If you have ever travelled before, then you know that long lines fill airports all the time, especially if you’re flying outside the country.
No matter what kind of traveller you are, you can almost guarantee that there will be long lines at check-in, long lines at security, and long lines to get back into the country.
We have things like mobile boarding passes, which help us avoid check-in. (As does putting all your items into arollaboard suitcase.) We have TSA PreCheck and Global Entry to help you skip long security lines.
Now, thanks to our mobile phones and the newMobile Passport, you can avoid the long lines getting back into the country.
Unlike Global Entry, which costs $100 just to process your application, Mobile Passport is a free app that’s officially authorized by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection. You can upload your passport and fill out customs forms right on your phone, and then use it if you’re entering the US via one of the 25 airports or 3 cruise ports that support Mobile Passport. There are signs that point you right to the Mobile Passport line.
If you’re travelling with your family, you’ll scan all the passports, and then put everything into a single form. Once you have wifi or cellular access, you’ll submit your data to CBP. They’ll send you a receipt with an encrypted barcode that works much like the barcode on your mobile boarding pass.
You can use Mobile Passport in the following airports/seaports: Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Fort Lauderdale, Houston, Houston Hobby, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis, New York, Newark, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Portland, Raleigh Durham, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco, San José, San Juan, Seattle, Tampa, Washington Dulles, West Palm Beach
Global Entry has always been meant to be an expedited process for those who are flying internationally. However, Mobile Passport makes it possible for you to entirely skip Global Entry, speeding up the process even more. Not only do you get to skip the in-person process, but you don’t have to be pre-approved for the Global Entry program anymore.
Mobile Passport is absolutely free to use, unless you want to pay the $15 yearly fee that pays for an option to keep your information for your next trip. What’s more, the $15 covers several people in your family as well. It’s available on Google Play and Apple’s App Store.
Have you used Mobile Passport? Would you? Tell us about iton our Facebook page, oron our Twitter stream. You can also find us on ourInstagram page at @TravelproIntl.
Photo credit: Mobile PassportUsed with permission)
