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Update: After delaying the reopening from July 6 to August 10 and then again to September 8, CBP Trusted Traveler enrollment centers finally reopened on September 8, 2020. This post has been updated to reflect these changes.
Since March 19th, Trusted Traveler Program enrollment centers have not conducted interviews for new applicants. But, after months of delays, enrollment centers reopened on September 8, 2020. Health regulations are in place for both employees and applicants, but you can currently schedule appointments.
What Are Trusted Traveler Programs
Trusted Traveler Programs are programs of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency and allow pre-screened travelers a quicker travel experience when entering and traveling through the United States. Programs include TSA PreCheck, Global Entry, NEXUS, SENTRI, US-Mexico FAST, and US-Canada FAST.
If you aren't sure which program is right for you, CBP offers an easy-to-fill survey at the bottom of the TTP homepage:
Interviews for most of these programs resumed starting September 8. Start here to check availability for a location near you. Some locations are wide-open. For example, the Global Entry enrollment center in New York's JFK airport has interview availability every day through the end of November 2020.
Which Program is Right for You
TSA PreCheck
Launched in 2011, the TSA PreCheck is a screening program available to U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, or lawful permanent residents. The program costs $85 and includes a background check and in-person interview. Once accepted, enter your Known Traveler Number in your airline reservation to get access to the TSA PreCheck screening lane. Membership lasts for 5 years, and you can renew it up to six months before the expiration date.
Perks of the TSA PreCheck screening lane include not having to remove your shoes, belt, or a light jacket when going through security. Plus, you can leave your laptop and liquids in your bag. Children under 12 can accompany you in the screening lane without their own membership.
TSA PreCheck is available in over 200 airports across the nation for eligible passengers of 73 airlines:
| Airline | Region |
|---|---|
| Advanced Air | North America |
| Aer Lingus | Europe |
| Aerolane Lineas Aereas Nacionales del Ecuador | Latin America and the Caribbean |
| Aeromexico | Latin America and the Caribbean |
| Air Canada | North America |
| Air Europa | Europe |
| Air France | Europe |
| Air India | Indian Subcontinent |
| Air New Zealand | Oceania |
| Air Premia | Asia |
| Air Serbia | Europe |
| Air Tahiti Nui | Oceania |
| Air Transat | North America |
| Alaska Airlines | North America |
| All Nippon Airways (ANA) | Asia |
| Allegiant Air | North America |
| American Airlines | North America |
| Aruba Airlines | Latin America and the Caribbean |
| Asiana Airlines | Asia |
| Austrian Airlines | Europe |
| Avelo Airlines | North America |
| Avianca | Latin America and the Caribbean |
| Azul Airlines | South America |
| Bahamasair | North America |
| BermudAir | North America |
| Boutique Airlines | North America |
| Breeze Airways | North America |
| British Airways | Europe |
| Brussels Airlines | Europe |
| Cape Air | North America |
| Caribbean Airlines | Latin America and the Caribbean |
| Cathay Pacific | Asia |
| Cayman Airways | North America |
| China Airlines | Asia |
| Condor Airlines | Europe |
| Contour Aviation | North America |
| Copa Airlines | Latin America and the Caribbean |
| Delta Air Lines | North America |
| Eastern Airlines | North America |
| Edelweiss Air | Europe |
| El Al Israel Airlines | Middle East |
| Emirates | Middle East |
| Ethiopian Airlines | Africa |
| Etihad Airways | Middle East |
| Eurowings Discover | Europe |
| EVA Air | Asia |
| Fiji Airways | Oceania |
| Finnair | Europe |
| Flair Airlines | North America |
| French Bee | Europe |
| Frontier Airlines | North America |
| Global Crossing Airlines | North America |
| Hawaiian Airlines | North America |
| Iberia | Europe |
| Icelandair | Europe |
| InterCaribbean Airways | Latin America and the Caribbean |
| ITA Airways | Europe |
| Japan Airlines | Asia |
| JetBlue Airways | North America |
| Key Lime Air | North America |
| KLM Royal Dutch Airlines | Europe |
| Korean Air | Asia |
| La Compagnie | Europe |
| LAN Peru S.A. | South America |
| LATAM Airlines | South America |
| Lufthansa | Europe |
| New Pacific Airlines | North America |
| Norse Atlantic Airlines | Europe |
| Omni Air International | North America |
| PAL Express | Asia |
| Philippine Airlines | Asia |
| Porter Airlines | North America |
| Qantas | Australia |
| Qatar Airways | Middle East |
| RED Air | Latin America and the Caribbean |
| Saudia | Middle East |
| Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) | Europe |
| Seaborne Airlines | North America |
| Silver Airways | North America |
| Singapore Airlines | Asia |
| Southern Airways Express | North America |
| Southwest Airlines | North America |
| Spirit Airlines | North America |
| STARLUX Airlines | Asia |
| Sun Country Airlines | North America |
| Sunwing Airlines | North America |
| Swiss International Air Lines | Europe |
| TAM-Linhas Aereas S.A. | South America |
| TAP Air Portugal | Europe |
| Titan Airways | Europe |
| Turkish Airlines | Middle East |
| Ultimate Jet Charters | North America |
| United Airlines | North America |
| Virgin Atlantic | Europe |
| VivaAerobus | North America |
| Volaris | North America |
| WestJet | North America |
| World Atlantic | North America |
| Zipair | Asia |
Global Entry
Global Entry is kinda like TSA PreCheck for international arrivals into the United States. Travelers arriving in the U.S. from abroad by air, land, or sea receive an expedited immigration and customs experience.
With your membership, you will gain access to automated kiosks to complete your arrival interview. This expedited arrivals process is available in 75 airports around the U.S. and in dozens of international airports around the world. Even better, Global Entry comes with TSA PreCheck. That makes it the preferred program to enroll in if you do any international travel.
Global Entry is open to U.S. citizens, U.S. national or lawful permanent resident, as well as passport holders from Argentina, Colombia, Germany, India, Mexico, Panama, South Korea, Singapore, Switzerland, Taiwan, and the United Kingdom.
Global Entry has a $100 application fee, although you're not guaranteed membership if you don't pass the screening process. If accepted, your membership will last 5 years.
Credit Cards That Reimburse TSA PreCheck or Global Entry Application Fees
Spending $85 or $100 on a Trusted Traveler Program might not seem like a great deal, especially if you don't travel regularly. However, there are dozens of credit cards that will reimburse the fee for your TSA PreCheck or Global Entry application. Some of the cards offering this deal are as follows:
| Card | Credit Frequency | Annual Fee |
|---|---|---|
| The Platinum Card® from American Express | 4 years for Global Entry or 4.5 years for TSA PreCheck depending on whichever application fee is charged to your eligible card first | $695 (Rates & Fees) |
| The Business Platinum Card® from American Express | 4 years for Global Entry or 4.5 years for TSA PreCheck depending on whichever application fee is charged to your eligible card first | $695 (Rates & Fees) |
| Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card | 4 years for Global Entry or 4.5 years for TSA PreCheck depending on whichever application fee is charged to your eligible card first | $650 (Rates & Fees) |
| Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card | 4 years for Global Entry or 4.5 years for TSA PreCheck depending on whichever application fee is charged to your eligible card first | $350 (Rates & Fees) |
| Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card | 4 years for Global Entry or 4.5 years for TSA PreCheck depending on whichever application fee is charged to your eligible card first | $350 (Rates & Fees) |
| Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card | 4 years for Global Entry or 4.5 years for TSA PreCheck depending on whichever application fee is charged to your eligible card first | $650 (Rates & Fees) |
| Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card | 4 years for Global Entry or 4.5 years for TSA PreCheck depending on whichever application fee is charged to your eligible card first | $650 (Rates & Fees) |
| Chase Sapphire Reserve® | 4 years | $550 (Rates & Fees) |
| The Ritz-Carlton™ Credit Card | 4 years (Global Entry application only) | $450 |
| Aeroplan® Credit Card | 4 years | $95 (Rates & Fees) |
| The New United Club℠ Card | 4 years | $695 (Rates & Fees) |
| The New United℠ Explorer Card | 4 years | $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $150 (Rates & Fees) |
| The New United Quest℠ Card | 4 years | $350 (Rates & Fees) |
| Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card | 4 years | $199 (Rates & Fees) |
| IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card | 4 years | $99 (Rates & Fees) |
| IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card | 4 years | $99 (Rates & Fees) |
| Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card | 4 years | $95 |
| Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card | 4 years | $395 |
| Capital One Venture X Business | 4 years | $395 |
| Capital One Spark Miles for Business | 4 years | $0 introductory fee for the first year; $95 after that |
| Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® | 4 years | $595 |
| Citi Prestige® Card | 4 years | $495 |
| U.S. Bank Altitude™ Reserve Visa Infinite® Card | 4 years | $400 |
| U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card | 4 years (Up to $100 statement credit only) | $0 |
| Bank of America® Premium Rewards® credit card | 4 years (Up to $100 statement credit only) | $95 |
| Bank of America® Premium Rewards® Elite Credit Card | 4 years | $550 |
| PenFed Pathfinder® Rewards Visa Signature® | 4 years | $95 (waived for existing PenFed Honors Advantage Members) |
| HSBC Premier World Mastercard® credit card | 4.5 years (Up to $85 statement credit only) | $95 |
| HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard® credit card | 4.5 years | $495 |
| Choice Privileges® Select Mastercard® | 4 years | $95 (Rates & Fees) |
| One Key+™ Card | 4 years | $99 (Rates & Fees) |
| USAA Eagle Navigator® Credit Card | 4 years | $95 (Rates & Fees) |
| Emirates Skywards Premium World Elite Mastercard® | 4 years | $499 |
| JetBlue Premier Card | 4 years | $499 |
Enrollment is required for select Amex benefits.
Our Take On Using Trusted Traveler Programs
With travel at a standstill, it might be a hard sell to pay the enrollment fee for one of the Trusted Traveler Programs. However, you might as well take advantage of this opportunity if you have one of the many credit cards that reimburse the Global Entry or TSA PreCheck fee.
If you're considering paying the application fee anyways, it could actually be cheaper to sign up for low annual fee credit card that comes with this perk. For example, the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card charges an annual fee of $95. Plus, you can earn a 75,000-mile signup bonus once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months of account opening.
Worst case, these Trusted Traveler Programs might only knock a few minutes off your wait at security. But once travel returns to normal, Global Entry might save you as much as a couple of hours. Plus, it makes the screening process a lot more pleasant. I can't tell you how many times I've had my laptop and tablet swabbed when going through security at the airport, or arguing whether a couple of small packets of mayonnaise for my sandwich lunch counted as a liquid.
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: USAA Eagle Navigator® Credit Card (Rates & Fees), IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card (Rates & Fees), IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card (Rates & Fees), Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card (Rates & Fees), The New United Quest℠ Card (Rates & Fees), The New United℠ Explorer Card (Rates & Fees), The New United Club℠ Card (Rates & Fees), Aeroplan® Credit Card (Rates & Fees), Chase Sapphire Reserve® (Rates & Fees), Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card (Rates & Fees), Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card (Rates & Fees), Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card (Rates & Fees), Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card (Rates & Fees), Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card (Rates & Fees), The Business Platinum Card® from American Express (Rates & Fees), and The Platinum Card® from American Express (Rates & Fees)
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