Climbing the Paper Matterhorn
Includes a solution to the dreaded DHS Trusted Traveler Global Entry Program delays.
Q and I have been going back and forth for the better part of 9 months on whether to go to India this year. It depended on many, many things falling into place. It all looked good in February. Then some guy started lobbing bombs at some other guy and the world started listing to port once again. This time, real hard. Inflation took hold, fuel prices shot up and airfare to India was again out of reach. I can't fly economy. I simply don't fit, being the person of height that I am. Q would be traveling for work so her employer was taking care of her travel expenses. My ticket, by late April, was going to cost somewhere North of $12K. The status of Covid-19's world tour complicated things such that it wasn't clear Q's employer would keep the project alive.
Through all this we were constantly assessing options, opportunity costs, and risks. Sometimes the go/no-go switch flipped back and forth several times in one day.
By early August, the situation had eased up, ticket prices started to come back to earth, the light was once again green. By the end of August, everything was a go and we booked our flights. Rubicon...crossed. No going back now unless something catastrophic happened - Carrington Event, asteroid strike, a global outbreak of mostly peaceful protests...sigh. Amor fati.
Next came the work to complete travel paperwork that was waiting on a commitment. The fun began with applying for DHS's Trusted Traveler Global Entry Program. The application was pretty much what you'd expect from a bureaucracy the size of the US Government. I slogged through that, paid my fees, and waited for "conditional approval." That came quick enough. Next step was to schedule an in-person interview. Options?
Ack. DIA is the closest location. The next best option is Albuquerque, NM. It isn't worth 200 bucks in gasoline, a hotel, and 48 hours of my time to get this interview completed before we depart. Didn't think to check on DHS delays before dropping 100 bucks on the deal. If I had, I would have discovered the Intertubes are filled with stories of frustration - waits of 6-9 months just for the conditional approval. Then waits of another 9-12 months for the in-person interview (required for all first timers, because they need your finger prints.) So I got lucky with the conditional approval. What to do about the interview?
Fortunately, there's a solution.
All it requires is 30 bucks and, of course, a lot of luck. I found a site, called Appointment Scanner, that provides a simple and effective service. It scans the Trusted Traveler site for appointment slots that open up because of cancellations or additions to the schedule. I signed up at 7 AM on a Saturday. At 8 AM I had a text message indicating there was an opening in a couple of weeks!
Mad dash to the computer to log in and grab it. Success! Joy! Rapture! I'd pretty much resigned my self to low odds for such an early and quick spot opening up, what with being 500 miles from any place other than DIA that was offering interviews.
Next up...vaccinations, visas, covid verification, boarding passes, accommodation confirmations, declarations for this and that, packing, re-packing, strategic re-packing, etc. Oh...more joy.
Matterhorn Image: Wikipedia
