically. If we traveled internationally with her we'd have to pay for her to get Global Entry.
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We're going to apply for Global Entry later this year
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I have precheck. SO worth it. Last time I flew, from my husband dropping me off to fully through security, it took about 10 minutes. And I love not having to take my shoes off, take my laptop out, go through the scanner, etc.
ETA: Oh and I agree with just going for Global Entry. I should have done that. Last time I flew internationally, there was a CRAZY long customs line when I returned. My friend I travelled with, who has GE, was all the way home by the time I got through that line
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I do and I love it! My hubby needs to get his butt in gear and get it himself!
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@nana87: @yoursilverlining: @SweetiePie: @lawbee11: Yes, I have started the Global Entry application since we might be flying internationally next year. I'm just curious how long it will take to get an appt in. I heard people have been given a 3 month wait. I hope I can get in within the next 2-3 months.
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It's awesome, get it!
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@bluestriped bee: I applied at the end of October and had my appointment at the end of December.
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@MrsSCB: Whoah! Your friend was already home by the time you got through the line?
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@bluestriped bee: Yup, it was crazy. I don't know why the line was so long, but I think it took about an hour, and with the global entry my friend was walking out the door in a matter of minutes (neither of us had bags checked).
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I don't. I guess the thing that annoys me about it, is that TSA has made the whole security checkpoint such a terrible experience, that now they have the "elite" upgrade (pre-check) if you want to fork over more money for better service. Such a crock of capitalism at its finest.
Sorry, bad experiences lately with flying.
I travelled international recently too and the security lines were amazingly quick and efficient, so I know it's possible! Just not in the US, apparently. Though I would do Global Entry if I travelled more. That does seem worth it to me.
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Not yet, but we're strongly considering it.
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Global Entry and pre-check. DD1 has them as well; DD2 doesn't, so sometimes she skied is down a bit.
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@Bibliolove: I don't see it that way. I think we pay for convenience for a lot of things in our daily lives. I guess I don't see a problem paying for something like this. Especially, when it comes to something like the TSA which is government funded. I guess I'm used to some government services being a bit slower. Though, there have been times where I got through security super quick. I have flown a lot in the last 10 years and almost always have a good experience.
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I just got Global Entry and used it on an international trip. It was great - so nice to completely skip the passport line and just use the machines, and you have your own line at customs too.
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No. I've flown once since 2011 so it'll be a waste of money for us.
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@lawbee11: I don't know about global entry but they don't do pre-check for any kids under 12 (or 13?). We asked and as long as the minor is traveling with a pre-check adult, they will also have pre-check stamped on their ticket too. Kinda nice they don't charge for kids!!
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I have no clue what any of these are, can someone let me in on what sounds like amazing secrets?!
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@yoursilverlining: Yes, very nice!
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@lawbee11: Thank you!
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Hmm, this article says it's not worth it. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-06-02/is-the-tsa-s-85-precheck-program-too-pricey
I still think I'll pay to not take my shoes, light jacket, laptop and liquids out. Especially now that I have kids. $20 a year for global entry is something I'm willing to spend to reduce my stress and have less things to worry about when I'm in line.
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Are things that bad in the US?!?! We just flew on 8 flights within a 2 week span all outside the US and never waited more than 15ish minutes, even at major international airports.
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I used to fly 3-4 times a year without kids and I didn't think it was worth it. The standard security procedures are not too much of hassle to me. Now with a child, I might reconsider, but there's so many other things to spend money on....
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This comment has been deleted by the original poster.
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So if you are close to the Canada, you should get Nexus. It includes Global Entry, Pre-check and access into Canada. It includes all that and it's $50 for 5 years! That's half the price of global entry! From what I read, you do have to interview at sites that are near the Canadian border.
I think I'm going to go for Nexus.
Oh, here is a good comparison chart. https://www.dhs.gov/trusted-traveler-comparison-chart
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@lamariniere: My DH probably would've missed his past couple of flights without pre-check:
http://www.cnn.com/2016/05/13/aviation/tsa-long-lines-us-airports/
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@lawbee11: whoa, that looks like hell. How early are you supposed to get to the airport for a domestic flight these days?
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No. I almost always fly alone with DD, and I have always gotten to use the pre-check line! I was going to get it, but in Sept one of the agents said they were likely getting rid of it. The majority of our trips use 2 smaller airports (and we fly southwest) so even at the worst, lines are only 30 mins max.
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@Bibliolove: I was just thinking the same thing!! they put these security checks in place, but if you pay to bypass them then its ok? cha-ching! what happens if a person who has paid to use this system uses it for nefarious purposes?
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@lamariniere: I'm guessing at least a couple of hours? DH flew out of O'Hare a couple of weeks ago and was there 1h 45min early and made it ok because of pre-check. He said the regular lines were insane and he doesn't know if even 2 hours would have been enough. It also probably depends on the airport...O'Hare is awful even on its best day.
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@FannyMae: We get screened, background checked, finger printed and we have to do an in person interview. We still have to go through the scanners like everyone else. We just don't have to do somethings that others don't.
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@catomd00: yeah, my MIL gets it on her ticket sometimes. She is not sure why but I think I remember somewhere that military gets it and she is married to a veteran. So maybe when her husband books the flight. She does fly out of a small airport so she said there's only 10 people in front of her in the busiest time she's gone to the airport.
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@lawbee11: ugh. We flew through O'Hare last summer and definitely waited an hour to go through the immigration line, but I thought it was just because it was peak summer travel season and the international terminal. Air travel is so unpleasant, I would hate to have to waste all that time for routine domestic flights! We are spoiled here, our home airport is on the smaller side and the worst part is waiting to check in at the ticket counter when we have baggage (which is always
). Clearing security and immigration is always quick, and they usually shuffle us into the family line which is even faster.
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Man, the next time I do a 16 hour internationally flight, it will be with 2 kids... I'm totally going to apply for Global Entry!!
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Global Entry, because we are one of those families with different passports and it tends to confuse the agents.
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We used to get precheck on our boarding passes for free regularly (mainly from Delta) so it wasn't worth it for us. Supposedly they are discontinuing, but we'll have to see.
We may get Global Entry in the future but we generally only travel internationally 1-2x a year and... we're cheap. We've only had 1 really bad experience with immigrations (at Miami) - Atlanta usually isn't bad, especially with the machines they use now.
I can justify $100 but when you add it up to be $300 or $400 ($60-80/year) for a family it's harder for me to justify for the short inconvenience. I will probably get fed up and give in eventually
I travelled international recently too and the security lines were amazingly quick and efficient, so I know it's possible! Just not in the US, apparently. 
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