Renewing My United States Passport, Global Entry, TSA Pre-Check, and Clear Plus All At The Same Time – Surprisingly Quick and Easy!

Although my passport didn’t expire until December 2025, with my upcoming travel plans (Sea Cloud Spirit – January 24, 2025; Antarctica21—February 14, 2025; and the Goldring Travel 2025 Culinary & Cultural A&K African Safari and Silversea Expedition—March 27, 2025), I knew I would run out of passport pages, especially with all the pages needed on the Silversea Silver Wind 19-day cruise up the west coast of Africa expedition. (No, you no longer can have pages added to your passport.) And I was scheduled for a medical procedure I will be writing about that would have me sidelined – so I thought – through mid-February.

As you can renew your passport online as long as it is less than one year from expiry, in mid-December, I decided to “play it safe” and apply online to renew my passport. With an estimated 4-6 weeks for it to be processed, I held my breath, crossed my fingers, and hit “submit”…which immediately invalidated my current passport. Anxiety set in, as you can imagine: Me without a passport!  However, my online renewal was approved in a week (much faster than done by paper or with totally unnecessary passport service) at a cost of $130 and was sent out by U.S. priority mail. (I did pay for 1-2 Day Delivery for $21.36 so that I could easily track my passport which otherwise would be sent by regular US Mail).  Obviously, if I had paid $60 for Expedited Service, it would have been a waste of money…but that might not always be the case.  Anyway, you know what happened, right? The US mail took longer to get me the new passport than the approval process; nothing close to the promised 1-2 days. Regardless, I was able to track it, and confident it was not lost, I waited.  It is now in hand.

The “new” passports are pretty interesting. The main page is no longer made of secure paper but polycarbonate with a laser-engraved photo, optically variable features, alphanumeric numbers that are perforated throughout the entire passport book, and more. 

Well, that got me looking at my Global Entry membership, which also was within a year of expiring. Again, the claimed wait times are so long that there is a message that due to the backlog, you can continue to use your current Global Entry membership until the renewal is processed. That quelled that anxiety, as did my approval only two days later! (NOTE: Be sure to charge the $120 processing fee to a credit card that refunds that amount such as the American Express Platinum Card, Capital One Venture X, or one of the top-tier Chase United Airlines cards.)

About a week later I received my Global Entry card in the mail. It can be used to enter from Canada and Mexico by land (but not from the U.S. into those countries). If you want that option, the U.S. Passport Card is an option for faster entry by air or sea from Canada, Mexico, Caribbean, and Mexico. If you purchase it with your passport, the cost is only $35. As I don’t have a need, I opted not to get one.

By the way, Global Entry has an app that allows you to clear without even stopping at the Global Entry kiosks. Upon your flight’s arrival at the gate, you open the app, take a selfie, confirm your information and head right to the head of line to show your confirmation to the Immigration Officer. Nothing could be faster; especially if you only have carryon luggage. 

Another app, Mobile Passport Control, allows those without Global Entry to enter their information online when they arrive and head to a faster line for clearance. It will not change the scrutiny level, but it is faster to get to the immigration officer. This is not available at all airports, but more are added regularly. 

And that then had me look at my Clear Plus membership, and I got that renewed with the fee automatically paid by United Airlines, a perk of my status with them. (Some credit cards will also reimburse this cost.) If you are not aware Clear is a private company that offers expedited clearance at TSA checkpoints through the use of biometric authentication of who you are. Clear Plus adds a verification level so you don’t need to show your passport or driver’s license. Note that there are two versions of Clear: With TSA Pre-Check or Without TSA Pre-Check. (NOTE: At the airport, Clear has two different lines, so be sure you get in the correct one. I can’t remember a time that someone without TSA Pre-Check didn’t get into the wrong line.)

By the way, TSA Pre-Check is something everyone should apply for if for no other reason than it gets you out of those horrifically long TSA security lines and into the much shorter ones…along with the bonus of not having to remove your computer or iPads from your carryon luggage and you don’t have to remove your shoes. The cost varies based upon where and how you apply, but figure it will be about $80.  (NOTE: If you apply for Global Entry, TSA Pre-Check is included and if you want to apply for Clear, you can apply for it at the same time.) I can’t imagine how standing in those long lines (especially if you have children 17 and under who can get into the line with you without paying the fee) on one outbound and inbound flight isn’t worth the price!

If you don’t have a passport or TSA Pre-Check, the application process is now pretty simple and straightforward and will open up the world to travel. (So many folks tell me they can’t go here or there because they don’t have a passport.) And if you have them, get Global Entry which will make your return to the U.S. a breeze, skipping those long lines at Passport Control. That can literally save you over an hour!

And, of course, do not wait until the last minute to renew your passport, TSA Pre-Check, Global Entry, or Clear. With the online options now available, and the credit cards and airlines that underwrite most or all of the costs, plan ahead and avoid the stress!

Now, with everything in order: TRAVEL!