Travel Tech Pack

TSA PreCheck — $77 for 5 years

Shorter security line at the airport. Keep shoes, belt, and laptop on/in. Also keeps liquids and food in the bag. Saves 15-30 minutes per trip.

1. Apply at tsa.gov/precheck.
2. Pay $77 online with credit card.
3. Schedule a 10-minute in-person fingerprint visit (most cities have appointments within a week).
4. Bring driver's license + passport or birth certificate.
5. You get a "Known Traveler Number" within 3-5 days. Add it to every airline account.

Quick Tip: Many credit cards (Chase Sapphire, Amex Platinum) reimburse the $77 fee. Check before paying.

Global Entry — $120 for 5 years

For international travel. Skips the customs line on the way home. Includes TSA PreCheck. Best deal if you fly abroad even once a year.

1. Apply at ttp.cbp.dhs.gov.
2. Pay $120. Wait for "conditional approval" (1-3 months).
3. Schedule an interview at the airport. (Or do "Enrollment on Arrival" when you next fly home from abroad — no separate trip.)
4. Bring passport.

Mobile Passport Control (free)

Free alternative to Global Entry for re-entering the US. Not as fast, but no fee.

1. Install the Mobile Passport Control app from CBP (App Store, Play Store).
2. Add your passport details once (saves on the phone).
3. When landing back in the US — open the app, fill in your declaration, get a QR code.
4. Scan the QR code in the special MPC line — usually shorter than the regular line.

Digital boarding passes

1. Install your airline's app — Delta, American, United, Southwest, JetBlue, etc.
2. Sign in with your frequent flyer account.
3. 24 hours before flight: tap "Check In" — no kiosk needed.
4. Tap "Add to Apple Wallet" or "Google Wallet" — boarding pass lives in your phone's Wallet app.
5. At security and gate, just hold your phone screen up to the scanner.

Tip: Take a screenshot of the boarding pass too. If your battery dies, you can show the screenshot.

Hotel apps worth installing

• Marriott Bonvoy, Hilton Honors, IHG, Hyatt — chain apps for digital room keys, mobile check-in.
• Booking.com, Expedia, Hotels.com — for shopping rates across chains.
• Airbnb / VRBO — for vacation rentals.

International travel essentials

• Translate app with offline language packs.
• Currency converter — Apple's Calculator app does this; or install XE.
• Google Maps with offline maps downloaded for your destination city before you fly.
• WhatsApp — most of the world uses this for messaging.
• Skyscanner or Hopper — track flight prices.
• Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) — free, register at travel.state.gov so the State Department can reach you in emergencies.