American Airlines To Provide Global Entry Membership For Crew Members

[Hatu]

FORT WORTH, Texas, Jan. 13, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- American Airlines, in close coordination with the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), today announced it is the first carrier to offer its nearly 40,000 pilots and flight attendants complimentary membership in CBP's Global Entry program. Membership in Global Entry allows expedited CBP clearance for pre-approved, low-risk travelers upon arrival in the United States.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/american-airlines-global-entry-membership-172300310.html

 

[IORFA]

It's about time. I like how they are going to reimburse people who already have it too.

 

[Deleted member 14439]

Ah, our ever benevolent company is at it again!

 

[IORFA]

IF people take them up on the offer, it costs AA $20 a year per employee. Peanuts.

 

[nycbusdriver]

After five years of Global Entry (and my first paid renewal), it looks like it will soon be time to go back to the Crew Line and paper method.  The kiosks will be jammed now with the clueless, standing in front of the machine hopelessly looking around with the deer-in-the-headlights stare while the Global Entry queue goes thirty deep.
 
It was nice while it lasted.

 

[eolesen]

Nah, GE's still worth it just to have more or less automatic TSA-Pre for the domestic flying. Flew this week and was surprised to see Pre show up for my positive space booking.

 

[nycbusdriver]

Nah, GE's still worth it just to have more or less automatic TSA-Pre for the domestic flying. Flew this week and was surprised to see Pre show up for my positive space booking.

 
I agree that TSA Precheck is a worthwhile perk that goes with Global Entry.  It works will all your flying, including revenue tickets purchased on other carriers (which is how I take vacations), but you must be sure to enter the Trusted Traveler number that coincides with Global Entry on your reservation .
 
But that still doesn't mean the Global Entry Kiosk lines will become long, slow and worthless.  I have seen it happen occasionally already in PHL, though it is rare.  I always carry a filled-out Crew Dec just for those days when the Crew LIne is near empty, but the clueless have the GE Kiosk line backed up to the tarmac.

 

[eolesen]

GE works best when you're seated in the premium cabins and you don't have a flight dumping into the FIS at the same time you arrived. I've done 9 minutes seat to curb at LAX that way.

 

[Mach85ER]

The main driver behind this move is MIA narrow body and 757 flying. It is simply a good operational business decision that I give the new management credit for realizing the positive effect for the bottom line and morale.
 
It should have been done the day GE came out years ago. Unfortunately, AA had complete fools whose final decision making step was to ask if the employees benefitted from a decision. If they did, they wouldn't do it. I can't even begin to count the number of times I've sat on delayed flights waiting for FA's to clear MIA I/C for 1 1/2 hours after arriving two gates away. I also spent hours waiting and busting departure times while waiting for two Iberia and BA 747 crews to complete their interview and Glamor Shots photo session. Even worse was when it was the last leg home. Previous management attitude was, "We're not paying you, we don't give a F". Good riddance.
 
I have to admit, I got one right when it came out.  In the beginning it was kinda of fun waltzing past 25+ senior Mama's who just arrived from CDG,LHR and MAD in the crew line, dropping my ticket, and heading home 30 minutes early. At that time, most hadn't quite figured it out and they always couldn't resist some snide comment like "aren't youuuuuu specialllllll", or "that's not fair".