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Any INTL travelers - how was your experience with the new immigration kiosks?

dos poptarts

By dos poptarts,
in Huddle Lounge

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dos poptarts Newbie

dos poptarts

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Just got back from Mexico (and yes, Montezuma is with me) with my wife and kid.

They have these new self serve kiosks to use.

  • Place down your passport to be scanned and confirm information on the screen.
  • a customs declaration screen comes up next. (same questions as the form you fill out on the plane)
  • then the surprise....photo capture. You only get 1 chance...there's no option to retake the photo.
  • And don't fugging forget your receipt which will print out afterwards (with photo).
  • Then you still have to meet with the immigration officer who will stamp your receipt.

My stuff went clean...but my wife and kid got the big 'X' on their receipts. So we all had to go to the LONG SLOW line. Where everyone traveling with family had at least someone it seemed got the 'X'. Slow as hell.

 

I took photos of the receipts and I noticed that my camera was able to put the square around my face in mine, but not my wife's or kid's (who was looking all over the place when I picked him up for his photo). Might be why they got rejected...but when we asked the officer, he couldn't find anything in the system why they would be marked.

 

Anyway....you take your newly stamped receipts and grab your bags and wait in the customs line. Have mercy...it was the longest line I've ever seen. (3x the longest I've ever had) Went nearly the entire length of IAH's INTL carousels. And they had 5 lines open. (usually 2, maybe 3). They opened another line, but it was crazy. Damn, I knew I should have grabbed some cigars for gifts. The customs guys just were blind stamping and sending people through. If you had a connecting flight that was boarding within an hour of your arrival...you missed it.

 

 

 

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Happy Panther Grand Master

Happy Panther

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Did you get the 'X' on your receipt?

Wonder how long Miami has had it installed? I came through customs @IAH in December and it wasn't installed yet.

No X for me.

 

I think Miami did it late fall and was one of the first places to get it up and running.

 

If you travel internationally a lot you can get that global pass thingy and breeze through customs and security

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dos poptarts Newbie

dos poptarts

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No X for me.

 

I think Miami did it late fall and was one of the first places to get it up and running.

 

If you travel internationally a lot you can get that global pass thingy and breeze through customs and security

 

Global Entry

Fees

Global Entry requires a non-refundable application fee. If approved, the Global Entry membership is valid for five years with no additional charges. Global Entry members must still pay all regular duty fees on items brought into the country.

The $100 fee per applicant must be paid at the time of your Global Entry application. Applications must be completed and submitted online through the Global Online Enrollment System. The application fee is paid by credit card or through an electronic bank transfer. The fee is non-refundable, even if an application is denied.

http://www.globalentry.gov/applicationfees.html

 

I don't travel as much since I left program mgmt, but my wife will be. $20/year.....tempting.

 

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