Travel APEC Business Travel Card: an underrated hack Upgraded to Economy, November 17, 2023November 24, 2023 Global Entry members tend to be spoiled for clearing immigration when heading home to the United States. Visiting other countries, however, might not be such a great experience when they lose access to the fast-track immigration clearance they enjoy in the U.S. and have to wait in hours-long lines at… Continue Reading
Trusted Traveler Programs Finally approved for NEXUS! (And how I was almost denied) Upgraded to Economy, August 20, 2023August 23, 2023 As I said in my previous post, I was able to snag an August appointment in Blaine, WA after using Appointment Scanner. Previously, I was only able to schedule a September appointment. I made the trek this past Friday for my interview. I was almost denied for NEXUS, but eventually… Continue Reading
Trusted Traveler Programs NEXUS conditional approval after 15 months Upgraded to Economy, August 8, 2023August 16, 2023 On May 11, 2022, I applied for NEXUS after becoming a member of Global Entry in March of that year. I was planning on moving to Seattle and anticipated driving across the border to Vancouver every other month. From prior experience, I knew crossing the border could take a few… Continue Reading
Trusted Traveler Programs My experience getting an APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC) as a U.S. citizen (and how you can get one too) Upgraded to Economy, July 8, 2023November 24, 2023 The APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC) is designed to expedite entry of businesspeople between different APEC economies. I recently obtained one for myself in case I make any future business trips to Asia. Benefits APEC is an organization of 20+ countries bordering the Pacific Ocean to promote trade between each… Continue Reading
Trusted Traveler Programs There’s three ways to check your NEXUS application status, and only one of them is superior Upgraded to Economy, July 6, 2023July 8, 2023 Due to the lasting effects of the pandemic, processing times for new NEXUS applications currently exceed one year. This is particularly frustrating to people who live on the border and have been waiting for such a long time to get access to this wonderful program. I’ve currently waited for 14… Continue Reading
Why Global Entry rocks for land crossings Upgraded to Economy, August 19, 2022November 28, 2022 Take a look at the line I passed at the Peace Arch. Continue Reading
How to scan your RFID TTP card at land crossings Upgraded to Economy, August 14, 2022November 28, 2022 Watch this video for a demonstration on how to scan your RFID TTP card at land crossings. In this example, I am using the NEXUS lane with my Global Entry card. Continue Reading
Travel My experience with getting approved for Global Entry Upgraded to Economy, July 17, 2022November 28, 2022 After the pandemic, with travel surging, the estimated application wait times for Global Entry has become less certain than before. As I recently went through the application process myself, I hope my experience will be a helpful data point. The stages of the application process There are essentially three stages:… Continue Reading
Travel What happens when the NEXUS lane is closed but you are a trusted traveler? Upgraded to Economy, July 16, 2022November 28, 2022 One night, I headed back to the United States from Niagara Falls, Ontario. I crossed via the Rainbow Bridge, which doesn’t have NEXUS. I was crossing at midnight, so unfortunately, there was only one lane open. I had to wait about 10 minutes for my turn to be interviewed. I… Continue Reading
Travel My experience using Global Entry for the first time by land Upgraded to Economy, July 15, 2022November 28, 2022 In November 2021, I applied for Global Entry because it was reimbursed by my new American Express Platinum Card. The process took longer than I would’ve liked, which I’ll explain in another post, but I eventually got conditionally approved in March 2022 and completed enrollment on arrival later that month…. Continue Reading