Some of us volunteering at #RDU Airport also assist our CBP (Customs & Border Protection) agents as they process arriving international passengers. We’ve got daily flights from London and Paris as well as seasonal services from Mexico, Jamaica and the Dominican Republic. (Passengers traveling on #AirCanada from Montreal and Toronto undergo pre-screening in Canada.) With further training we are authorized to be in the FIS/SIDA area (Federal Inspection Station/Security Identification Display Area) of the airport. While we're not checking passports or carrying firearms, we are providing a helpful service in making sure our passengers are in the correct sections designated for either US Citizens and Lawful Permanent Residents (Green Card Holders) or Visitors. We also provide assistance to them in baggage claim as well as Agricultural Inspection. And, as always, I’ve got a few stories to share with you I hope you'l enjoy!
But first I’d like to acquaint you with the special services available to our international arrivals, including Global Entry, Mobile Passport and the Automated Passport Control kiosks. We also assist passengers in how to use these digital services, if necessary. I’ll deal with Global Entry here and tell you more about the other two in a future post.
Global Entry is a US Customs & Border Protection Trusted Traveler Program that allows expedited clearance for low-risk, pre-approved travelers arriving in the United States. Members of this program enter the country through the use of automated kiosks located at 60 airports across the US, and at US pre-clearance facilities in Abu Dhabi, Aruba, Bermuda, Canada, Dublin, Guam, Nassau, Saipan, San Juan and Shannon. And further pre-clearance facilities are expected to open outside the US in the coming years.
Travelers present their machine-readable passport or US Permanent Resident card, place their fingerprints on the scanner for verification and complete a digital customs declaration. The kiosk will issue the traveler a transaction receipt which is then shown to a CBP agent who will direct the traveler to baggage claim and the exit. You must be approved for the Global Entry Program and the cost is $100 which is good for a five-year period and also includes automatic enrollment in TSA Pre-Check. Citizens of Argentina, Columbia, Germany, India, Panama, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland, Taiwan and the United Kingdom are also eligible for Global Entry membership, as are Mexican nationals.
Applicants will undergo a background check and an in-person interview before enrollment. While the goal of Global Entry is to speed travelers through the process, members may still be selected for further examination when entering the United States. In addition, any violation of the program’s terms and conditions will result in appropriate enforcement action and termination of the traveler's membership privileges. Applications may be completed online by visiting this page, and selecting the Global Entry option. Once approved, you will receive a Trusted Traveler Card. Carry this card with you if you're driving between the US and either Canada or Mexico. Also, be sure to add your Trusted Traveler Number to your frequent flyer accounts.. This will ensure you receive the TSA Pre-check designation on your boarding pass when you travel with your favorite airlines.
Now, I promised you earlier a few interesting stories. There’s rarely a dull moment at the airport. I was in the Customs Hall on New Year’s Eve last year and assisted a woman arriving from Paris who appeared to have started celebrating rather early (considering the 6 hour time change). She approached me for assistance and rather incoherently indicated she was fearful of her husband. who had also arrived on the same flight. He was nowhere to be seen and so I thought it best to refer her to one of our competent CBP officers. After a few minutes she seemed calm enough but suddenly loudly announced “I love you” to this female officer and then tried to give her a bear hug.
“Do not hug me” she stated loudly and stepping back before this passenger had a chance to wrap her arms around her neck. The officer's training had kicked in as she was, after all, carrying a weapon and didn't want to give this woman any opportunity to seize it. The passenger proved to be docile enough at that point. Eventually (although reluctantly) she was reunited with her husband in baggage claim and they were sent on their way home. Did she continue to celebrate anymore later that evening? Who knows? What I do know is that she was treated with the utmost courtesy and respect despite her condition.
I also recall seeing an arriving London passenger waiting in the Secondary Inspection area one Thursday afternoon as I exited the Customs Hall. I didn’t give that much thought until the next afternoon. I was working at the Information Desk after the flight from London had arrived. Suddenly I noticed the same woman being escorted by two CBP officers up the escalator towards the departure concourse. With one officer holding each of her arms it was pretty clear to me that, for whatever reason, she was being deported and would be on that evening’s flight back to London.
Finally, I’m sorry I wasn't working with CBP on Monday, June 10. That was the day several WWII veterans of the D-Day invasion of the Normandy beaches returned to #RDU Airport. They arrived on #Delta #231 from Paris following the 75th Anniversary Celebrations in France. RDU Fire Rescue gave that B767 aircraft a well-deserved water cannon salute. The veterans were welcomed back to cheers and applause as they exited the Customs Hall. These men were part of the #GreatestGeneration and they deserve our heartfelt thanks and deepest respect for the heroism they displayed as young men in helping to preserve the freedoms we continue to enjoy.
Until next time…safe travels.
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