A travel reporter and her husband conduct a real-time experiment at Dulles airport to determine whether the Mobile Passport Control app or the Global Entry program is faster for clearing U.S. customs. She explains the features, costs, and application process for each service using screen recordings and B-roll, documents their race through the customs hall, and reveals the results, concluding that while both are extremely fast, the new Global Entry app offers a more seamless, contact-free experience.
Post caption
The last thing you want to do after a long international flight is stand in a long line at airport customs and immigration. That’s where Global Entry and Mobile Passport Control come in.
Both are fast-pass programs that let you cut the general line. Both now have easy-to-use smartphone apps. Which is faster? Dan and I tested MPC versus GE at Dulles International.
Comment “MPC” if you want a gift link to my article explaining Mobile Passport!
Video by @mo__ranaway for the @washingtonpost ✈️
Transcript
Dan and I are on the Dulles people mover best whether global entry or mobile passport is faster. Dan also just told me that I look like a psychopath in my photo. In case you missed it, mobile passport control is a free app that lets you cut the line at US Customs and Border Protection when you land from an international flight. You don't have to apply in advance. You just download an app, take a selfie, answer a few questions, and then find the express lane once you're at the airport. But it's not available everywhere. Global Entry is another fast pass program to cut the customs line, but it worst a tier to apply, and you have to do it in advance of your trip. It is good for five years, though. No I walked right through. Dan's still in line. There he is. So here's what changed. If you have the Global Entry app, you don't even have to see anyone anymore. You don't have to go to this kiosk, unlike the Global Passport line where you still have to go through tier process. This, you just literally walk right through. And you beat your husband by Just a minute because it really both of them were super fast. Thirty minutes. Two minutes. I mean, pretty amazing. Obviously, this wasn't a rigorously designed experiment. It was a one time best, but it does go to show you how fast global entry has gotten in recent years. It's also worth mentioning that that even in airports where mobile passport control is supposed to be operational, sometimes the lanes are closed without explanation. But I still recommend both options to anyone traveling internationally soon.
