It’s the end of a long transoceanic flight, and all you want to do is get home and go to bed. The last thing you want to do is hang around in line with several hundred other flyers waiting to be processed. Well, if you fly a lot – and do so overseas – what the Department of Homeland Security and United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) have launched in Houston should help.
It’s called “Global Entry” and it works by enrolling in the program and registering your biometric information. Low-risk flyers then get to confirm their identity at a kiosk upon arrival, rather than having to wait in line to be interviewed by a CBP inspector.
The program kicked off at Houston’s Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) on Friday, June 6, a major hub for Continental Airlines.
Business travelers seem especially happy about the prospects of cutting through the hassle. Kevin Maguire, President and CEO of the National Business Travel Association (NBTA) appears encouraged by the speed at which this thing happened. “In less than six months since the passage of the law authorizing the program, people have been enrolled and equipment has been deployed,” he said. “We are encouraged that discussions are underway with countries such as the Netherlands, Germany, and the United Kingdom regarding opening Global Entry to their citizens.”
New York Kennedy (JFK) and Washington, DC Dulles (IAD) are also part of the government’s pilot program to see just how well the idea works.
© Cheapflights Ltd Jerry Chandler
