Global Entry is a serious time-saver for international travelers, but actually getting signed up can be a real time-suck. Applications often get stuck in processing limbo and then – worst of all – you still need to schedule a final in-person interview to wrap it all up.
You can scour the schedules at your nearest major airport or enrollment center for days on end for an interview and still come up empty-handed. As American travelers flock overseas and this Trusted Traveler Program has surged in popularity, the difficulty in getting an interview is a big part of the reason why it currently takes four to six months to get signed up, on average.
But not if you know where to look: Some airports are far better than others. Lucky for us, Global Entry Spotter – one of several new services that alert travelers when an appointment opens at their preferred location – has crunched the numbers, helping us pinpoint the best bets. The company has a metric ton of data, including a handy-color-coded map.
Let's highlight some of them, based upon your odds of scoring an appointment within the next 30 days. Two quick caveats, though:
- The numbers in this story are accurate as of publication, but those numbers are constantly changing as customs officials add appointments and others snap them up.
- We're focusing largely on some of the nation's biggest and most popular international hubs in this list. Some smaller airports (and especially border-crossing locations up near Canada) can be an even better bet.
Whether you work it into an upcoming domestic trip, make a pitstop to before (or after) an international journey, or fly out of your way just to wrap things up, these airports are the best bets to snag a Global Entry … while the worst ones that might have you looking elsewhere.
Read more of our favorite tips and tricks for tracking down a Global Entry interview!
The Best Airports for Global Entry Interviews
Scan through this quick list of some of the best bets for scheduling a Global Entry interview and you'll notice an undeniable trend: They're all big. Really big.
Yes, some of the nation's busiest airports should be your go-to here. But keep in mind: With few (if any) exceptions, you can schedule and head in for a Global Entry interview whether you're flying that day. These Customs and Border Protection (CBP) offices are typically located before security.
That means you can easily drop in after you land, before your flight, head there during a layover, or just pop over to the airport in the middle of a trip to knock out your interview and get it over with.
Los Angeles (LAX)
Go figure one of the world's biggest international hubs is a surefire bet for getting your Global Entry enrollment wrapped up.
Dozens of international flights take off from and land at Los Angeles (LAX) every day, so they've got a massive workforce of customs agents to get you through immigration – or conduct your final interview for Global Entry. That's a common thread on this list: Many of the biggest international airports on either coast are also the best when it comes time to nab a Global Entry appointment.
According to Global Entry Spotter's data, travelers have got a 100% shot of scheduling a slot at LAX within the next 30 days. And you might want to check on a Tuesday: That's when the company sees the most new appointments get added to the calendar.
Detroit (DTW)
If you're a diehard Delta flyer looking to finalize Global Entry enrollment, you might want to build in a layover in Detroit (DTW) rather than Atlanta (ATL) or especially Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP) and Salt Lake City (SLC).
Like L.A., Detroit's airport is practically a slam dunk for scheduling a Global Entry interview soon. Global Entry Spotter's data suggests you've got a 100% chance of scheduling an appointment within the next 30 days, with a ton of availability regularly popping up just a few days in advance – even same-day appointments!
Miami (MIA) & Fort Lauderdale (FLL), Too
These two major airports just 20-some miles apart on the Florida coast also crack the list of the best for getting an in-person appointment.
Travelers looking at Miami (MIA) and Fort Lauderdale (FLL) to the north have a 100% shot at securing an interview, according to the data. In Miami, the data shows that an appointment within the next 30 days is available 99% of the time.
Compared to other airports, we'll gladly take those odds.
Newark (EWR)
United-loyal flyers should be pleased to see one of its biggest hubs on this list.
Yes, Newark (EWR) is a safe bet for getting Global Entry enrollment tidied up with a steady influx of appointments. It's improved drastically in the last year, too: While the next available appointment was 80-plus days away last year, that has dropped to booking a slot just five days away, on average.
New York City (JFK)
Cross state lines, make your way through Manhattan and over to southeast Queens for another major airport that stands out for solid Global Entry appointment availability: New York City (JFK).
Much like many of the other top contenders on this list, JFK is another massive international hub that's a shoe-in for getting scheduled. And you might even be able to find something day of: Global Entry Spotter's data shows the average appointment available at JFK is less than one day out.
Honorable Mentions
We've covered all the biggest U.S. airports already, but a handful of others are worth noting in case you can work it into an upcoming trip.
- San Juan (SJU) in Puerto Rico is a safe bet if you're flying to the island for a passport-free vacation
- Heading to Alaska? Anchorage (ANC) also regularly has wide-open appointment availability
- Ditto for Baltimore (BWI) if you're looking to fill up on crab cakes or book a Southwest flight in and out of the Washington, D.C. area at cheaper prices
- While not quite as reliable as others higher on this list, Houston-Intercontinental (IAH) and Atlanta (ATL) seem to have enough interview availability to highlight here
Alright, it's not an airport … but I'd be a fool for not mentioning the enrollment center smack dab in the middle of Washington, D.C. itself. It's located in the Ronald Reagan Building, a quick walk away from the White House, Washington Monument, and the spectacular Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. That's right: You could hammer out your Global Entry interview during a day of sightseeing!
The Worst Airports for Global Entry Interviews
Once you get past the clear winners, there are a lot of duds when it comes to major airports where you can bank on scheduling a slot to finalize your Global Entry membership.
But some are … well, let's just say notoriously bad for finding a Global Entry interview. So bad that if your home airport is on this list, you might want to start looking elsewhere.
Chicago-O'Hare (ORD)
Flying to, from, or through the Windy City? Don't count on getting a Global Entry interview.
It's tough to find interview availability at Chicago-O'Hare (ORD): Global Entry Spotter says you've got just an 8% chance of finding a slot within the next 30 days. In fact, the average appointment you can schedule at O'Hare is more than 60 days away.
For a major international airport with tons of foreign airlines flying in and out, I'm a bit surprised to see Chicago so low on this list. But it gets much worse.
Austin (AUS)
You can keep Austin weird … just make it easier to get a Global Entry interview, please.
Global Entry Spotter's data shows there's just a 4% probability of scheduling an appointment within the next month. Oh, and then there's this tidbit: “Over the last seven days, you would have had to check 74 times for a 95% chance of finding an appointment.”
Ouch.
Portland (PDX)
As of the time I wrote these words, there's not a single Global Entry in Portland (PDX).
Global Entry Spotter's data shows you've got just a 3% chance of securing a slot in Portland within the next 30 days. And get this: The average appointment you can actually schedule to finalize Global Entry enrollment is 299 days away.
If you're dead set on getting signed up and finished in Oregon, good luck: You might be waiting nearly a year or more.
Salt Lake City (SLC)
From coast to coast, Delta's got a handful of international hubs where you've got decent odds of scoring a Global Entry interview. Salt Lake City (SLC) just isn't one of them.
The company's data shows you've got just a 2% chance to lock in an appointment within the next month. But it's not even the worst Delta hub on this list.
Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP)
I feel for you, my fellow Minnesotans. Getting a Global Entry interview at Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP) on the books is tough these days.
There's not a single appointment bookable right now – and that's been a regular problem for at least a year. Global Entry Spotter's data shows a 1% chance of getting something scheduled within the next month.
If you're trying to renew your existing membership, do what I did last year: Take up the federal government's offer to do your interview remotely via Zoom instead. Those appointment slots are much easier to find and only take about five to 10 minutes – plus, no trip to the airport!
Signing up for the first time? Gulp. Best of luck at the Minneapolis airport…
San Diego (SAN)
Last and certainly least, we've got San Diego (SAN).
Despite its location near the border with Mexico, getting a Global Entry interview at this Southern California airport is practically impossible. There's not a single slot available as of publication … and Global Entry Spotter says you've got a 0% chance of ever getting one in the next 30 days.
Last I checked, those aren't great odds.
Dishonorable Mentions
These other major airports might not be quite as bad as others on this list … but it's still not great!
- Washington, D.C.-Dulles (IAD) might be one of the country's biggest for international flyers, but its a poor spot to bank on a Global Entry interview
- Ditto for Boston (BOS), where Global Entry Spotter's data shows just a 14% chance of getting an interview in the next month
- Don't bet on scheduling a slot before or after your trip to Disney: Orlando (MCO) availability is rough.
- San Francisco (SFO) is notoriously tough for finding an interview, too.
Bottom Line
Finding that final in-person interview is the last and most important step for getting Global Entry … but often the hardest.
Availability for these appointments changes not just by the minute by the second: You might luck out scheduling something on the first try at your home airport. But odds are, you'll have better luck focusing on some of the airports where it's easier – and forgetting about the hubs where it's nearly impossible.