As a frequent traveler, I cherish my Global Entry status.
It lets me bypass the often lengthy immigration line at my home airport or other first point of entry after an international trip. Plus, it comes with built-in TSA Pre-Check status to help me get through security more quickly.
Recently, though, a small oversight on my part put this priceless perk in jeopardy.
It all started with a snack
While connecting through Frankfurt on a return trip from Provence, I headed to the Lufthansa lounge for a bite to eat.
I wasn’t sure yet if I was going to get upgraded to business class on my flight back to the US, so I wanted to take a snack to-go in case the food in coach wasn’t so great.
I grabbed a banana from the buffet and tucked it into my laptop bag. I found out I got the upgrade so I ate lunch in the lounge, did some work, and took a nap until it was time to board my flight.
After I landed and swiftly navigated the Global Entry line, I headed to my flight’s baggage-claim area. As I waited for my suitcase, a US Customs and Border Protection agent stopped next to me, and her detector dog began vigorously sniffing my laptop bag.
I didn’t think anything of it as she asked me if I had a muffin wrapper or leftovers in my bag from a recent snack. Then, I froze.
I’d forgotten about the banana in my bag — and minutes earlier at the Global Entry kiosk, I’d checked off the box saying that I was not bringing back any fresh fruits or vegetables. (These items can potentially introduce foreign pests and diseases to the US, causing damage to American crops and wildlife.)
I’d literally been caught with forbidden fruit.
The agent took my passport and told me to wait for my bag while she continued patrolling for other rule-breaking travelers.
I feel lucky I got off easy, and I’ve absolutely learned my lesson
Once I got my luggage, the agent escorted me through a nondescript door to a back room — a door I’d breezed by umpteen times after sailing through immigration and customs.
As I waited to be called, I watched another agent remove blocks of contraband cheese from the suitcase of a passenger who had just returned from France.
I was so mad at myself for making such an avoidable mistake, and I wondered if it would cost me a hefty fine, loss of my beloved Global Entry status, or both.
When my name was called, an agent asked me why I was bringing fruit into the US. I apologetically explained that I’d grabbed it in an airport lounge in Germany and just forgot about it. (If I had discovered it before landing, I could’ve just discarded it on the plane.)
I swore that I’d never make this mistake again.
Luckily, she let me off with a warning but told me that if this customs violation happened again, I’d be fined and stripped of my Global Entry status for life.
Later, I learned that failing to declare fruits or vegetables at US ports of entry can cost first-time offenders $300 and second-timers up to $500. I felt extra grateful I was let off easy.
Ever since this experience, I’ve been careful when traveling with snacks.
And, take it from me: If you ever arrive in the US from another country with fruit in your bag, eat or toss it before you land or declare it to Customs and Border Protection right when you get to the airport.
No traveler wants to fork over hundreds of dollars for an honest travel mistake — and Global Entry status is too precious to lose.
The post I almost lost my Global Entry status over a mistake anyone could easily make appeared first on Business Insider.
