I’m going to start this one with a little travel-advisor transparency:
Until recently, TSA PreCheck was really the only program I had seriously considered for myself.
I understood TSA PreCheck. I knew why people loved it, and because so much of my own travel had been domestic, it made sense for the way I traveled. Alex had it, and he was tired of him and the kids waiting on me to get through, so I did it.
But now, my travel habits are continuing to expand and we’re doing more international travel than before.
I’m now traveling internationally multiple times a year, and I recently found myself asking a question that many of my clients probably need to ask, too:
Should I be looking at Global Entry instead?
So I started digging into it.
And the more I learned, the more I realized this shouldn’t just be information I keep for myself. Because the right answer isn’t necessarily, “Everyone needs Global Entry,” or “Just get TSA PreCheck.”
It really comes down to how YOU travel.
So let’s talk about the differences, some real-life situations, and what I’m personally considering as my own travel changes.
First, What’s the Difference?
Here’s the easiest way to remember it:
✈️ TSA PreCheck helps with airport SECURITY.
It provides expedited screening at participating U.S. airport checkpoints. Depending on the screening lane, eligible travelers generally get conveniences like keeping shoes, belts and light jackets on and leaving laptops and compliant liquids inside their carry-ons.
🌎 Global Entry helps with INTERNATIONAL ARRIVALS.
Global Entry is operated by U.S. Customs and Border Protection and provides expedited processing for pre-approved, low-risk travelers entering the United States.
And here’s the piece that really caught my attention:
Global Entry members are also eligible for TSA PreCheck.
That was my “Wait a minute…” moment.
If I’m going to continue traveling internationally several times a year, does it make more sense for me to have a program that helps me both when I’m departing AND when I’m returning to the United States?
For the way I travel now, that’s something I’m seriously considering.
Let’s Put This Into Real-Life Travel
Because government-program descriptions aren’t exactly exciting reading.
Let’s say you’re one of my clients and you’re headed to Cancun.
Scenario #1: You Have TSA PreCheck
You’re leaving Kansas City and the regular security line is packed.
But you’ve got TSA PreCheck on your boarding pass.
You head to the PreCheck lane, go through expedited screening and get to the other side of security.
This is exactly where TSA PreCheck shines.
Then you spend five glorious days in Mexico.
🌴 Pool
🍹 Margaritas
🌮 Tacos
☀️ Sunshine
Now it’s time to come home.
When you arrive back in the United States, TSA PreCheck isn’t designed to expedite your U.S. immigration/customs processing.
That’s when I started realizing there was another piece of the travel experience I hadn’t really been thinking about.
Scenario #2: You Have Global Entry
Same Cancun vacation.
On your departure from the United States, your Global Entry membership makes you eligible for TSA PreCheck, provided your information is properly attached to your airline reservation.
Then when you return to the United States, Global Entry can expedite your processing through CBP at participating airports.
So instead of thinking only about:
“How do I get through security faster?”
I’m now thinking:
“How can I make the entire international airport experience easier?”
That’s a different question.
And as someone whose travel habits have changed, it’s becoming much more relevant to me.
Scenario #3: You Fly Once a Year to Florida
Now let’s say you’re NOT me.
You take one or two trips a year.
Maybe you fly from Kansas City to Orlando for a family vacation and occasionally head to Vegas for a girls’ weekend.
You haven’t left the country in five years.
Do you need Global Entry simply because it includes TSA PreCheck eligibility?
Maybe not.
Your bigger frustration is probably airport security.
In that situation, it makes sense to compare the additional Global Entry application requirements with how much you’d actually use its international-arrival benefit.
You don’t need to buy something just because another traveler says it’s a “must-have.”
Your travel habits matter.
Scenario #4: You’re Becoming an International Traveler
This is basically where I am right now.
Maybe you used to travel primarily inside the United States, but now you’ve discovered the Dominican Republic.
Then Mexico.
Then the Caribbean.
Then cruising.
And suddenly that passport is getting a workout.
You’re taking two, three or more international trips a year.
At that point, it’s worth stopping and reevaluating what makes sense.
That’s what I’m doing.
I had educated myself primarily on TSA PreCheck because that’s what made sense for the traveler I was.
Now I’m educating myself on Global Entry because my travel has changed.
And I think that’s something we forget:
The way you travel evolves.
The travel tools you use can evolve with it.
What About Couples and Families?
Here’s another real-life situation.
You get Global Entry.
Your husband doesn’t.
Guess what?
He can’t simply follow you through the Global Entry lane because you’re traveling together.
CBP specifically states that only Global Entry members can use Global Entry lanes; spouses, children and other travel companions who aren’t members can’t just accompany a member through.
So when you’re evaluating Global Entry for family travel, don’t think only about yourself.
Think about who you normally travel with.
The same goes for TSA Precheck. We found this out the hard way over Spring Break. In the past, if a parent was TSA approved, the kids under 17 could usually go through, this is NO LONGER true. At least it wasn’t for our trip to the Dominican in March. Here’s what the TSA is currently saying:
If you have TSA PreCheck, your children 17 and under can usually use the expedited lanes with you when traveling together under the right conditions — but they do not automatically have TSA PreCheck membership. For children 13–17, you must ensure the TSA PreCheck indicator appears on their boarding pass; for those 12 and under, they can join you without it. If a child travels alone, they need their own TSA PreCheck approval
If you’re always traveling as a couple or family, that’s a conversation worth having together.
“But I Heard the Global Entry Interview Is a Pain.”
This was another thing that made me hesitate.
Global Entry does have a more involved enrollment process because applicants undergo vetting and an interview.
But I learned something useful here, too.
If you’ve been conditionally approved, CBP offers Enrollment on Arrival at participating locations. That can allow you to complete your Global Entry interview while returning to the United States from an international trip rather than making a separate trip to an enrollment center.
Now THAT got my attention.
Because if I’m already traveling internationally, completing that last part during a trip could potentially make the process much more convenient, but be aware that if you have a connecting flight this could cause some issues in timing.
💳 And Before You Pay for Anything…
Check your credit cards.
Seriously.
If you have a travel rewards or premium credit card, look through your benefits before paying an application fee. I will be researching both of my cards first to see if I have any perks.
Some cards provide credits toward Trusted Traveler Program application fees.
It’s one of those benefits people can have sitting in their wallet without realizing they’re paying for something their card may already cover.
So Which One Am I Choosing?
This is where I’m going to be completely transparent:
I’m currently leaning toward Global Entry.
Not because I think everyone needs it.
And not because TSA PreCheck suddenly isn’t useful.
It’s because my travel habits have changed.
I’m traveling internationally multiple times a year now, and Global Entry addresses a part of my travel experience that TSA PreCheck alone doesn’t: expedited processing when I return to the United States.
Plus, Global Entry members are eligible for TSA PreCheck.
For my current travel style, that makes it worth investigating further.
And I’ll share what the application and enrollment experience is actually like if I decide to go through with it.
Because I’d much rather tell my clients:
“Here’s what I personally experienced…”
than pretend I’ve been using something for years when I haven’t.
My Advice as Your Travel Advisor
Don’t choose TSA PreCheck because someone on TikTok told you that you “have to have it.”
And don’t choose Global Entry just because an international traveler says it’s better.
Ask yourself:
Where do I travel?
How often do I fly?
How often do I leave the country?
Who usually travels with me?
How much do I value convenience at the airport?
And most importantly:
Does the program actually solve a problem I regularly experience when I travel?
For years, TSA PreCheck was the program I paid attention to.
Now my travel has changed, so I’m taking another look.
And maybe yours has changed, too.
That’s part of becoming a more confident traveler: not knowing everything from day one, but continuing to learn what can make your trips easier.
Helping you prepare for more than just the destination—before, during and after your trip.
Being a travel advisor doesn’t mean I’ve experienced everything—it means I’m committed to continuing to learn, being transparent about my own experiences, and sharing what I learn with you.
As the way I travel evolves, so does the advice I give. My goal is simple: to help you feel informed, prepared, and confident wherever your travels take you.
Because at the end of the day, it’s Never JUST A Trip. ❤️✈️
-Samantha
