Travel advisors are calling on clients to pack their patience — especially if they’re members of Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP)Global Entry program, which was suspended this week.
As of 6 a.m. on Sunday, Feb. 22, Global Entry services were suspended due to the partial U.S. government shutdown. It followed an announcement earlier in the week that the TSA PreCheck program would be paused; however, there were reports of TSA PreCheck operating normally as of Feb. 23.
Global Entry, which allows pre-vetted, low-risk U.S. travelers to swiftly pass through U.S. borders using biometric technology when returning from international trips, includes about 13% of all arriving air travelers. In a statement, the U.S. Travel Association said the move to pause the program “doesn’t save resources” but rather wastes them, with president and CEO Geoff Freeman noting that the move will be “adding volume to standard lines, stretching the very personnel the department is trying to protect and increasing security risks."
He added that linking the partial government shutdown to the decision to pause the program “defies logic,” as Global Entry is primarily funded by the $120 fee that members pay to participate.
“We urge DHS [the Department of Homeland Security] to restore Global Entry immediately,” Freeman said. “A smarter, safer, more efficient entry process shouldn't be a casualty of a funding dispute. And nor should travelers be used as leverage to achieve a political outcome."
Additionally, the American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA) called the move “concerning,” especially when coupled with the uncertainty caused by the announcements, misinformation and the sudden reversals of the suspension of TSA PreCheck. ASTA is calling on the country’s lawmakers to “swiftly and decisively restore certainty and reinforce confidence in the programs that protect secure, efficient travel for the American public.”
Millions of Americans rely on air travel every single day, and reckless disruptions of this magnitude create unnecessary, profoundly damaging strain.
“Millions of Americans rely on air travel every single day, and reckless disruptions of this magnitude create unnecessary, profoundly damaging strain,” according to a statement from ASTA. “This is true for vacation travelers planning long-awaited trips and even more so for business travelers whose livelihoods depend on tight schedules and seamless mobility.”
Travel advisors, meanwhile, are thinking on their toes and communicating with clients as the situation evolves. Emily Zwiebel Ruzek, owner of Travel EZR, LLC., said she’s in wait-and-see mode for her clients heading to Europe in the coming weeks, but has continued to brief them on their options.
“It really shows how things change day by day and minute by minute, and how important it is to keep up to date with reliable sources,” she said, noting the most frustrating part of the news is that the public has no idea how long the suspension will last. “It makes people more anxious, and we as advisors have to make sure we set expectations for long waits.”
It’s such a headache, especially for anxious travelers. But at the same time, it makes us (travel advisors) even more invaluable.
If anything, she said, the move could deter travelers from flying or traveling althogether.
“It’s such a headache, especially for anxious travelers,” she said. “But at the same time, it makes us (travel advisors) even more invaluable.”
Additionally, Zwiebel Ruzek believes the move could have a domino effect with Mobile Passport Control, a free service that is currently still operating, and allows eligible travelers to submit their travel documents, photos and customs declaration ahead of travel through a free smartphone app.
That program will no longer be “everyone’s favorite little secret,” she said. “I expect lines there now, too, unfortunately."
Global Entry: Fast Facts
- Members go through rigorous background checks, fingerprinting and an in-person interview before being approved for the program.
- Seventy-five percent of Global Entry travelers are processed in five minutes or less, leading to a 76% reduction in passenger wait times.
- Global Entry is used for 18 million trips annually, and saves CBP officers 300,000 hours every year.
- Eighty-three percent of Americans support biometric technology, and nearly all (99.8%) members have no security-related violations.
- The program has 14 million members using Global Entry at 79 U.S. airports, with peak daily usage at about 87,000.
