Can you still get a passport? Yes! You can still get a passport even though the federal government is partially shut down. Passport Services are fully supported by the fees you pay to get a U.S. passport, instead of appropriated money, so these activities are not affected. According to the Department of State, “In the event […]
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Trusted Traveler Programs: TSA PreCheck So far we’ve covered the 3 key Trusted Traveler Programs: Global Entry, NEXUS and SENTRI. The 4th program, and the last post in our series, is focused on TSA Pre✓™. On Friday, 7/19/13, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced that it would be open up the program to more US citizens. Previously, to be eligible for TSA Pre✓™, travelers had to opt-in through an airline’s frequent flier program, or be enrolled in one of CBP’s…
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In our fourth post in our Trusted Traveler Program Series we are going to cover SENTRI, the program for pre-approved travelers who cross the U.S./Mexico border frequently. SENTRI users have access to specific, dedicated primary lanes into the United States. Members are issued a Radio Frequency Identification Document (RFID) that will identify their record and status in the CBP database upon arrival at the U.S. port of entry. Participants in the program wait for much shorter periods of time than…
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This is our third post in our series Trusted Traveler Programs. In our last post we covered the Global Entry Program. In this post we are going to take a closer look at NEXUS, a program designed to expedite the border clearance process for travelers into Canada and the United States. The NEXUS card is approved as an alternative to the passport for air, land, and sea travel into the United States for US and Canadian citizens. Once approved into the…
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As we mentioned in our previous post “Trusted Traveler Programs - Are You Enrolled?”, Global Entry is a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) program that allows expedited clearance for pre-approved, low-risk travelers upon arrival in the United States. How Does the Global Entry Program Work? Global Entry is intended for frequent international travelers but as of now, there is no minimum number of trips necessary to qualify. When arriving at the airport, the following occurs: Participants proceed to Global…
Have you noticed more and more travelers skipping right by you in airport lines recently? If so, they are probably part of a Trusted Traveler Program - a program developed by Homeland Security and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to speed up the travel process. Trusted Traveler Programs provide expedited travel for pre-approved, low risk travelers through dedicated lanes and kiosks. There are several different TTP’s you can apply for depending on the type of travel you plan on doing. …
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Dallas-based Southwest Airlines is planning to begin providing international service. They expect to offer the new service in 2014. The airline doesn't currently fly to destinations outside of the United States. To prepare for this international phase of the airline's history, Southwest announced that it would require all of its pilots and flight attendants to get passports by the end of 2013. By making the announcement so far in advance, the airline is taking steps to ensure that none of…
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As part of your preparations for traveling internationally, it is always best to learn about the specific tipping customs in your destination countries. Different cultures have different norms. In the U.S., tipping big for exceptional service is a compliment and it is much appreciated by person receiving the tip. But in some countries, over tipping for a service can be a personal insult. A study done at Cornell University shows that U.S. citizens are the best tippers and that they…
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If you want to make your international adventure even better, don’t forget to pack your smartphone. Looking for flight updates? There’s an app for that. Looking for a good restaurant, an easy way to figure out the local currency exchange, a GPS walking map or some help with language translation? There are apps for that, too. And most of them are free. There are even apps to take your own passport photo. A good travel app can make your international…
