Welcome to The Morning Shave. We read a ton of travel articles each day for our personal research and to share the best travel tips and tricks with you. Here are the articles for Sunday, June 23, 2019, that we think you should read.
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The Morning Shave
Love TSA PreCheck and Global Entry? Check your expiration date. – It’s been more than five years since people first started signing up for TSA PreCheck. Some of the early adopters are now up for renewal. I renewed my Global Entry a year ago and my son’s recently expired. Of course, it was right before an international trip so we had to go through the normal customs line upon our return. If you haven’t already, it is so easy that even a baby can do it.
Interested in TSA PreCheck? It might soon be cheaper and easier to sign up. – It looks like airport security lines are about to get more crowded for TSA PreCheck members. The TSA is looking to increase membership and is thinking of ways to encourage more people to sign up. Yet another reason why I am glad that I signed up for CLEAR. Use my referral link for a free two-month trial.
A tourist says he booked a ‘clean’ Airbnb with a ‘private bathroom’ for $150 only to discover it was just a shipping container parked on the side of the road. – The title of the article pretty much explains it all. Just a friendly reminder that it is buyer beware on AirBnB. If there aren’t enough pictures, there’s usually a reason. Some deals truly are too good to be true.
10 Astounding, Terrifying Bridges Around the World. – After seeing the new SkyBridge in Gatlinburg, TN, these are fairly tame in comparison. Yet, for those who are afraid of heights, these could be very scary. Anna and I went to the Illawarra Fly just outside of Sydney, Australia about ten years ago. It was pretty amazing. I definitely recommend it when you travel to Sydney.
The truth about credit card annual fees. – The author makes an excellent point. The benefits are only worthwhile if you were already going to spend the money or use them anyway. Just because you pay an annual fee and receive benefits, that doesn’t mean it was a worthwhile expense.
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I have applied for renewal and it has now been 12 weeks since submitting my application and paying the fee. Still no appointment. Website says 8 – 10 weeks for an appointment, but backlogs due to government shutdown earlier this year (right, whatever).
I would suggest applying for renewal well in advance of expiration.
Hey Jeff, thanks for sharing your experience. I wonder if your application got lost in the shuffle somehow. In the future, I plan on re-applying at the 6-month mark ahead of expiration to be safe. Good luck! Hopefully, they will take care of you soon.