PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — For the first time, Philadelphia International Airport is staging an enrollment blitz to help international travelers join the "express lane" through Customs.
The airport is clearing the way for international flyers to take the final step to be approved for Customs and Border Protection's Global Entry program, which allows pre-approved, low-risk, international travelers to skip the queue through Customs inspections and check in at a kiosk instead, when they return to the United States.
"When you get back to the U.S., there are automated kiosks that you go to. You don't have to fill out paperwork. You don't have to stand in the long processing lines. It gets you through customs pretty quickly," said Heather Redfern, public affairs manager at PHL.
To sign up for Global Entry, travelers pay $100 to apply online. After CBP reviews and accepts the application, travelers then must schedule an in-person interview. Between Jan. 15 and 18, PHL will open up more than 400 interview appointments to expedite the process.
"It'll help clear up some of the backlog, because there are quite a few people who have applied for Global Entry but haven't been able to secure that interview yet at PHL," Redfern said.
Global Entry has been available in Philadelphia since 2009.