How a recent high school grad is helping travelers find Global Entry appointments
When Eli McDuffie learned that his mom was having trouble finding an in-person interview appointment to complete her Global Entry application, he did more than commiserate with her about the impossible-to-find appointments. He created a solution.
Even more impressive is that McDuffie, a San Fransico-area teen, did all of this before graduating high school.
Earlier this year, McDuffie created TTP Appointments, a program designed to find open Global Entry appointments for you. It all started because his mom, like many of us, was searching for a way to bypass the long lines at customs by registering for Global Entry.
"It's very hard to get an appointment here because there are so many people searching for the same thing," McDuffie told TPG. "In order to help my mom, I created a program that would search for open appointments. I originally intended to only use it that one time to help her out, but once I was able to get an appointment for her, I realized I could work on it a little more and make it available to the public for everyone to use."
Related: 13 things you need to know about Global Entry
What McDuffie's mom experienced is not uncommon. Last year, U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced it was expecting to receive 3.5 million applications for Trusted Traveler programs (TSA PreCheck, Nexus, SENTRI, Fast and Global Entry) during the fiscal year; it was also still addressing the backlog of applications it received during a pandemic-related, five-month closure in March 2020. Even today, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security website lists a four-to-six-month processing time for Global Entry applications.
That's where McDuffie's TTP Appointments program – and his expert coding skills – come into play. McDuffie has been coding since he was in middle school. With his background in creating apps and websites, it took him only about five months to take what he had created and make it robust and secure enough for public use.
"Basically, TTP Appointments scans for open Global Entry appointments every day for every time at each Global Entry interview location in the U.S.," McDuffie explained. "If you wanted an appointment in San Francisco, for example, the program would scan for open appointments at that airport and send you alerts for any available appointments it finds," he added.
Rather than crossing your fingers and checking for Global Entry appointments day after day, TTP Appointments does it for you — and it doesn't need coffee breaks.
TTP Appointments has been available to the public for about four months now. McDuffie has already helped approximately 300 travelers find Global Entry appointments, some of them completely for free.
TTP Appointments offers two services: a free plan and a paid plan. With the free version, you can sign up to receive email alerts from one Global Entry enrollment center. With the paid version ($24.99 per month), you can receive text and email alerts from up to five Global Entry enrollment centers and set custom date-range parameters if you are looking for an appointment within a certain time period.
It should come as no surprise that McDuffie plans to pursue a computer science degree. However, he's not waiting until after college graduation to continue finding solutions for frustrated travelers.
The program he's currently working on has nothing to do with finding Global Entry appointments, but it will help you find something equally coveted and just as difficult to secure: Disneyland and Walt Disney World dining reservations.
Now that McDuffie has tackled one major pain point for travelers and is in the process of resolving another, we can only say we hope he keeps at it for the long run. Maybe one day, he can help us figure out how to reach airline customer service agents more quickly or skip the increasingly long waits at airport lounges.
Related reading:
TPG featured card
at American Express's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 5X | New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Valuable dining and food-related credits
- Flexible rewards with airline and hotel transfer partners
- Multiple travel and purchase protections
- No foreign transaction fees
- Access to Amex Offers for additional savings (enrollment required)
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- Pay It® lets you tap in the American Express® App to quickly pay for small purchase amounts throughout the month and still earn rewards the way you usually do. Plan It® gives you the option to split up big purchases into equal monthly payments with a fixed fee. You’ll know upfront exactly how much you’ll pay.
- Updated! $120 Dining Credit: Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub (including Seamless), Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, and Wonder. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants after you pay for eligible purchases with the American Express® Gold Card. That’s up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: Earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin’ locations. Enrollment required.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Enjoy up to $120 in Uber Cash annually with your Gold Card. Just add your Card to your Uber account and you'll get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
- New! As an American Express® Gold Card Member, you can enjoy complimentary Hertz Five Star® Status. Enjoy benefits like skipping the counter at select locations, adding an additional driver at no additional cost*, and vehicle upgrades**. Benefit enrollment and Hertz Gold+ registration are required. *Additional drivers must meet standard rental qualifications and must be a spouse or domestic partner to qualify as complimentary. Other additional drivers subject to fees. **Benefits are subject to availability and vary by location. Additional Hertz program Terms and Conditions including age restrictions apply.
- Take advantage of a $100 credit towards eligible charges* at over 1,300 upscale hotels worldwide when you book The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App **. *Eligible charges vary by property. **The Hotel Collection requires a two-night minimum stay.
- Book your travel through the Amex Travel App with added peace of mind – backed by American Express® service and support. Only for American Express® Card Members.
- Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.