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I’ve said it before and I’ll continue to say it, Global Entry is amazing. Sure, the fee recently increased by $20 (the first time in 15 years), but saving hours of time is more than worth it. Yesterday, passengers arriving on international flights at Miami International Airport (MIA) were faced with lines that took around six hours to clear in the immigration hall. This is not an isolated incident and something needs to be done soon.
Line to get to PASSPORT CONTROL at MIA ✈️ 😳 🤦♂️| #ONLYinDADE
*Airport customs officials mentioned it could be a 6 hour plus wait. Would you wait, or turn around and leave? 🤷♂️ pic.twitter.com/OrJRe99Ybf— ONLY in DADE (@ONLYinDADE) April 21, 2024
I spend most of the year flying to and from Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD). Last summer, we returned from several great trips to Italy and Greece to find an insanely crowded arrivals area. Lines snaked down the immense hallways that lead to US Customs and Border Protection Agents (CBP) for immigration processing and access to the United States. I would venture to guess that the wait times had to be over four hours (and I think I’m being generous). US citizens returning home and foreign visitors alike were faced with waits that would make them miss connections and have a pretty poor first impression of the US if they were on holiday.
Thankfully, I was out the door in under 10 minutes with Global Entry. I feel bad for anyone that had to either start or end their vacation in those hideous lines. This does not help the thousands of people made to stand for hours. Additional agents, funding, and solutions are needed to make this situation bearable during peak travel times.
Anthony’s Take: I don’t see any resolution coming. Travel continues to buzz and planes are packed. This summer will be another record breaker. The only solution (for those who are eligible) is Global Entry. It’s $120 for five years and many credit cards (like The Platinum Card® from American Express) will even cover some or all of the fee.
(Featured Image Credit: US Customs and Border Protection.)
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18 comments
Global Entry is not a solution in such a situation because it’s not like you can just walk past all of these people, many of whom have Global Entry too. Such an outrageous situation which only demonstrates the total failure of the DOT and DHS and the incompetence of the US government generally.
MAK 100% is. Anytime all the idiots who are to cheap for GE line I just walk right them and right to the GE kiosks, never an issue. Don’t know why you would wait in a 6 hour line. You must be one of those sheep!
Actually, yes, yes you can walk right past all of these people if you have Global Entry. I did it a few weeks ago coming back from the Dominican Republic. It’s worth it at almost every airport, but ESPECIALLY at MIA, and especially during that late afternoon crush of all the Caribbean & Central American flights arriving at once.
People who have Global Entry know they can go to the area where the GE machines are located. If they all are being used, you just have to wait your turn. But, it isn’t anything like hours!
Of course it’s a solution, I walk past it all the time and I travel overseas twice a week, and land at MIA. It is a great solution, and part of the GOES perk is that you go to the front of the line and straight into GOES. Nothing like it!
I came back from Europe into ORD and have GE – they told us there was only one line – which was true – no opportunity to skip the line. Two hours later, I missed my connection and was forced to sit in coach to get home to LA. It was a shitshow.
where the hell is Buttigieg !
Maternity leave.
It would be interesting to know if Global Entry was of any use in this situation. Separate line for GE? My first GE experience at IAH where I bypassed the immigration line for a separate GD line. The wife and I were the only people with GE. This happened many years ago.
Yes, GE is a godsend at MIA! I connected through there from the Dominican Republic a few weeks ago. The regular lines were maybe not quite this long, but plenty bad. I walked past all of these people, right up to a GE kiosk, had my photo taken, and was cleared to join the TSA security line. I barely stopped moving. I felt badly but not really!
Line at LAX used to be fast, you can be out in 20min to pick up your luggage, the last trip I had it took 1.5 hrs on the snake line and they keep moving the rope around and made the wait longer, I know it is not 6 hours but just wonder what happened to the promise of no more than 15 mins to be out of the line, I guess they move the decimal from .15 to 1.5 for lax. With all the fee increases, I hope they can find a better solution to this issue before summer travel.
I’m aghast at the prospect of that long a wait at MIA. I’m also really surprised that this isn’t getting a lot more attention. My most recent MIA experience was last November, when it took my wife and I about 10 minutes with Global Entry. How long did it take you?
Sadly Global Entry is not available to foreigners, except for people from a few countries (and permanent residents). Hoping to get the Green Card soon…
I wish people would not advertise GE as it will then become as bad as the normal line.
Last year I arrived in Washington from Dubai, 6 GE machines out of about 20 were open and all were broken !
I use GE every month, never a problem. But Rob is right: “… but ESPECIALLY at Miami …”, that, of all 150+ airports that I know around the world, no doubt Miami is the worst of it all. Nothing works properly, and the list is so long that there is no sufficient space here to describe. electric walkways that do not work since over 2 years (YES, TWO YEARS) ago, not only 3, 4 and 6 hours lines, but with pregnant ladies and with a toddler in their arms, but …she must wait in line, the train was not working during months (they put some trolleys, but working only 2 or 3 out of 10 parked) and a long long etc.
The MIA airport (and the city) is a third-world country. You should expect nothing more or less.
Privatize TSA, as SFO did. MIA is a nightmare, but I have been through dozens of airports where the TSA agents outnumber the passengers and the lines are brutally slow. JAN and many tiny airports are full of incompetent TSA (non) workers.
Actually, you do walk right past everyone else. That’s the point of GE. You get a separate line, which is usually nonexistent, walk up to a designated scanner, put your passport on it, it splits out a receipt, and you can go. The only drawback it that it always beats my baggage. 🙂