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#961472 by HappyDays
04 May 2023, 17:58
Hi all - having completed by interview on arrival (i.e. confirmed my name and address and had a few more photos and finger prints taken!) I've got my first trip next week where I'll be using the Global Entry lanes solo, for the first time... Just so I don't look more lost and hopeless than I usually do, is this just like an e-gate at LHR, without the actual gate...? Do I just need to have my passport and fingers ready for scanning, or my membership number ready to hand?? Anything else I might get caught out on the first time?

Thanks!!
#961474 by dmc
04 May 2023, 18:50
I think it depends which airport you're arriving at and which type of machines they have there - they are in the process of updating them.

If it's the older ones you need your passport and it will ask for fingerprints and photo and may print out a paper receipt to hand to the officer. If it's one of the newer touchless ones, you pretty much just look at the camera (no passport required) and it will ID you to the officer and you're on your way.

There's a video here where you can see both types in action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EnxfsZrnPv0
#961475 by markyl
04 May 2023, 19:13
Most importantly make sure you add your Trusted Traveller number on your passenger details within manage my booking to make use of the GE terminals and TSA Pre on the return journey
#961476 by tontybear
04 May 2023, 20:01
You don't need to add your KTN to a booking to use the GE lane.

You do to get pre though.
#961484 by CommanderB
05 May 2023, 11:41
Virgins IT is notoriously bad for dropping the KTN off the booking. So when you check in, make sure it gets added. If your boarding pass does not have “TSA PreCheck” printed on the top of it, you’ll get turned away. So make sure that’s sorted before leaving the check in desk.

This only applies in US airports of course.
#961577 by dmc
16 May 2023, 00:54
CommanderB wrote:Virgins IT is notoriously bad for dropping the KTN off the booking. So when you check in, make sure it gets added.


This just happened to me (again) on my return leg from SFO. My KTN was definitely there on the outbound (though not needed), and I did online checkin for my return flight with no reason to believe it wouldn't still be there, after all it's saved in my Flying Club profile and was in my booking as well. Nope.. not only was it no longer in the booking, it had been removed from my account profile as well.

I tried re-adding it via 'manage booking', the field to enter KTN was there but the Save button does nothing. So I started an online chat with Flying Club thinking they can easily add it... no they can't.. according to them, because I had already started my travel (yes - and it was there at the start of the travel!) and it won't let them - the only way is to ask the airport staff who "may be able to" override it.

I asked them to cancel my check-in then, so I can redo the whole check-in and enter it, and they said they would advise against it, because the only way of clearing the check-in is to remove my seat assignment - with no guarantee I would be able to reserve a seat online again and also I may not be able to check-in online again(!).

Having almost given up, I had one last go at adding it myself and found an interesting Virgin IT quirk which might be useful to someone in future with this problem.. If you edit/change another field in the Passenger Information as well as entering the KTN, it saves just fine when you hit the Save button. It won't save if it's only the KTN that you change. I just changed my DOB and entered the KTN, saved, refreshed the page and changed my DOB back and saved again.. and sure enough my check-in was updated and boarding pass updated with TSA Pre.
#961580 by CommanderB
16 May 2023, 11:52
dmc wrote:
CommanderB wrote:Virgins IT is notoriously bad for dropping the KTN off the booking. So when you check in, make sure it gets added.


This just happened to me (again) on my return leg from SFO. My KTN was definitely there on the outbound (though not needed), and I did online checkin for my return flight with no reason to believe it wouldn't still be there, after all it's saved in my Flying Club profile and was in my booking as well. Nope.. not only was it no longer in the booking, it had been removed from my account profile as well.

I tried re-adding it via 'manage booking', the field to enter KTN was there but the Save button does nothing. So I started an online chat with Flying Club thinking they can easily add it... no they can't.. according to them, because I had already started my travel (yes - and it was there at the start of the travel!) and it won't let them - the only way is to ask the airport staff who "may be able to" override it.

I asked them to cancel my check-in then, so I can redo the whole check-in and enter it, and they said they would advise against it, because the only way of clearing the check-in is to remove my seat assignment - with no guarantee I would be able to reserve a seat online again and also I may not be able to check-in online again(!).

Having almost given up, I had one last go at adding it myself and found an interesting Virgin IT quirk which might be useful to someone in future with this problem.. If you edit/change another field in the Passenger Information as well as entering the KTN, it saves just fine when you hit the Save button. It won't save if it's only the KTN that you change. I just changed my DOB and entered the KTN, saved, refreshed the page and changed my DOB back and saved again.. and sure enough my check-in was updated and boarding pass updated with TSA Pre.


I have completely abandoned having KTN on my flying club profile. I've now just memorised the number and if it magically ends up on the boarding pass, great, if not I hand the pass back and ask them to add the number. Doing this avoids constant messing about, and I've never had an issue with that second boarding pass. Adding it at check in (even if you're already checked in) is very easy for the staff and should be a reliable alternative.

I would also avoid cancelling check in as well. I've done that under other circumstances and let me tell you, it did NOTHING but cause problems! :-D
#961657 by HappyDays
30 May 2023, 15:26
So - I've just returned from my first Global Entry 'adventure', and thought it worth a sentence to say that if anyone is reading this and wondering if this is worth the £/$ outlay... the hassle of form filling.. waiting for responses etc.. then the answer is absolutely YES. Do it. Start the process now!

I flew into LAX and having just completed 10 hours in economy, the queue for immigration would have probably induced tears previously. It made the Orlando queues look short.

However, down the Global Entry channel I breezed. At LAX, you don't even have to get your passport out of your pocket. You just look into a camera... wait a few moments for an officer to shout out your name, which I acknowledged with a very British little wave and off you go.

And as a bonus, as I was connecting onto a Southwest flight, you get to use the TSA Pre Check Line for security - so again, for anyone not clear about what this offers, it means no emptying of laptops, iPads or cosmetics out of your hand luggage, plus you get to keep your shoes on. This isn't as high tech as Global Entry... instead after checking your boarding pass for the magic 'TSA Precheck' printed, you get given a green piece of laminated paper to hand in at the body scanners (so you don't have to go into the scanner which makes you do a little dance by putting your hand up in the air).

All in all - even if you do 1 trip a year, if someone last week had offered me to avoid that immigration queue for £50, I'd have paid it there and then.
#961668 by nicsbx
31 May 2023, 12:39
15isto2 wrote:Does anyone know which kiosk type they have in MCO?


It’s the newer type. Look into the camera and go!
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