Well, here we go again. Travelers at airports across the country have once again found themselves right in the middle of a political fight in Washington.
Over the past 36 hours, there has been a deluge of headlines about two of the most popular time-saving air travel programs: TSA PreCheck and Global Entry.
At one point, it looked like both programs would temporarily shut down as part of the partial government shutdown.
TSA PreCheck is still up and running (though that could change) as Transportation Security Administration officers report to work without pay. Fortunately, we’re not hearing reports of major security delays right now.
The bad news, though, is that Global Entry was suspended on Sunday. That could mean long lines for certain travelers. It’s also worth noting: Leaders in the travel sector have questioned the rationale behind this decision, given that the program is primarily funded by member fees.
So, what can you do?
If you follow TPG founder Brian Kelly on Instagram, you’ve likely seen him sharing readers’ experiences returning from international trips since Global Entry shut down. Quite a few have used Mobile Passport Control at customs with success (and it’s free!).
And if the shutdown wasn’t enough, Mother Nature has made for a couple of really rough days at airports — and today should be the worst one yet. We’ll continue to provide updates as they become available.
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