As many of you know, Global Entry makes getting through airport security a breeze. When my TSA PreCheck expired earlier this year, I knew I wanted to switch to Global Entry for the global travel benefits. Tyler and I finished up our applications, we were conditionally approved, and then… we couldn’t find any appointments for the next year.
It was recommended to us that, rather than wait for an interview to become available nearby, we should interview on arrival following our next international trip. At the time, this would have meant after coming back from Ireland, so we planned to do that. We asked about it upon our return, and we were told it would be multiple hours before someone could see us. Whelp.
With a cranky toddler in tow, we knew that wouldn’t work, so we pivoted our plans. We ultimately interviewed upon arrival on our way back from Madrid, Spain, and we were approved – only to find out that our son would also need Global Entry. Unlike with TSA PreCheck, children need their own Global Entry memberships, and conditional approval isn’t going to cut it; they need to interview as well.
So, Tyler and I got to make use of our new Global Entry status during our trip to Toronto, Canada, for our anniversary, but since it’s been impossible to get an interview for Global Entry, we suspected we’d have to have the kiddo interview after we returned from our New Zealand trip next month. Until – eureka! I managed to find an appointment for him in October at TPA, which was perfect. He’d then be able to use it on our trip as well, and we’d clear customs quickly on our way home.
On October 20, the two of us arrived a little early, hoping we’d be able to sneak into our appointment slightly ahead of schedule. Instead, we found a group of people sitting outside the Global Entry Enrollment Center, waiting for the office to open. Some of them had been waiting since 7:45 that morning, and the Global Entry folks had not opened the office when they were supposed to. According to the man at the help desk, this happens not infrequently.
We waited, our appointment time passed to no change, and ultimately, the kid and I had to head home so I could get to work. We had been ghosted by Global Entry. And now, over a week later, we haven’t received so much as an apology, let alone a rescheduled time, and we have no way of securing another appointment for him ahead of our trip. Looks like he’ll be interviewing on arrival after all…
We understand that Global Entry is a privilege, but considering the difficulty of getting appointments all over the country, this sort of behavior is really unacceptable. If you happen to have an interview appointment booked, be prepared.
