Security convenience

[jsurmacz]

How much would you pay to be part of a registered traveler program? Tell us how much you would be willing to pay and why.

[bodega]

I think another option should be listed;Nothing

I wouldn't pay anything, not because I believe it wouldn't work, but because I just wouldn't participate in the program.

[tdew]

According to USA Today fees may end up being higher than expected

Cost may kill travel program (http://www.usatoday.com/travel/news/2006-09-13-fliers-program_x.htm)

[Ned]

I fly enough that I'd be willing to pay $100 annually, however, $200 annually is just not worth it, and in my opinion, an overcharge, considering the costs of the check, etc. An FBI check, for example, merely costs $50. I would think the FBI check would indicate all criminal, including terrorism information.

It the program costs $200 annually, the program will fail, in my opinion.

[REDJIM]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(jsurmacz @ Sep 14 2006, 11:24 AM) 37012</div>
How much would you pay to be part of a registered traveler program? Tell us how much you would be willing to pay and why.
[/b]

I wouldn't pay to be a "registered traveler", but I would participate in such a program. <_<

[Arizona Road Warrior]

Given the amount of travel that I do, I might consider paying more than $ 100, if most or not all of the airports that I fly out of are participating in the registered traveler program. If the cost is more than $ 100 and only one or two airports are participating in the registered traveler program, I won’t pay more than $ 100 as well as I probably won’t join if there are only one or two airports participating.

By the way, if an airline really wants to take care of its elite FF, they should include it as a benefit for their top elite FFs.

[candyharrington]

I have to say as a frequent traveler I'd pay $200. I think the program is aimed at biz travelers anyway. Now granted I wouldn't be happy about paying $200, but I would because it would speed things up for me. i kind of have this gripe anyway that the biz travelers who know the drill (take out laptops. change out of pockets, take off shoes and jackets, etc. ) get stuck in the line behind the once-a-year-travelers who don't ("why can't I take my buck knife aboard?? It's a present for uncle carl." No lie, it happened this summer while I was in the security line. ) And those are the folks that hold up the line. So sure I'd pay the bucks to get fast tracked. Again, I wouldn't be happy about it all, but in the end I'd pay.

Candy

[bodega]

San Jose, CA airport will be the first airport in the US to start this and the cost is $80.00.

I have mixed feelings about it.

[amybhole]

This program has been in place for quite a while already at one of my home airports, MCO, but I have not participated. I even had someone offer to pay the fee for me (a colleague who I travel with sometimes), but I still turned it down!

It's simply a privacy issue for me. With ID theft being such an issue these days, I try to limit the non-essential use and distribution of my personal information.

I find that other business travelers hold up the line as much as families. People can't seem to quit talking on cells, texting, or checking emails on their devices long enough to get their act together and get their laptop out, shoes off, etc. To me, it's more the distracted travelers, rather than the non-frequent travelers, who hold up the security lines -- and distracted travelers come in all sorts.

Plus, I'm an admitted airport geek -- I really like airports, and so I get there early, reducing my need to "buy time."

[clarkef]

My answer is that it depends. As a frequent traveler, most airports have frequent traveler lines that are fast enough for me. LAX being one of the obvious exceptions. As long as frequent traveler lines remain sufficient, I have no need for this program. However, I would happily pay $200.00 to avoid regular lines.

As fas as who hold up the line, I have to disagree. I find infrequent travelers who are disorganzied to be the cause of the traffic jam.

[Ned]

But Clarke, will you pay $200 per annum if the program is at your home airport, but few others to which you are traveling? The rollout at this time doesn't seem to interest most airports in the US, as few have announced they are planning to implement the program at this point.

[cmbaker69]

Like many others, my answer depends on how many airports are participating. Right now, it wouldn't be worth anything to me. But if most major airports begin participating, the $50 to $100 range is OK. I was interested recently to meet with colleagues from Dubai and Cairo; Dubai has a frequent traveler program working now for its locals, and they merely swipe a card and use a fingerprint to clear customs, immigration, etc. Now THAT would be worth paying for!

[Kairho]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(cmbaker69 @ Sep 15 2006, 05:39 PM) 37108</div>
Dubai has a frequent traveler program working now for its locals, and they merely swipe a card and use a fingerprint to clear customs, immigration, etc. Now THAT would be worth paying for!
[/b]We have that here in the US, too. Formally only for Immigration, but it speeds Customs by quite a bit. It's the Port Pass program. Unfortunately, it's not implemented at too many ports of entry.

[Ned]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Kairho @ Sep 15 2006, 05:56 PM) 37112</div>
We have that here in the US, too. Formally only for Immigration, but it speeds Customs by quite a bit. It's the Port Pass program. Unfortunately, it's not implemented at too many ports of entry.
[/b]
Hi K. I thought that Customs halted the Port-Pass program in November 2002. I know on the southern border US Customs now uses SENTRI for land crossings, and the northern border has NEXUS for land crossings, but I thought Port-Pass was discontinued in favor of NEXUS. Have they restarted Port-Pass, or am I wrong about it? If it's still in use, where can you use Port-Pass these days? Can you use it when in fly into a port of entry?

I did a search of "port-pass" (and various combinations with and without "-", etc.) on the US Customs and Border Protection web site, and could not find an application for it, but did find this statement in one of the only two results of the search, "Currently all special port-pass holders utilizing the Remote Video Inspection System (RVIS) has been suspended at all U.S. ports of entry until further notice." My search of the US Immigration site produced no results for port-pass.

Let us know, we're interested in this.

[Kairho]

I last used my Port Pass in LAX...I think it was last year...

Doing a quick scan, it appears that portPass (the correct term) is an umbrella program which encompasses several other programs including the aforementioned SENTRI, INSPASS, and others). It looks like the version I have is the INSPASS (I should pull it out and see exactly what it says). Ref: http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/RL32399.pdf

In one document I read, a part of the SENTRI PortPASS program having to do with people walking over the Canadian border was terminated; I believe this is the video system you referred to. I can find nothing saying that the INSPASS program is terminated. And, from my own experience, it was operational not all that long ago.

It never was all that successful because the fingertip sensing technology was obstinate. I believe it was never expanded beyond LAX, MIA, SFO, EWR, and JFK. Ref: http://www.americanlaw.com/inspass.html

[Ned]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Kairho @ Sep 15 2006, 10:45 PM) 37124</div>
I last used my Port Pass in LAX...I think it was last year...

Doing a quick scan, it appears that portPass (the correct term) is an umbrella program which encompasses several other programs including the aforementioned SENTRI, INSPASS, and others). It looks like the version I have is the INSPASS (I should pull it out and see exactly what it says). Ref: http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/RL32399.pdf

In one document I read, a part of the SENTRI PortPASS program having to do with people walking over the Canadian border was terminated; I believe this is the video system you referred to. I can find nothing saying that the INSPASS program is terminated. And, from my own experience, it was operational not all that long ago.

It never was all that successful because the fingertip sensing technology was obstinate. I believe it was never expanded beyond LAX, MIA, SFO, EWR, and JFK. Ref: http://www.americanlaw.com/inspass.html
[/b]
Ok, your links have helped me get to the bottom of all this. Thanks very much. Apparently, things have changed over the last year according to documentation at the Department of Homeland Security web site.

Portpass (http://www.globalsecurity.org/security/systems/portpass.htm) now has to do with vehicular traffic entering the US from Canada (NEXUS) and Mexico (SENTRI), as well as INSPASS for air travel.

For vehicular traffic, as per the Department of Homeland Security, "Portpass Program Speeds Vehicular Commuter Traffic: Although travelers flying into the United States represent the most visible entrants, vehicular traffic carries the majority of the nearly 500 million annual visitors and returning citizens to the United States. Many are workers who routinely cross the border to get to jobs in either Canada or Mexico. Yet they must deal with the same extensive immigration process that less frequent travelers face." There is also a NEXUS-AIR component, but this is only for travel between the US and Canada by air, and it's only operated out of Vancouver. It doesn't apply, for example, if you're traveling back to the US from Toronto.

SENTI costs $129 per person, with a maximum fee of $160 for a family, and an additional fee of $42 if you want to register an additional car for yourself or family. NEXUS costs $50 per person for a 5 year pass.

INSPASS (http://www.globalsecurity.org/security/systems/inspass.htm) is indeed for people flying back into the US to speed through immigration. Apparently, however, it doesn't help you through customs. INSPASS is available only at: "Los Angeles, CA (LAX), Newark, NJ (EWR); John F. Kennedy, NY(JFK); Washington Dulles, VA (IAD); and the U.S. preclearance sites at Vancouver and Toronto in Canada."

INSPASS also apparently is only valid if you're flying in from Canada or one of the following countries: Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom.

INSPASS works by using an INSPASS kiosk to identify yourself at US Immigration. You insert your card, flight number, and hand for a biometric reading. According to the Department of Homeland Security, "If the traveler's identity is validated by this comparison, an I-94 or receipt of his/her inspection is printed by the kiosk that directs the traveler to proceed to baggage claim. If this check is not successful, a screen message refers the traveler to a CBP officer in a nearby inspection booth. Processing times of 15-20 seconds are typical, and times as low as 11 seconds have been observed at existing INSPASS kiosks."

INSPASS costs $25 per person, plus a $25 fingerprint fee per person. The total cost for a family (not including the fingerprint fees is $50.

Thanks again for your help in pointing me in the right direction K.

[Arizona Road Warrior]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(amybhole @ Sep 15 2006, 03:36 AM) 37057</div>
I find that other business travelers hold up the line as much as families. People can't seem to quit talking on cells, texting, or checking emails on their devices long enough to get their act together and get their laptop out, shoes off, etc. To me, it's more the distracted travelers, rather than the non-frequent travelers, who hold up the security lines -- and distracted travelers come in all sorts.
[/b]

I go through security over 100 times a year and being doing this since 9/11 and it has been a very rare occasion that I see another business traveler holding up the line. It is the ‘infrequent’ travelers that slow down the line. Here are two examples from last week:

Last week on my outbound flight, I got stuck behind a group of three friends (or they could have been family) that were traveling together. First, they didn't have their ID ready for the ticket changer and it took them at least two or three minutes to find their IDs and pull out their IDs. Then they didn't want to remove their shoes, throw away their cigarette lighter and remove their belts that had large amount of metal on them. Then one of them didn't want to put her digital camera through the x-ray machine because she thought that the x-ray machine will ruin the ‘film’ in her digital camera which caused a secondary screening process for her and her group.

On my return flight, I got stuck behind a couple. The wife explained to the TSA how she made their sandwiches for their lunch and shows them her sandwiches, where they going on their vacation, how she is the boss in her family, how long that they have been married and etc.

[wrp96]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Arizona Road Warrior @ Sep 18 2006, 10:19 AM) 37212</div>
I go through security over 100 times a year and being doing this since 9/11 and it has been a very rare occasion that I see another business traveler holding up the line. It is the ‘infrequent’ travelers that slow down the line.
[/b]

Even though I'm an infrequent traveler myself, I have to agree with you for the most part. This past year, I was coming back from San Juan where there are huge signs everywhere reminding you that you can't take any food especially fruits and vegetables onto the plane with you, heck you have to go through a mandatory USDA inspection to enter the airport. At security I ended up stuck behind a woman who had packed her sandwich and apple in her carry on bag. When it first went through the scanner it looked suspicious, then they sent her bag back through backing the rest of us up. Then they questioned her about what was in the bag, and she proceeded to argue that they couldn't take her lunch from her. All the while a huge line of us is being held up from going through security - all because she didn't want to give up her Granny Smith.

[merc669]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Ned @ Sep 16 2006, 07:17 AM) 37131</div>
INSPASS also apparently is only valid if you're flying in from Canada or one of the following countries: Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom.

INSPASS works by using an INSPASS kiosk to identify yourself at US Immigration. You insert your card, flight number, and hand for a biometric reading. According to the Department of Homeland Security, "If the traveler's identity is validated by this comparison, an I-94 or receipt of his/her inspection is printed by the kiosk that directs the traveler to proceed to baggage claim. If this check is not successful, a screen message refers the traveler to a CBP officer in a nearby inspection booth. Processing times of 15-20 seconds are typical, and times as low as 11 seconds have been observed at existing INSPASS kiosks."
[/b]

I guess INSPASS would not work for those of us traveling from the US to say Japan, Italy, etc and back to the US? Or would it?

Bill.....

[Kairho]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(merc669 @ Sep 18 2006, 06:04 PM) 37243</div>
I guess INSPASS would not work for those of us traveling from the US to say Japan, Italy, etc and back to the US? Or would it?
[/b]
I've used INSPASS when returning from several countries that are not on that list. Frankly, I cannot see how the machine knows where you are coming in from.

And I just checked -- my card says PortPASS, no mention of "INSPASS"

[clarkef]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Ned @ Sep 15 2006, 04:37 PM) 37104</div>
But Clarke, will you pay $200 per annum if the program is at your home airport, but few others to which you are traveling? The rollout at this time doesn't seem to interest most airports in the US, as few have announced they are planning to implement the program at this point.
[/b]
That's the rub. It depends on how useful it is. As I mentioned, elite security lines are fast enough for me today.

But supposes all elite security lines were removed and replaced with registered traveler. Would I pay $200 to use the fast lane. Without a second thought.

[Ned]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(clarkef @ Sep 18 2006, 06:30 PM) 37246</div>
That's the rub. It depends on how useful it is. As I mentioned, elite security lines are fast enough for me today.

But supposes all elite security lines were removed and replaced with registered traveler. Would I pay $200 to use the fast lane. Without a second thought.
[/b]
Under that circumstance, I'd be in line right behind you.

[cruiser]

I wonder if non-US residents would be elligible. We fly from a US airport (Seattle) more often than a Canadian one (Vancouver) even though we're Canadian citizens and residents.

As far as the land crossings are concerned we rarely have a significant delay even using the regular line. When we have found a delay that would have made it worth it - may be - to have paid the extra for NEXUS the line up was such you couldn't get to the NEXUS line to pass everybody else. Having said that, both the US and Canada are making changes to their border posts or so it looked when we were in the US last month.

We actually have a choice of 4 crossings to use locally and listen to the traffic news on the radio and pick the one with the least reported line up.

So I probably wouldn't pay, but I'm not a business traveller. And I can get frustrated by the behaviour of people in the line for security as well.

[Ned]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(cruiser @ Sep 19 2006, 10:01 AM) 37292</div>
I wonder if non-US residents would be elligible. We fly from a US airport (Seattle) more often than a Canadian one (Vancouver) even though we're Canadian citizens and residents.

As far as the land crossings are concerned we rarely have a significant delay even using the regular line. When we have found a delay that would have made it worth it - may be - to have paid the extra for NEXUS the line up was such you couldn't get to the NEXUS line to pass everybody else. Having said that, both the US and Canada are making changes to their border posts or so it looked when we were in the US last month.

We actually have a choice of 4 crossings to use locally and listen to the traffic news on the radio and pick the one with the least reported line up.

So I probably wouldn't pay, but I'm not a business traveller. And I can get frustrated by the behaviour of people in the line for security as well.
[/b]
It looks as though you won't be able to participate in the Registered Traveler program. According to TSA, "Only U.S. Citizens, Nationals, and Lawful Permanent Residents (LPR) are eligible for Registered Traveler."

[rjwhewell]

My firm pays 99 euro for me to pass smoothly through Amsterdam with my iris scan, and my re-entry to UK through the iris scan is free. I've had no such offers from America yet - maybe if I do, I'll start doing business over there again, but not right now when I'm just being jerked aroiund when I enter, or even worse, when I use a domestic flight.