As anyone who’s spent an hour or more shuffling through an immigration line after a red eye flight can tell you, customs can be a painful final hurdle before you get home. The weakest among us might see the line and just give up, broken—and that’s in regular travel times. But the holiday season is upon us, and if the record number of travelers screened over the summer is any indication, we’re looking at long wait times in the immigration line, which will inevitably cause missed connections, missed bedtimes, and, possibly, even some breakups. However, there are a few spots for relief. Though they’re slowly disappearing, those Automated Passport Control (APC) kiosks have helped a lot. They streamline declaration forms for US citizens and residents, Canadians, and certain visa-holders. But those have been increasingly pushed aside in favor of facial recognition cameras placed next to customs officials, significantly adding to potential wait times, especially at busy times in big airports.

Travelers with a few extra bucks to spare can always spring for Global Entry, which runs $120 every five years. But if you have a misdemeanor on your record or don’t have time to trek to the airport for the in-person interview, not to mention sit around afterwards waiting for approval—a process that can take up to 730 days according to Customs and Border Protection— it ain’t happening. Don’t despair: There’s still an incredible way to cruise through customs at certain airports with blazing speed, sometimes even faster than Global Entry minus the cost and the hassle. And though it’s been around since 2014, it’s still one of air travel’s best-kept secrets. It’s called the MPC app, which stands for Mobile Passport Control. MPC is a smartphone app that fills out all your declarations digitally, sends you through a special—and usually very short—line at immigration, and drops you in baggage claim with time for a snack before everyone else on your plane arrives.

Don’t mind if I do. | Joe Raedle/Getty Images News

Where are these magical Mobile Passport lanes? The MPC app is accepted at: 34 U.S. international airports, 14 pre-clearance locations (airports where you clear US customs prior to departure, like Dublin Airport), and 4 seaports (Port Everglades, San Juan, Palm Beach, and Miami). You can see the full list of them here. As of this summer, you can now use it at Detroit Michigan Airport (DTW).

Who can use the Mobile Passport app? Mobile Passport Control is open to US citizens, lawful permanent residents, Canadian B1/B2 citizen visitors, and returning Visa Waiver Program applicants. For most American travelers, you’ll be able to cover your whole family with your app. Much like with those old blue forms, you only need one application per household and you can include up to 12 companions on a single trip.

How does the MPC app work? Trust—ordering from a McDonald’s touch screen menu is more complicated than operating this app. First, go to your app store of choice and search for Mobile Passport Control. Once you’ve downloaded it, it’ll ask you to complete a profile: name, passport number, gender, country of citizenship, and birthdate. It’s all encrypted, so no security worries there. Next, it’ll ask you to take a picture to have on file. If you’ve ever taken a selfie, this should be easy. If you’re doing this for your grandparents, maybe snap the photo for them. Then, once you’ve landed—or sailed—safe and sound onto your desired turf, turn your phone on, open up the app, and select the “New Trip” section. It’ll ask for your arrival airline and port of entry, and if you have any goods or cash to declare. (Though internet access is necessary for downloading the app, you won’t need a wifi connection to fill it out.) After you’ve filled all that out, the app spits out a QR code to present at immigration.

Never use one of these again. | PixieMe/Shutterstock

Sounds like the digital version of that little blue form that makes everyone on the plane ask to borrow a pen, right? So what’s so special? Wait until you get off the plane—that’s where the magic really happens. First of all, there’s no pen necessary! Because, of course, there’s no need to fill out that blue form. As the masses trudge single-file toward the slow-moving APC kiosk line or queue up in front of immigration booths, you and your mobile phone can follow the signs for Mobile Passport Control. If someone tries to direct you elsewhere, tell them you have Mobile Passport, and they’ll point you in the right direction. Your line is typically set up next to the area where diplomats, celebrities, and regular folks go through immigration. Or, at some places like Newark Airport, it’ll funnel you into the Diplomats line (fancy!). If there’s more than three people there, it’s a busy day. Even the Global Entry faithful will probably wait longer. Show your QR code to the immigration officer along with your passport, answer whatever pro forma questions they might issue, and off to baggage claim you go. Didn’t check a bag? Hit the road and you’ll be home a good 30 to 60 minutes earlier than expected.

Why’s the passport app so fast? Simple: Many people don’t know about it. That may change as word continues to get out, but for right now, so few people are using the CBP MPC app the lines are gleefully short. According to The Washington Post, U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported that just eight percent of eligible travelers used the app in the 2024 fiscal year, though that’s 50 percent more than the year before. How much does the passport app cost? Nothing. Well, technically, your taxes pay for it, so you might as well get your money’s worth.

There are limits, of course This is not to say that the MPC app will be the express lane into America for its citizens forever. And it’s not a way to get around any screenings or inspections, so don’t think you’ll be bringing home some agricultural souvenirs from Jamaica just because you have a cool app: Your luggage is still subject to scrutiny, pal. But if you’re new to overseas travel or a salty vet who just wants a quicker way to get the hell out of the airport, it’s a great hack to save time and stress.

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Scammers are targeting an industry in high demand right now.

“You get to go away to these beautiful destinations and locations and leave the bills, the kids, the dogs, you know, all your responsibilities at home,” said Dawn Scadlock, Flite II Travel.

That escape is what we all love about vacations, right?

Bad actors are swooping in to take advantage of those emotions, and I’ve learned that travel is becoming a hot target for scammers.

One frequent flier is sharing her story on the scare tactic used to shake her down for cash ahead of her vacation.

The excitement of a planned girls’ trip was unexpectedly stripped away from Michele Smolin.

“I got a message, an email that my trip had been canceled, my flight had been canceled. The email looked legitimate, gave me a number to call, ” said Smolin.”

In a panic to find out why, Smolin called a number for the airline she found online.

“I called, and they answered, and they knew everything about my flight,” said Smolin.

The person on the other end of the phone told Smolin she had to pay $285 to be rebooked on her original flight.

“And of course, I didn’t even question it because I was just desperate to go on this trip.”

With that credit card payment, Smolin thought she was good, but when she couldn’t print her boarding pass ahead of her flight she went to the ticket counter where the agent shared this message.

“We will never, you know, cancel your flight, and we will certainly never charge you for rebooking,” said Smolin.

It was the moment Smolin realized she had been scammed.

“Not only am I a frequent flyer for business, I’m also an attorney, so I’d like to think that I have a good and clear eye,” said Smolin.

It’s a reality check that travel agent Scadlock also shares.

“I hate to admit it, but I got scammed too. I was rushing. My clients were stuck somewhere, and I Googled the airline,” said Scadlock.

Scadlock thought she was dealing directly with the carrier and paid $265 to change flights.

“I felt so stupid because, you know, here I am, the travel expert, and I got scammed. Luckily, my clients, you know, denied the charges and claimed fraud, and they weren’t charged,” said Scadlock.

I learned that’s one of the many ways travelers are getting duped.

“The biggest one, I think, is fake websites,” said Scadlock.

Consumer Alysia Beeler got caught up in a copycat website while scrolling through social media.

“They may look like the real deal, but it’s really not,” said Beeler.

Irregularities in the URLs, with a missing letter or two, or a dash where there shouldn’t be one tipped Beeler off.

“So, I went around that, did some fact checking for myself and found out, like, this doesn’t look right, you know, and it gave me apprehension,” said Beeler.

A minute of verification kept her credit card information out of the hands of crooks.

“I was easily duped,” said Smolin.

Smolin was in for yet another surprise after using her credit card to pay for that bogus flight change fee.

“Well, the credit card company said since I confirmed my credit card number with the scammers that they would not cover it as fraudulent. I mean, you do feel dumb about it, but they’re so sophisticated in the methodologies that they use,” said Smolin.

We’ve talked about this before, but remember the psychology of the scam.

In Smolin’s case, they used panic to get her to pay.

If approached with a stressful situation, unexpectedly, take a step back and breathe.

It’s all about playing with our emotions and the desire to solve a problem quickly, especially a financial one.