CLEAR Launches Biometric eGates At Airports, In Partnership With TSA

Isn't CLEAR also used at stadiums and arenas? I think it could still work in those environments.

In most cases the ID check is not the bottleneck. Baggage screening is the bottleneck. Many times, a line of people pile up at the ID check podium as the TSO holds everybody back because the baggage scanners can't keep up.

At ATL, I've timed myself at 20 minutes from ID check to getting my bag out from the other end of the scanner, even though I had gone through TSA Touchless ID with only one person in front of me.

You realize that the US government is ultimately run by corporations.

CLEAR will continue to exist as long as they lobby the government.

Clear is a complete scam. I would never actually pay for this if I didn't get it for free. It NEVER actually saves you time.

You are 100% correct. Scanning the ID takes all of 5-10 seconds. The investment should be in AI screening that would be far faster and efficient with humans handling any rejects. But then we'd hear "loss of jobs" and there would go that idea.

I get it free with my Amex card.

Agreed, it's a solution looking for a problem at least as far as airport screening goes. Can't say I like the idea of it being used for screening for sports/music/other big events either, but maybe that's just me being old fashioned and thinking that event tickets should just be for the seat without needing to be specifically tied to your identity.

As the airlines and TSA continue to roll out digital ID, CLEAR will become useless at airports. Where they can serve a purpose (and where I currently get the most use out of them) is at stadiums. I could see them expanding in that market and other public venues that require security checks.

"It NEVER actually saves you time."

Clearly you've never been through security at JFK T4 during the evening bank of international departures. Depending on the airport and timing, Clear can be a godsend.

This. The Analogic machines are painfully slow, as is the process of how the bags go from traveler into the machine. 30-60 seconds through Touchless ID or Clear at ATL, then 5-10 min to have my bags back in my possession.

Agreed and was going to say the same thing for LGA Terminal C at peak times. Last week Clear probably saved me 10 minutes, which I'd rather spend in the (overcrowded) SkyClub.

Thanks!

When will American Airlines stop fighting clear. They want to be premium, but they make their passengers lives more difficult.

This article doesn't even mention TSA Touchless.

Ben does mention it. However “ Combined with TSA PreCheck, this is the best setup you can have for clearing security in the US.” is definitely not the best set up. TSA touchless is the best way to clear security. I have hardly seen anyone using it which makes it great. And it takes literally 2 seconds to use it in my experience.

Yeah, I think this is correct.

I let my CLEAR membership lapse a couple years ago, and the only time I ever think about it is when I see the wide open CLEAR lanes at certain stadiums.

Used this AM at DCA. No one using it. They unclipped the velvet rope and there was a sole TSA officer just waiting for me. Awhile the Clear passengers waited in a line because there were 2 TSA officers doing both Clear and Precheck. Obviously the no lines won't last long.

George, I work in AI. We as a society are rushing AI into production and it is NOT as production ready as some say it is.

This is the point. It is very airport and time-of-departure dependent. I've used Clear since the early beta era and have watched it go from amazing to truly pitiful. There are still a very limited number of cases where it adds some value, such as that brief window at JFK T4, but it is otherwise completely useless at this point.

And if history is any guide, Clear's new whizbang eGates will be just as glitchy as all their other crappy terminals, and the Clear lines will continue to be longer and more cumbersome than PreCheck.

Clear doesn't offer anything more than what you can get with precheck. Would be better if TSA raised their fee and better staffed precheck lanes.

I personally love Clear. It keeps all the 'new' Amex folk that love to flex how important they are out of the Touchless ID and precheck lanes, which means I have a much faster line. Thank you Clear!!

I'm not a fan of clear. I would never subscribe to it work my own cash. I've done time trials. (I'm that kind of nut), Roughly 60% of the time tsa pre-check is faster because the clear human factor is usually a hindrance. What I noticed is that if pre-check queues are at least 2x longer than clear, clear wins. If their queues are equal pre-check wins every time. Now this is just based on 2 airports that I use frequently sfo, jfk. I will tell you however, clear wins every time during Thanksgiving and xmas. One thing with clear at airports you're not familiar with, you might end up getting jacked if you didn't notice the clear line is not next to pre-check because you'll end up with the water restrictions, laptops out situation. Ultimately, if I see pre-check lines to be reasonable I'll just go through that. Even if it's not faster it's just marginally slower. I can sacrifice 5min

@Most AI is "all hat, no cattle"

If you really work in AI, you would know this has nothing to do with AI.

Remind yourselves.
23andMe.

It is only useful if your credit card perk pays for it because some airports it actually makes a difference but not at others.

I have never understand why a private company is allowed to do what Clear does as public airports.

*at

Well, this begs the question, why isnt the TSA doing this by themselves? There is no need for CLEAR.

I have had clear for free for the last 5-6 years and there have been only 3 times where it has saved me time. The other times I use Clear I watch who enter tsa pre check or now touchless and they always get thru faster. So unless it’s very clear that the clear line is shorter I skip it. And I watch the people in the clear line wait longer than I do in pre check.

The minute my Amex doesn’t give it to me for free… it’s cancelled! Pre check cost you $85 every 5 years and Clear would cost you $1,045 and they’re sure to raise their prices once or trice in that time period.

Yes, I’m sure there are a very few airports where it consistently saves time, but across a majority of its network TSA is at pace or ahead of what Clear offers. So I really don’t understand where their value proposition is. This is good… but considering the price they charge, FAR too late to pay themselves on the back.

Same here, I have Clear for free, but stopped using it for the same reason (at ORD)

Catering is private compnies. Lounges are private compnies. Airlines are private companies. Security guards are private companies. Janitorial services are private companies. Renovations and improvements are done by private engineering, architectural, building companies. Where should the line be drawn?

I love clear and it has always been fast for me. Some people cant pass a background check for TSA pre but can do clear instead.

TSA Precheck Touchless is not the same as TSA Precheck. But Touchless is a better comparison to Clear and these eGates.