If you’re a frequent traveler, you’ve undoubtedly had the near-universal experience of enduring a TSA security line or an immigration line upon re-entry to your home country.

What if you could bypass these lines for good?

You may have heard of Global Entry, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) program that allows expedited clearance for pre-approved, low-risk travelers upon arrival in the United States. You fill out a fairly lengthy application, pay $100, and if your application passes the initial phase, you’re invited to an in-person interview/screening at a participating airport. If you pass that phase of the application, you are granted a Global Entry ID. In a nutshell, this is how it works:

At airports, program participants proceed to Global Entry kiosks, present their machine-readable passport or U.S. permanent resident card, place their fingertips on the scanner for fingerprint verification, and make a customs declaration. The kiosk issues the traveler a transaction receipt and directs the traveler to baggage claim and the exit. (www.globalentry.gov)

In addition, people who are approved via the Global Entry program can also participate in TSA Pre-Check, which allows people to skip regular TSA security lines at participating airports and go through an expedited line — without having to remove shoes or other clothing items, open laptops, or do any of the other things that take up time in line. 

Global Entry (and the accompanying TSA Pre-Check) is a good fit for your flying needs if:

• You plan to travel internationally any time in the next five years. The more you travel, of course, the more worthwhile it will be — but many reviewers indicated that Global Entry is worth the time savings even if you travel internationally once a year or less.
•  You have the Amex Platinum, Mercedes-Benz Platinum, or Business Platinum (or Centurion) cards, as the $100 fee is refunded to you as a statement credit. Other cards may also offer this reimbursement — check with your credit card company to be sure.
• You live within a reasonable distance of and use any of the airports listed here. The Global Entry program requires the in-person interview, so if the nearest participating airport is several hundred miles from you, it might not be worth it, unless you are a very frequent flier. Participating TSA Pre-Check airlines and airports can be found here.

In addition to inside information on things like Global Entry and TSA Pre-Check, as your travel advisor, I have many great helpful hints and connections to make your next trip an amazing one. I would be thrilled to meet with you and plan out your next great adventure! You can reach me by clicking here.

Destination Inspirations: Alaska
A Once In A Lifetime Trip
Alaska should definitely be on your bucket-list travel! Considered to be one of the last frontiers of the world and the 49th state in the union, Alaska is a gem of the world. It is a land of ice, bald eagles, mountains, grizzly bears, and the epitome of the American spirit. One of the best ways to see Alaska is by cruise and there are a couple of different ways to do this. The variations include the type of ship and whether you want to tour the Inside Passage or the Gulf of Alaska. 

Large Ship vs. Small Ship 
There is not one ship better than the other, they just offer different experiences for their guests. Larger ships have the amenities comparable to an all-inclusive resort and they stop in all the most popular ports. They also offer excursions like whale-watching and dog sledding atop breathtaking glaciers. The smaller ships are more intimate, and they tend to spend more time in the wild backcountry of Alaska. For example, it is not unheard of for the guests on smaller ships to visit Glacier Bay for 2 days and explore other areas by kayak. 
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Gulf Of Alaska 
These cruises go through south-central Alaska. There are 3 different start points for these cruises; Steward, Whittier, or Vancouver. You will go through most of the same ports as you would if you were touring the Inside Passage, but these cruises are one way. They travel north or south depending on where you start your trip. It is nice to extend these cruises on land, both before and after to explore more of Alaska.
Some of the stops on these cruises include: 
● A few days before the cruise or after it in, either, Anchorage or the Kenai Peninsula
● College Fjord- which is dotted with amazing glaciers
● A few days in Denali National Park

Inside Passage 
When a cruise is going along this path it will run from the narrow strip near the Canadian border all the way to the Panhandle (which is the beginning of the Gulf of Alaska). This option runs round trip out of either Vancouver or Seattle. This cruise option is the most popular and many of the sights that you will see on this cruise are going to be very similar to the ones that are included for the Gulf of Alaska option. Sights that may be seen include: 
​● Juneau- the capital of Alaska
● Ketchikan is a great location for fishing and a look into the life of Native Alaskans
● Glacier Bay National Park
● Skagway- a gold rush town with a lot of history

Alaska should be on your list of possible cruises. There are so many amazing sights, beautiful landscapes, and experiences that you will not see anywhere else in the world. It comes down to taking your time to figure out which one of these itineraries is right for you. Figure out what type of excursions you want and the experience you would like to have on the ship. These will be the factors that will help to determine which is best for you.
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My family experienced Alaska on an inside passage itinerary  last summer aboard Emerald 
Princess.  It has truly been one of my best adventures yet. I enjoyed the scenic beauty of the 
glaciers, the history of the small towns, and the first-time adventure of white water rafting (It 
was pretty mild!-They took it easy on me!) while taking in the breath-taking views of the 
glaciers.