Comment by y-curious
As a followup: 1. Global Entry (international travel precheck for American permanent residents and citizens) is $120 and includes TSA precheck. 2. The high-tier credit cards (Amex Plat, Chase Sapphire Reserve) give you credits for Global Entry and/or TSA Precheck. They cost in ~$600, but my Amex Plat pays for itself with:
- Global Entry for wife, parents (as authorized users)
- Uber credit $15/month
- Clear at the airport- I stacked a coupon and got my wife and I Clear for the price of one
- Streaming app reimbursement
A fancy credit card is pretty worth it if you travel more than once or twice a year. Airport lounge access, travel insurance for sufficient delays or overnights, longer purchase warranties, cell phone insurance, rental car perks and so on. It’s not really about the money so much as the quality of life and peace of mind perks it offers. And seconding precheck or GE, it’s the best extortion money I’ve ever paid.