International travelers, take note
June 9, 2008
Who needs customer service? We pump our own gas, scan our items at the grocery store, print our own movie tickets and check our own baggage at the airports.
Now the U.S. Department of Homeland Security is getting in on the game — last weekend marked the launch of a pilot program where international travelers coming back to the States can use a kiosk to record themselves as officially back in the country and declare any items for customs.
The program, overseen by DHS’s Customs and Border Protection division, is available for travelers passing through Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental, New York’s John F. Kennedy International and Washington Dulles International airports.
To become a Global Entry member, applicants must provide residential and biographic information, undergo a background check and complete an interview with a U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer. Applications and the five-year, non-refundable $100 member fee can be submitted online through the DHS Web site.
Do people think this will benefit airports by alleviating the long lines that can collect at the re-entry points in airports? The DHS press release announcing the kick-off notes:
“The initiative promotes customer service techniques in officer interactions with the traveling public, and includes joint efforts with the private sector and industry stakeholders to reduce wait times.”
Or do people think this will make these airports less safe? What’s worse when you’re traveling — long lines and dealing with tired customs agents or the thought that somebody could be getting by the agents with something they shouldn’t?
LIZ FARMER, Business Writer
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