Air Travel:

[I_squared_r]

Guessing LGA doesn't do "enough" international? JFK would surely have it though. If it's not available on entry at LGA it's probably worth still applying for!

Aside: my mom is Canadian and Italian. Years ago, she's flying to visit us in the US on her return from Italy so she uses her Italian passport as ID to here... and then her Canadian passport to go home. Which seemed logical to her. Except it put her on "a list" that no one would confirm or deny existed (way pre 9/11) and she got secondary screening EVERY time. Took a LOT of calls/letters/documentation to prove that she had in fact left the country and eventually we got the most priceless letter not confirming or denying anything put rather implying that the situation - IF there was one - was resolved.

I tend to avoid JFK because of the traffic and 1+ mile hikes in their terminals. LGA historically has been pretty bad so I think people still avoid it, but it has been good the past few years after they did all that renovation. But that's interesting. Maybe there's something flagged about me because they always check me.

I had a funny situation years ago when they asked me a lot of questions about my trip. They weren't kind. They unpacked all my stuff in front of me and opened everything. "Did you get married in Brazil?" "Thank god no" and then they asked me "What do you have in this bag?" "It's all my protective gear" (referring to my mountain bike stuff) and he pulls out a pack of condoms and says sarcastically like "yeah, 'Protection'" and puts it back inside.

But I always ask why they check me and they never always give a non-answer.

 

[msavold]

Haha!
I've been sent to secondary a few times but only once did I really get the special treatment. Dog took special interest in my duffle bag and agent wasn't buying any of my denials. They even took apart the pens I had in my laptop case. It wasn't until after that I put it together: got a ride to the airport from a friend that is a professional drummer in a rock band and I put my bag in his trunk on the way there for the 40 minute ride... I was certain it would put me on some list but it never did.

 

[John McLaughlin]

Claire and I leave for Istanbul in early November for a week and then a cruise or eleven days so to make life easier we applied for the Global Entry card that will allow us to by pass the long custom lines re-entering the States. The cost was 100 dollars and includes the card that allows you the quick lane when checking in at airport security. As we plan other overseas trips I thought it would be worth it. We have our interview with customs on the 12 of Sept.

 

[jdkaeser]

I couldn’t agree with you more! I always opt for the aisle seat in an emergency exit row. You have to pay a couple bucks more, but not much to pick your seat. I try to avoid Allegiant or Frontier as they pack the rows in those planes and the seats don’t recline or only recline an 1” and have a tray table smaller than an iPad mini! I use them but only for a flight that is 3 hours or shorter!

I also have a personal policy of only flying if the drive is longer than 8 hours. By the time you park, take the shuttle, get through security and get to the gate an hour before the flight. Add in waiting to get your luggage when you land, taking the tram to get to the rental car lots, waiting there and then driving to your destination. I can usually drive there in the same amount of time with less stress and not deal with people!

 

[Coult45]

when my travel was intermittent, my break even was about six hours. Longer than that, and I would fly. When I spent a few years traveling every week, I would take the plane even if it was a ten minute flight. Doesn't take long to get status, and then you're up front in the big seats almost all of the time.