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Comment by skeletonjelly | Hacker News Reader

Thought the same thing. In Australia the national airline (Qantas) is currently blaming passengers for the huge delays processing check ins/security

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Having flown recently and seeing first-hand how people methodically repack their luggage in front of the rep or automated baggage check-in, trying to bypass weight limits and holding up everyone else, I’d say that airlines (pretty much like Starbucks) should have separate lines for people who have their s—t together.

They do. You just have to buy a business/first-class ticket, and pony up for Precheck or (better) Global Entry.

It's not even remotely the same experience as cattle-class coach. It's expensive, but if you have the money, it's worth every cent. Global Entry has let me bypass MULTI-HOUR-LONG lines for immigration. I hand over our passports and our Global Entry receipts, the agent scans them, and says "Welcome back." That's it. Security? Priority line, I don't take off my coat, belt, or shoes, I don't go through the naked scanner, and I only pull out my electronics because my charger bag has so many wires that it looks like someone's trying to hide a bomb somewhere (so I scan it separately, if they want to look inside, they can and it's a lot quicker).

It's not really fair. It really is me leveraging the fact that I have enough money to pay problems to go away. But it does work. And one of the reasons it does is that Precheck/GE people know the routine.

That's great. Except:

> The TSA PreCheck® Application Program is only open to U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals and lawful permanent residents. [...] Global Entry, NEXUS, and SENTRI allow some foreign citizens to apply.

So I guess screw those other people, right?

It’s not about screwing people, it’s about database access.

Countries administer their own version of these trusted traveller programs for their residents since it relies on the ability to perform a mini-background check using that country’s customs and law enforcement databases and apparatus.

UK: https://www.gov.uk/registered-traveller

Canada: https://www.catsa-acsta.gc.ca/en/trusted-travellers

Singapore: https://www.ica.gov.sg/enter-depart/for-singapore-citizens/o...

I don’t get reciprocal fast-entry in other countries unless they have an agreement with the US, so while it’s a bit inconvenient for me, and I wish more did, I make no fuss about EU nationals blazing through the Schengen line when I’m in the slow one. I would do the same in their place.

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