Flying.....

Yep, fingerprinting, scanning in your passport/other approved ID, answer a bunch of questions.

The actual process is through a company called Identogo, which isn't a government agency, it just supplies retail locations around the country for a variety of Identity services, including fingerprinting. So, don't think we can blame the lack of scale to being a brand of the government, rather they just like to fill the appointment schedule and limit the number of people on the clock at any given time.

It is very well organized, you just don't want to do it as a walk-in. Unless you go the the office in Morehead City, NC, probably, then you would perhaps be okay. Yes, they actually have an office in Morehead City....due to the port? It was odd to me.

Mark

Worst trip ever: 4 legs from Mackay, AU to Vancouver Island, 35 hours total. My bag missed the flight from Brisbane but somehow made it to LAX before I did (or was it YVR?). Got sick on the breakfast, that hit me while waiting to board in LA and I thought I was going to die until I deposited the meal into a barf bag on that flight. I barely made it through customs at YVR and couldn't go another step before resting in a chair for an hour. It was then too late to get my bag onto the last flight, but no worries - all flights to Vancouver Island had been cancelled due to fog. I could have gotten a hotel room but just wanted the trip to be over so took a cab to the ferry, waited 2 hours for the next one, then a 2 hour crossing. I think I slept for 2 days after that one. And this was with no major foul ups. Otherwise I guess I've been lucky, most air travel has gone smoothly.

So many years ago there was a program for small boat customs reporting via phone. Later this program was rolled into Nexus and now nexus has been combined with trusted traveler and global entry. My trusted travel number is on file with all the major carriers so I am automatically assigned TSA precheck. Took me all of 2 min to go through TSA at both ends of this trip.

I buy all my seats now. I have long used up any airline miles. I get travel points through CC but I buy my ticket and get reimbursed by the CC. I no longer buy the cheap coach tickets. They are the first bumped and the last served. If the flight is under 4 hours I will buy a premium coach seat. Usually costs only a little more but you get much better treatment plus more leg room. If the flight is over 4 hours it’s first class or premium business class if international. The value of first class over premium coach is hard to justify on a short flight.

Now if I had to go through all the gyrations wifeyB went through on here trip to Sacromento, I would probably paid for first class.

tiltrider1 said:

Now if I had to go through all the gyrations wifeyB went through on here trip to Sacromento, I would probably paid for first class.

Click to expand...

Wifey B: We use hubby's height to justify first class. Flights without any first class are really uncomfortable for him.

Caution: Language...



https://shanghai.ist/2019/01/29/obe...-butt-books-future-flights-with-same-airline/

What is wrong with people. Tossing money into jet engines?

Busses with wings. Between the typical airline employee that hates their customers and the TSA security Kabuki, I'll take AOC's train to Hawaii preferentially.

Wifey B: We're flying to Italy on the 2nd. No crazy people allowed to mess with our plane.