I’m a proponent of getting Global Entry even if you only travel internationally every couple of years. For just a few more dollars than TSA Precheck, you get the same benefits for domestic flights AND you can skip the line when re-entering the USA.
We don’t use Global Entry often so we’re occasionally surprised when there are changes to the system. For example, I was shocked when I first used a kiosk with facial recognition when we came back from Germany in 2020. It was creepy at the time but I’ve become accustomed to it.
While the Global Entry experience for me is uneventful, the same isn’t true for Sharon. When we first enrolled, the Global Entry camera would only capture the top of Sharon’s head when she scanned her passport (my wife Sharon is 4’6″ tall). When the kiosks started using facial recognition, Sharon learned to step back about 10 feet from the machine so the camera could capture her face.
That’s what she had to do every time, through our trip home from Iceland in 2021.
However, she had a different experience when using a Global Entry Kiosk at SFO on our flight from Singapore, Sharon stepped up to the GE kiosk and took several steps back. That’s when we both heard an agent say “STEP CLOSER TO THE MACHINE!”
Excuse me?
After a 14-hour flight, Sharon wasn’t processing commands. The US Immigration agent repeated his order, but slower. “STEP UP TO THE MACHINE AND POSITION THE CAMERA TOWARDS YOUR FACE!”
I finally understood what he meant. The camera on the Global Entry machine is now adjustable and you can tilt it down or up depending on the height of the passenger.
This is similar to the CLEAR machines that can change height for shorter passengers, including those using wheelchairs. But since Global Entry works on facial recognition, it doesn’t need to be on the same level as your eyes to work.
We managed to adjust the Global Entry camera to see Sharon’s face and for the first time, her receipt had her face and not only the top of her head. This meant she was able to clear Global Entry without an agent checking her passport.
Chalk this one up as an improvement to make Global Entry more accessible for everyone.
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1 comment
Interesting article. I recently flew into Chicago ORD and discovered a “new” feature as well. I hadn’t even touched the kiosk and it had already snapped my picture and informed me to proceed to the agent. I handed him my passport with a quizzical look on my face. He glanced at the name and waived me through !