Over the years there have been several innovations that have made the travel experience easier for road warriors. These range from government programs like TSA PreCheck and Global Entry, to private programs like CLEAR® Plus.
In this post I wanted to take a closer look at CLEAR. First we’ll take a look at the basics of the program, then we’ll take a look at how to get the best deal on a membership, and then we’ll talk about whether it’s worth it (and my answer there might surprise some).
In this post:
The basics of CLEAR airport security program
Let’s start with the very basics of CLEAR. CLEAR is essentially a technology company that stores biometric data to expedite clearing security at airports, and at select stadiums and other venues. Interestingly both Delta Air Lines and United Airlines own a stake in the company.
The way CLEAR makes your life easier is by allowing you to bypass the ID check at airports. While you still have to go through security, you simply go up to a CLEAR checkpoint at an airport, then your fingerprints or eyes are scanned, and then you bypass the ID check (though in some cases you may still be asked at random to show your ID).
It doesn’t matter whether you have TSA PreCheck or just “regular” security, as the CLEAR associate will direct you past the ID checker and into the appropriate line.
At what airports is CLEAR available?
CLEAR is currently available at 50+ airports, as well as at some stadiums and other venues. The list of eligible CLEAR locations is always changing, so you can check this link to see the up-to-date locations.
Note that not all terminals at eligible airports have CLEAR, and in some cases CLEAR is only open for select hours. So you’ll want to check that before heading to the airport.
How do you sign up for CLEAR?
The process of signing up for CLEAR is super easy. You can initially register online, which should take just a couple of minutes. Your payment will already be processed when you register.
Then the next time you’re at an airport with CLEAR you can simply see a company representative, and they’ll walk you through the registration process, which consists of them taking your biometric data. Unlike with Global Entry, there’s no interview required here. CLEAR is essentially just verifying your biometric data, so the company isn’t assessing how “risky” of a passenger you are.
How does CLEAR compare to TSA PreCheck?
CLEAR, TSA PreCheck, and Global Entry, are complements and not substitutes:
- CLEAR gets you expedited ID checking at eligible airports
- TSA PreCheck gets you expedited security screening at eligible airports, as you don’t have to take off your shoes, or take liquids or laptops out of your bags
- Global Entry gets you expedited immigration when entering the United States, allowing you to go straight to a kiosk and skip the main lines
When it comes to memberships:
- A Global Entry membership gets you Global Entry and TSA PreCheck, but not CLEAR
- A TSA PreCheck membership just gets you TSA PreCheck
- A CLEAR membership just gets you CLEAR
The ideal situation is to have a Global Entry membership and a CLEAR membership, as you’re then covered for all three programs.
How much does a CLEAR membership cost?
A CLEAR membership ordinarily costs $209 per person annually. However, nobody should be paying that much, as there are ways to at least score a small discount, or possibly even get it for free.
Why you should pay no more than $199 for CLEAR
Delta SkyMiles, United MileagePlus, and Alaska Mileage Plan, all have partnerships with CLEAR. With this, loyalty program members can receive discounts on a membership (this even includes discount for base members, and these programs are free to join).
With the Delta SkyMiles & CLEAR partnership:
- Delta SkyMiles Medallion silver/gold/platinum elite members plus co-branded credit card holders pay $169 per year, representing $40 savings (Diamond and Delta 360 receive it complimentary)
- All other Delta SkyMiles members pay just $199 per year, representing $10 savings
With the United MileagePlus & CLEAR partnership:
- United MileagePlus Premier silver/gold/platinum elite members plus co-branded credit card holders pay $169 per year, representing $40 savings (1K pays $129 and Global Services receive it complimentary)
- All other United MileagePlus members pay just $199 per year, representing $10 savings
With the Alaska Mileage Plan & CLEAR partnership:
- Alaska Mileage Plan elite members pay just $199 per year, plus earn 1,500 bonus miles for enrolling for the first time, or 1,250 bonus miles for renewing or reinstating their account at the $199 rate
- All other Alaska Mileage Plan members pay just $199 per year, representing $10 savings
Get CLEAR for free with Amex card credits
American Express and CLEAR have a partnership, offering CLEAR® Plus credits as a perk for select cardmembers (Enrollment required). Specifically:
- The Platinum Card® from American Express (review) offers up to a $199 annual CLEAR® Plus credit
- The Business Platinum Card® from American Express (review) offers up to a $209 annual CLEAR® Plus credit
- The American Express® Green Card (review) offers up to a $199 annual CLEAR® Plus credit
What are the restrictions associated with these CLEAR credits?
- The credits are per calendar year (based on when the transaction appears on your card)
- The credits can be used across multiple transactions, if you’re in a situation where you’re being charged the maximum credit amount by CLEAR
- The credits apply to purchases directly with CLEAR
- Purchases by the primary cardmember and additional cardmembers are eligible, though additional cardmembers don’t get additional credits
- You can buy a CLEAR membership for anyone (including friends and family), as long as you pay with your card
- The statement credits will post within two to four weeks of an eligible purchase
As mentioned above, you can use these credits however you’d like toward a CLEAR membership. If you and your spouse each have an Amex card with a credit, for example, you could use one credit for the initial membership fee, and then the other credit to add more than one person to a family plan.
The information and associated card details on this page for the American Express Green Card has been collected independently by OMAAT and has not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Is a CLEAR membership worth it?
I won’t bury the lede. I get CLEAR for free thanks to the Amex cards that I have, so it’s costing me nothing out of pocket. If I didn’t get it for free, I wouldn’t pay $129-199 for this, at least based on my current travel experiences.
When I first signed up for CLEAR over five years ago, it was kind of awesome. Not many people had it. There was almost a cool factor to having it, as you felt like you were being escorted to the front of the line.
However, much like metal credit cards and Priority Pass memberships, the situation has kind of changed — when everyone has CLEAR, no one has CLEAR. 😉
As a general rule of thumb, you can expect a huge number of passengers at Delta and United hubs to have CLEAR, given that both airlines have a close partnership with CLEAR, and encourage their frequent flyers to sign-up. The great benefit of CLEAR used to be that you were more or less assured that you’d never have to wait in line at security, but that’s no longer the case.
Now you have to wait in line to use CLEAR, in order not to have to wait in line to go through security. 😉
Maybe I’m just really lucky, but the other thing is that I often find that there’s almost no wait at TSA PreCheck. So there aren’t actually any time savings if you wouldn’t otherwise have to wait. For example, the last two times I used CLEAR, it took longer than it would have taken to just go in the PreCheck lane.
The last issue is that I am primarily an American flyer, and American isn’t a fan of CLEAR, and tries to block the company from expanding at some of its airports. For example, as a Miami-based American flyer, there’s no CLEAR checkpoint at the D Concourse.
I wish I could report back about some amazing time savings, but unfortunately, that just doesn’t reflect my typical experience. Either I find there’s a long line to use CLEAR, and it’s not actually much faster than TSA PreCheck, or I find that there’s no line at TSA PreCheck, in which case there are no time savings.
Based on my own situation, I’d say it’s only maybe 10% of the time where CLEAR saves me more than a few minutes compared to the standard TSA PreCheck lane. And ultimately, that’s something that I’ll take for free, but isn’t something I’d otherwise probably pay for.
Bottom line
CLEAR is a private company that lets you expedite clearing security at select airports using your biometric data. While this can cost up to $209 per year, everyone should be getting it for less thanks to the Delta and United partnerships, and you can even get it at no cost thanks to Amex cards offering CLEAR credits.
While I’m a CLEAR member, I can’t say that it actually saves me all that much time. Either I find the TSA PreCheck line is short to begin with (in which case there are no time savings), or I find that CLEAR is extremely popular at some airports (in which case there are no time savings).
Even as a CLEAR member, I skip using CLEAR most of the time. It’s still useful to have for those rare situations where there’s a long TSA PreCheck line but not a long CLEAR line, especially since I’m not paying anything out of pocket.
If you’re a CLEAR member, what has your experience been? What do you make of the value proposition?
Every United GS and 1K gets Clear for free, as do equivalent Delta elites, in addition to the AMEX cards mentioned. Clear has helped in @2 of my 200+ flights per year.
Four of us split a Clear membership that has both the Delta discount ($10) and AMEX credit ($189), so the per person cost comes out to $50. While my hub is AA controlled (and AA needs to get with the program now that Alaska has the same Clear deal), I get a few uses a year to make it worthwhile.
I get clear for free as a UA 1K benefit, but when I lose that this year, I more than likely won't renew. As people below have stated, its useless at my home airport of IAD, and it's getting that way at other airports as well.
In addition, I keep getting a "random" ID check, so it really is not worth the money to pay for it.
I can get it basically free but opt not to. It’s been annoying at places like IAD where Clear people get escorted ahead of pre-check passengers. It would feel weird to me to be that person they’re allowing to cut in line so I pass.
I got it when it first came out, before there was Precheck, and it saved so much time I quickly got over any embarrassment you were jumping-the-line. But lately, at IAD, I have seen the Precheck line shorter than the Clear line. Of course, I get it with Amex, so. The price is right.
Huh? Clear always escorts ahead of pre-check passengers - not just at IAD. That's the whole point of the service
@Ben - When your flying of of MIA on AA, you can use CLEAR at the Concourse E checkpoint, since E & D are connected airside. It isn't too much or a detour since it's about a 5 minute walk from the checkpoint exit to the concourse D train. If I'm not visiting the AA check in counter, I just ask my ride to drop me off at the QR/Iberia check in counter.
To clarify, I don't have precheck at the moment (I have applied for Global Entry, but I'm waiting for my interview), so CLEAR really comes in handy. But if you have access to Precheck or the AA Priority Checkpoint then it might not be as useful.
A year ago after the pandemic restrictions were lifted and the TSA PreCheck lines were backed out of the terminals I used regularly, I would have loved to have it. Now, the TSA lines are back to the prepandemic levels of around 5 minutes at domestic airports I use. So, not worth it now for my flying patterns.
I actually found it to be worth it the last 2 times I used it this past week. I was flying from Miami on Friday morning and the security line was packed at 5:30am. It took my family member 40 minutes to clear security (mostly just waiting in line for the ID check). Meanwhile, CLEAR took me no time to get to the metal detector.
Same at Newark last Friday, except the security line...
I actually found it to be worth it the last 2 times I used it this past week. I was flying from Miami on Friday morning and the security line was packed at 5:30am. It took my family member 40 minutes to clear security (mostly just waiting in line for the ID check). Meanwhile, CLEAR took me no time to get to the metal detector.
Same at Newark last Friday, except the security line was unbelievably long at Terminal C. It wrapped around everywhere. There was even a huge line (50+ people) for the escalator to get from the check in counters level to the security level. I just signed up the family member at EWR for a free trial right then and there and they were amazed! Meanwhile, the people we were in line with were only a third of the way through.
One airport addition is Hartford/BDL which was added in or around April/May 2023.
I would second the experience at Denver coming from Mexico. The regular TSA precheck was much shorter. When I got up to the CLEAR units, my information was "not recognized" and my wife had no problem. The same thing happened in Chicago. They had somehow lost my biometric information after successfully using CLEAR for over a year. When the CLEAR employee called the helpline nobody answered. I went through the TSA precheck line. I was...
I would second the experience at Denver coming from Mexico. The regular TSA precheck was much shorter. When I got up to the CLEAR units, my information was "not recognized" and my wife had no problem. The same thing happened in Chicago. They had somehow lost my biometric information after successfully using CLEAR for over a year. When the CLEAR employee called the helpline nobody answered. I went through the TSA precheck line. I was able to get in touch with customer service while waiting to board and told I would have to re-register and repeat the biometrics. They did give me and my wife refunds immediately and we will not be signing up again even if it is free with Amex.
Great, then don't use it. Less people when I do!
Based on my personal experiences, it's not worth it. Most airports I use it doesn't seem to make a difference, and the last two times I used it I was arriving from an international flight in Denver, and the Clear + TSA line was much slower than the regular TSA line. There were only two Clear employees working the kiosks and would only take 2-3 passangers at a time. So, the lady traveling with me...
Based on my personal experiences, it's not worth it. Most airports I use it doesn't seem to make a difference, and the last two times I used it I was arriving from an international flight in Denver, and the Clear + TSA line was much slower than the regular TSA line. There were only two Clear employees working the kiosks and would only take 2-3 passangers at a time. So, the lady traveling with me switched to the normal TSA line and she cleared security 15 minutes before me. It was at this time I decided to cancel my membership. Why should I pay money to spend more time in security lines?
If you're at an airport in an affluent area traveling during peak times, CLEAR is useless. I have waited in a 20 minute line just to get to the CLEAR kiosk.
But if you're at an airport in a poor area and the terminal is predominantly low cost airlines then CLEAR could be very helpful.
My experience as well. I did not renew. Most times it was a wash comparing Clear + TSA Pre and just TSA Pre. A few times it actually took me quite a bit longer to get through Clear + TSA and even fewer did I actually save time.
The bottleneck is always Clear and the number of employees they decide to have on hand versus the number of kiosks. ATL had 10-12 kiosks, only...
My experience as well. I did not renew. Most times it was a wash comparing Clear + TSA Pre and just TSA Pre. A few times it actually took me quite a bit longer to get through Clear + TSA and even fewer did I actually save time.
The bottleneck is always Clear and the number of employees they decide to have on hand versus the number of kiosks. ATL had 10-12 kiosks, only 4 operating, and only 2 employees.
Meanwhile passengers in the TSA Pre line just zipped right through. Also had this happen at LAX and SEA.
I’ve found Clear to be worth every penny. I travel to MSP frequently, though only on AA so I use the north checkpoint at the opposite end of the terminal from DL, and it saves a lot of time. I live in IND where Clear is not available and the one TSA pre check line often has a 20 minute wait. Having Clear at IND would knock a lot of off that wait.
Yep, I'm here actually from a Google search bc today was the first time I experienced waiting longer in clear than just using the regular pre-check line. Like, I was standing there like a chump while the regular pre-check line powered past me.
This has never happened to me before, but I'm a fairly recent pre-check member. I could see a LOT of value in skipping the regular security lane, which was an s-show today,...
Yep, I'm here actually from a Google search bc today was the first time I experienced waiting longer in clear than just using the regular pre-check line. Like, I was standing there like a chump while the regular pre-check line powered past me.
This has never happened to me before, but I'm a fairly recent pre-check member. I could see a LOT of value in skipping the regular security lane, which was an s-show today, if you didnt have precheck.
My home airport, MCO, is big on Clear but my main destination CLT is an AA hub so it's banished there. And being just a lowly Sapphire Preferred cardholder, no free Clear for me.
I won't renew.
"Even as a CLEAR member, I skip using CLEAR most of the time." Exactly my experience at IAD and BNA every other week! Couldn't agree more. It's just slower to wait around on the Clear agents in a line instead of showing your ID and walking through.
Yeah I shoulda flushed the money down the toilet. ATL is my home airport and Clear always has longer lines and is slower than PreCheck. Not enough kiosks open and the biometric stuff half the time doesn't read so you have to try six different verification tricks to ID. Sad thing when TSA has you beat.
Bait and switch sales tactics. Signed up for three month free trial and $109 per year for the first year (United frequent flyer member). At first, all looks good on my account and numbers matched. Received email this morning (two months into free trial period) telling me that my renewal rate would be $159 per year. Contacted “Member Services” team with account screenshots and explanation but they refused to do anything about it. Useless. I...
Bait and switch sales tactics. Signed up for three month free trial and $109 per year for the first year (United frequent flyer member). At first, all looks good on my account and numbers matched. Received email this morning (two months into free trial period) telling me that my renewal rate would be $159 per year. Contacted “Member Services” team with account screenshots and explanation but they refused to do anything about it. Useless. I canceled membership immediately after denial and it looks like the account was deactivated. However, now I’ll need to watch CC account like a hawk for the next couple of months in case they bill it anyway (as described in other web sites). Buyer beware!!
I got free 1-yr CLEAR membership through an offer from my United Explorer Card (Chase), which also includes fees for Global Entry that I have. Once I got CLEAR, they offered me another promotion, 6-mo free CLEAR for my spouse. So, overall, not a bad deal for a $95 annual fee card!
Coming to convenience, I use CLEAR the most esp. at MCO, which is always crazy packed at security lines. These days even...
I got free 1-yr CLEAR membership through an offer from my United Explorer Card (Chase), which also includes fees for Global Entry that I have. Once I got CLEAR, they offered me another promotion, 6-mo free CLEAR for my spouse. So, overall, not a bad deal for a $95 annual fee card!
Coming to convenience, I use CLEAR the most esp. at MCO, which is always crazy packed at security lines. These days even TSA Pre could take 15-20 min time at peak hours, but CLEAR definitely is the fastest.
One thing to mention is that the pre check lanes are often full so having a Clear membership may be useful depending how often you travel or if it's free.
My home airports are NYC and I've recently flown both int'l and domestic. My experiences may be rare but having the CLEAR+Precheck combo has gotten me from arriving at the airport to waiting at my gate in less than 20 mins (and at least half of that time was from walking to my actual gate). I've noticed that there are now two lines for CLEAR: standard CLEAR and CLEAR combo. Not sure if this is...
My home airports are NYC and I've recently flown both int'l and domestic. My experiences may be rare but having the CLEAR+Precheck combo has gotten me from arriving at the airport to waiting at my gate in less than 20 mins (and at least half of that time was from walking to my actual gate). I've noticed that there are now two lines for CLEAR: standard CLEAR and CLEAR combo. Not sure if this is at all airports but the standard CLEAR line is usually longer and has more people than CLEAR combo. I've also noticed that the Precheck line is always filled with people waiting so having it alone doesn't make sense for me personally. It might be the times of day I'm flying but the CLEAR combo has been a life saver and I got it before having the AMEX credit with just the United discount. As of now, I'm definitely going to keep! Hope logistics improve for those with bad experiences.
I agree. Clear needs to seriously upgrade the number of kiosks and people that are attending them if they wish to keep their core customers. Can they do this? Absolutely! Until that time we will use our free Clear memberships when they serve our needs.
The number of kiosks is limited by physical space at the airport. I say what's needed is some kioskless innovation, maybe a partnership with ID.me so passengers can use their phone instead of a kiosk.
Global entry doesn’t even require passports to be shown or a print out so maybe clear improvements are next?
I think they'd be good just increasing the number of agents at the kiosks. In every situation where it took me longer to wait on Clear than to just go straight to precheck, there were more than enough kiosks but just a skeleton crew of agents not able to process people fast enough.
Frankly, if they insist on walking every person through the process like they are babies, then they need to staff one...
I think they'd be good just increasing the number of agents at the kiosks. In every situation where it took me longer to wait on Clear than to just go straight to precheck, there were more than enough kiosks but just a skeleton crew of agents not able to process people fast enough.
Frankly, if they insist on walking every person through the process like they are babies, then they need to staff one agent for every kiosk or at least 2 for every 3 kiosks. And I get it; People are idiots, but CLEAR chose a business where they need to adjust for the least common denominator or lose customers that are smart enough to know when they've been had.
It's not always the fastest, but in my view, it only needs to save you from a huge line (and missing a flight) once or twice a year for it to be worth the cost. It's a good thing to have in the tool box.
The most unpredictable part of a TSA checkpoint is not in the line to get your ID checked. It's the physical screening -- sometimes there are very few officers, and/or something is holding up the x-ray belt. Or you get selected for an extra process (like swabbing your electronics) and have to wait for a specific officer to become available to do that.
The answer is.. it depends. Like others have said, sometimes there’s no line at precheck but there’s a line of people at clear. I can’t believe they haven’t changed how they operate after so many years. I’ve seen these clear stations staffed by as few as one, never exceeding three. Personally escorting people is terribly inefficient. Replace all the kiosks with what customs uses for their global entry. A machine scans you, confirms everything is...
The answer is.. it depends. Like others have said, sometimes there’s no line at precheck but there’s a line of people at clear. I can’t believe they haven’t changed how they operate after so many years. I’ve seen these clear stations staffed by as few as one, never exceeding three. Personally escorting people is terribly inefficient. Replace all the kiosks with what customs uses for their global entry. A machine scans you, confirms everything is fine, prints you a ticket and u walk into a clear line. Have one person watching the kiosks and one watching the line. Your welcome.
IMHO, the personal escort is not the inefficient part. It's the fact that a uniformed TSA officer still needs to look at your boarding pass.
My wife and I are CLEAR members and we regularly fly out of the four NYC airports (JFK, LGA, EWR, and HPN). My wife flies thru the process and I fail EVERY TIME. My eyes can't be read due to surgeries and my fingerprints do not register either. No, I do not work for any three-lettered governmental agency. That being said, given the time we fly, I still find it faster than TSA-PRECHECK.
I had a problem with the scanners not reading my eyes. I asked an enrollment agent if I could go through the onboarding process again, taking a new photo, and now my eyes can be read the first time at every airport.
I have dark brown eyes and the machine often has issues reading them. The last time I went through the attendant turned off the light around the mirror and, voila, it had no issues so maybe give that a try next time.
That being said, my home airport does not have CLEAR and I only got it because the Platinum card reimbursed the charge. I'll be downgrading the Platinum card next year and won't be renewing CLEAR.
Such a wireless and frustrating time suck that I actively went out and cancelled it even though the fee was covered by my Amex Plat.
Can't wait for it to disappear from the face of the earth.
Clear has been useful in many airports but recently We had to show and scan Id's and add all of our information at the clear Kiosk.... then try to use it and then re-show our ID's.. Then went to TSA to go thru and had to get out our ID's etc and show again... then given random checks??? I do not know if TSA and Clear are having an issue...but it felt like something was going on last month???? ANy ideas out there?
Yep had the same happen to me. "Random" ID check when the whole point of scanning my eyes is to eliminate the need to carry ID.
Recently I found a separate entrance/security screening area at the far end of a terminal, specifically marked for people with both Pre-Check and Clear. The combo line was fantastic. Long wait at regular, PreCheck, and Clear security lines. The combo screening area had no wait at all. Not clearly marked, but honestly, I prefer it that way.
MIA?
same
CLEAR in ATL is useless. On a trip 2 weeks ago the CLEAR line barely moved while the Precheck alone line moved swiftly. Then when it was my turn we went to one machine that couldn't find me in the system. Then another....same thing. Then they took me to the main machine that finally found me. It had to scan my drivers license. I've had CLEAR for years but seem to have these issues from...
CLEAR in ATL is useless. On a trip 2 weeks ago the CLEAR line barely moved while the Precheck alone line moved swiftly. Then when it was my turn we went to one machine that couldn't find me in the system. Then another....same thing. Then they took me to the main machine that finally found me. It had to scan my drivers license. I've had CLEAR for years but seem to have these issues from time to time. It was basically a 20 min ordeal for me to get thru security. If I had just used Precheck alone it would have been 5 mins or less. I will gladly show my ID to avoid this mess in ATL. I will keep CLEAR since my AMEX platinum pays for it and it does help at other airports. But it doesn't help at all in ATL.
Who doesn't love it.
Even the liberals are willing to pay to jump the line and the conservatives are giving their own biometrics to help support the government encroachment.
win-win-win.
I get Clear for free through my AMEX Platinum card, however, during all but the busiest of times (think Monday morning rush) regular plain old TSA pre-check line is routinely faster. My wife without Clear but with pre-check beats me through security. I certainly wouldn't pay for it.
From what I've seen particularly at MIA/AA (my home airport) Clear might save you 5 minutes. Not enough for me to spring for $179 a year. Not to mention it's only at the E entrance, which is a hike to low D gates.
I have CLEAR. I swear I waste more time in the CLEAR lane than if I just went the normal route. I would never pay out of pocket for this.
I'm glad I got to try CLEAR for free (Amex Plat) before paying for it. I have dark brown eyes that the monitor has trouble "reading" and it also has issues reading my fingertips. It takes me almost as long to go through clear as regular PreCheck. Since my home airport doesn't have CLEAR I won't be renewing since I'm giving up my Plat card.
NEXUS + CLEAR for me, works out great. But I should point out that CLEAR is especially valuable for non-US citizens or PLRs. If you don't have citizenship or a green card, you can't get Pre-Check. But you can get CLEAR.
I had plenty of H1-B colleagues swear by CLEAR because it's essential for frequent travel without Pre-Check.
I still get to the airport real early like they tell you to do. But with Clear & TSA, I probably can arrive 30 minutes before the flight? How early do you all arrive?
I have never had more that one person ahead of me when I use clear.
You’ve never been to Dulles at 6 p.m. on a weekday.
The app shows family pricing at $50 each, I'm waiting for a supervisor to adjust my pricing...
Normally I'd not worry about it but I had a free clear acct already and had to contact customer support to get the Delta Amex pricing...
Only continue using Clear because Amex pays for it. Many times you lose more time waiting for a Clear agent and that is if they want to be of assistance.
Post pandemic the quality of clear agents has declined, much like everywhere else where they pay a basic salary.
Recently, advised by a lazy Clear agent to just use TSA Pre as: "there is no line"
Other times, getting: "Random ID check" defeating the purpose of using Clear...
The wait for Clear at MSP and DEN is almost always longer than the premium or Prechcheck line. At MCO and LAS, Clear is usually the fastest option.
Fyi, AmEx Green Business does not have a Clear membership benefit. Perhaps the personal Green card does. AmEx Platinum Business card does have a benefit.
The personal green does. That's how I pay for it.
Cancelled my clear earlier this year. Had to for 2 years and decided it wasn’t worth it.
I’d stand in line and watch the TSA Precheck line move MUCH faster than it takes to reach a CLEAR kiosk. After half a dozen times realizing that I’d have been through faster in the regular line, I ended the membership.
The problem is twofold. 1. They insist on assisting every single person like they’re babies....
Cancelled my clear earlier this year. Had to for 2 years and decided it wasn’t worth it.
I’d stand in line and watch the TSA Precheck line move MUCH faster than it takes to reach a CLEAR kiosk. After half a dozen times realizing that I’d have been through faster in the regular line, I ended the membership.
The problem is twofold. 1. They insist on assisting every single person like they’re babies. Frankly I see no need to be so involved in the process other than to check that passengers get greenlit and for the handoff to TSA. I know, people are generally stupid, but if your average Joe can’t figure out the kiosk, the problem is your kiosks not the people.
2. They never have enough assistants. Since they insist on using them, you’d think they may have enough on hand. Nope. This is exactly where the bottle neck occurs at ATL and a few other airports. May have anywhere from 4-12 kiosks but often less than half the staff needed.
Overall time saved may have been net 10-15 minutes over 2 dozen trips. Not worth it.
For free? Sure. It usually won’t hurt, but I stress usually. You may find yourself losing time in some instances.
Using CLEAR to skip to the front of the Pre-Check line is pretty nice, especially since it's "free" from AMEX
Just passed through regular security at SEA. Was bounced from a long TAS PreCheck line because Air Tahiti Nui is not yet registered even though we have TSA PreCheck through AS. The regular lineup was FAST, took less time to clear than our wait at PreCheck before we got bounced. So today regulat lineup at TSA is the fastest. Clear lines were longer.
As others have noted, Clear is nice when you're really in a hurry, but it's often slower than PreCheck if the latter has a short line. I wouldn't pay for it if I didn't get it for free through multiple avenues. My two gripes with Clear are:
1. It creates confusion and chaos in front of the PreCheck line, annoying those who you cut in front of, and in my opinion, opening the door for...
As others have noted, Clear is nice when you're really in a hurry, but it's often slower than PreCheck if the latter has a short line. I wouldn't pay for it if I didn't get it for free through multiple avenues. My two gripes with Clear are:
1. It creates confusion and chaos in front of the PreCheck line, annoying those who you cut in front of, and in my opinion, opening the door for a security beach; the TSA agent is sometimes unaware of whose ID has been checked and who is legally passing through. This is a smaller threat at terminals with less congestion.
2. I can't stand it when the Clear agents try to strike up a friendly conversation. This seems part of their strategy to be hip and cool, attracting the millennial/gen-Z demographic, which they aggressively advertised toward in the early days. (And maybe that's why all of their agents seem to be in their twenties.) I'm not using Clear to talk about where I'm traveling or how I'm doing today.
Do I use Clear? Yes. Am I proud of it? No.
Totally agreed on #1. I've found it's super effective at the SFO International terminal and T2, but 9/10 times some individual or group grumbles at me for "cutting" in front of the pre-check line.
Right. The whole point I am using CLEAR is to get thru as fast as possible. I have zero interest in chitchat with the staff.
Clear is like my husband
First Class all the way and escorted to the front
I love it
Absolutely worth it
Would love to know the answers to these questions.
Does Clear pay the TSA for letting members cut in line? Does Clear lease the airport for the lease the line space frome the airports?
What if an airline or other private party wanted to start a clear competitor. Is that allowed?
The CLEAR + Pre-Check lane in Terminal 1 at ORD has saved my sanity more than once on a busy Monday morning when Pre-Check is loaded and standard security is unbelievable. It was free as a UA 1K for me, and it's my second favorite 1K perk. It's saved me boatloads of time at other airports that have incredible crowds. I really can't live without it. If I lose 1K, I think I'll renew at $119 anyway.
I particularly love when people criticize or write off an entire service or offering because of a singular bit of empirical experience. And must be INCREDIBLE to be soo very busy and important than an online renewal form is too time consuming and time wasting.
Like Ken said below, CLEAR's value can vacillate greatly based on airport. Which is totally fair. Whenever I fly out of MKE, which now has CLEAR, it saves no time...
I particularly love when people criticize or write off an entire service or offering because of a singular bit of empirical experience. And must be INCREDIBLE to be soo very busy and important than an online renewal form is too time consuming and time wasting.
Like Ken said below, CLEAR's value can vacillate greatly based on airport. Which is totally fair. Whenever I fly out of MKE, which now has CLEAR, it saves no time cause Ive never seen more than 2 people in the Pre-Check line, regardless of time of day.
I'm not even a CLEAR fanatic. I originally got it as my (now) wife at the time had it and it was annoying to travel together without it, so I jumped on her plan. Now its free with any number of things.
Is it the greatest? No. Does it provide very real time savings? Absolutely. Love people pretending like the disinterested TSA agent checking IDs and tickets in the pre-check line are always alert and efficient and speedy, but no, its the CLEAR employees who are bored and not paying attention and slow everything down.
It's clear (pun intended) from reading the comments that the benefit of a CLEAR membership is very dependent upon which airports and carriers you frequent. In Ft. Lauderdale, CLEAR saves me a lot of time in Terminal 1 when I use Southwest Airlines. Same goes for St. Louis and Dallas Love Field, again when flying Southwest. Many times I have avoided long lines at TSA Precheck and jumped ahead with my CLEAR membership. It is...
It's clear (pun intended) from reading the comments that the benefit of a CLEAR membership is very dependent upon which airports and carriers you frequent. In Ft. Lauderdale, CLEAR saves me a lot of time in Terminal 1 when I use Southwest Airlines. Same goes for St. Louis and Dallas Love Field, again when flying Southwest. Many times I have avoided long lines at TSA Precheck and jumped ahead with my CLEAR membership. It is less valuable at Dallas/Ft. Worth and Miami where American Airlines has a stronghold preventing CLEAR from operating in the terminals in which AA is dominant.
My wife and I have CLEAR by virtue of United 1K status. That having been said, it has been totally USELESS to me the last three times I used it.
Why? Each time the CLEAR scanner would identify me and flash a message that I have been randomly selected for full identification, requiring me to get on the PreCheck line and see an agent who then needs to check my ID. (Fortunately, it doesn't trigger...
My wife and I have CLEAR by virtue of United 1K status. That having been said, it has been totally USELESS to me the last three times I used it.
Why? Each time the CLEAR scanner would identify me and flash a message that I have been randomly selected for full identification, requiring me to get on the PreCheck line and see an agent who then needs to check my ID. (Fortunately, it doesn't trigger the dreaded SSSS security check!) No time savings – actually a time loss!
It is also amazing that CLEAR isn't available in Hawaii at all. The security lines, even for PreCheck are often quite long.
As more and more of the “great unwashed” join the ranks of TSA pre-check, it makes a Clear membership all that more valuable. I’ve seen many instances where the pre-check line is longer than the normal security line. And now pre-check is increasingly being filled by families with strollers and the like further delaying the queue. I’m glad I have Clear. I just wished it was available in more locations.
The whole concept of CLEAR is just greedy money grab from all related parties. CLEAR takes your money to jump the line, then pays the airport to let you jump the line. It's a zero sum waiting time game as long as the size of the checkpoints doesn't change. Just like Skyclub entry system, the only way to fix the problem is to expand to accommodate. Priority lines are just punishing one group of people...
The whole concept of CLEAR is just greedy money grab from all related parties. CLEAR takes your money to jump the line, then pays the airport to let you jump the line. It's a zero sum waiting time game as long as the size of the checkpoints doesn't change. Just like Skyclub entry system, the only way to fix the problem is to expand to accommodate. Priority lines are just punishing one group of people for the benefit of other paying group of people. (But that's capitalism)
But I like using Clear to jump the line so that I can stand in the Amex Centurion line earlier. Oh wait…
@VX_Flier - heh, at least you have a line to stand in. At SFO and LAX, everything is shut down by 7pm, because clearly nobody travels after that.
EXACTLY.
And being one of the line jumpers, I welcome it!
I recently signed up with Clear at Dulles as a Clear rep Hailed me as I was walking by. I had a few minutes and said why not; I can get a Clear membership free from being Delta Diamond Medallion. Like the OMAAT story states I really didn't see a benefit since I also have Pre-Check. Well recently my son and I were flying out of MCO; Orlando, to head to Michigan; GO BLUE!!, the...
I recently signed up with Clear at Dulles as a Clear rep Hailed me as I was walking by. I had a few minutes and said why not; I can get a Clear membership free from being Delta Diamond Medallion. Like the OMAAT story states I really didn't see a benefit since I also have Pre-Check. Well recently my son and I were flying out of MCO; Orlando, to head to Michigan; GO BLUE!!, the day after Hurricane Nicole went through central Florida. The TSA line was ridiculously long. I travel a lot and it was the longest I've seen probably since Springbreak 2021 when most of the country was opening up or the Monday after Christmas a few years ago. I decided to sign my son up for $60 so we could by pass the looooong TSA ID check line. I have to say that $60 was worth it. Probably easily saved us 30 min; min. I agree I wouldn't pay over a $100 for Clear. But if you already have Clear the $60 to add a family member is worth it. Cheers and GO BLUE! beat ohio
Whose Ohio
Why do you want to beat them?
Are you ok?
Do you need help?
Boise! The West Coast asylum seekers sought refuge in Idaho. There’s many GSMs and 1Ks now; with long Upgrade lists.
Clear opened last Wednesday. I flew Friday. 100s in regular TSA, about 70 in TSA Pre; no wait for CLEAR. A breeze.
At SFO T3, CLEAR by Econ is usually closed. CLEAR between UA Econ and premier and only does CLEAR (if you hold clear, keep going.) CLEAR by Premier only does combined with TSA Pre.
I live in DC and it's great. The last time I flew out of DCA there was a 15-20 minute wait for TSA Pre and with Clear no wait and I zipped right to the front of the line, passing many pissed off looking people. Similar thing at Dulles when I fly from there. It's worth it as a washington, dC-based traveler.
Likewise. Unsurprisingly, it does seem to piss people off that are waiting. Especially when there are a few Clear members going through.
Do Not Pay for these memberships. With new scanner technology Eventually we will all be treated equally and not pay for these security priveliges.
"Eventually we will all be treated equally and not pay for these security priveliges”
lol
LOL too.
Naive @Tony N fails to realize, eventually someone will come up with a new scheme to grab your money in exchange for jumping the line.
Honestly, the best feature about Clear is that you didn't have to take off your face mask for the TSA agent when going through the checkpoint during the pandemic. Even before the pandemic, my favorite feature about Clear was that I could have my wallet/ID and everything in my bag when approaching the security line, rather than needing to faff with my ID for the TSA Agent.
Wait Facemasks are still required when flying?
In Seattle, Clear is a huge help. TSA precheck line had a 45-55 minute wait, no one in the Clear PreCheck area. I have flown out of Seattle twice in the last 3 months and Clear was a huge time saver both times. I got Clear for free using the Platinum Card and wouldn't have signed up usually but was definitely glad I had it for that particular airport.
Flying out of Dulles on intl flights, Clear+Pre-Check is always the way to go, but then I’m always on the United Airlines side during off peak intl departures.
Flying out of National on AA, Clear is a godsend.
I’ve found Clear to be exceptionally valuable.
Yeah, I find it to be fairly useful at DCA. It maybe just saves you a few minutes, but for the $0 OOP cost, it's nice to have. Avoids you having to get your wallet out, too, which if you're juggling a bunch of stuff is nice.
They need to mark the lines a little better. I have Pre-Chek, but ended up in the que for Clear.
Wonder how Boise of all places ended up getting CLEAR? Can't imagine its that busy of an airport... Does give me some hope that PIT may get CLEAR during/after the current construction.
My favorite is at SFO when there is nobody at clear, and only 2-3 people in precheck. Even with clear, I go to the precheck line, and some a-hole goes through clear to cut all 2 of us remaining. Laughable really.
CLEARly (ha!), someone has Clear envy…
Clear is absolutely useless .4 of us were traveling last month from Atlanta and we actually tested this out where one person Went through the general security check and 3 of us went thru clear .The person that went through regular security was quicker than rets of us .Also,in the return trip CLEAR was not available past 9 PM
Kumar is 100% right. I've done that same test. By the time the biometrics are scanned and THE ONE PERSON to take you to the front of the line walks back from the previous person she escorted to take you, the PRE/GOES people are already there.
At some larger airports the CLEAR escort is in no hurry to get back to help you and will stand and chat with other airport staff on their...
Kumar is 100% right. I've done that same test. By the time the biometrics are scanned and THE ONE PERSON to take you to the front of the line walks back from the previous person she escorted to take you, the PRE/GOES people are already there.
At some larger airports the CLEAR escort is in no hurry to get back to help you and will stand and chat with other airport staff on their way.
> it’s costing me nothing out of pocket. If I didn’t get it for free, I wouldn’t pay $109-119 for this...
Oh it costs you twice. The first time to get enrollment done is a complete waste of time... because... see above about that "eager to please" vs "I have to escort these people" attitude. The second time it costs you is to wait for that person to actually escort you when you want to use CLEAR.
Like I said, Kumar called it. Clear is absolutely useless, and often not as past as PRE. The concept is OK but like PRE if it was any good lots of people would sign up for it... and then no short lines for that either.
I had it for one year, and never renewed it because I'd quit using it. Wasn't even worth my time to fill out the renew web form.
Given that you are giving your biometric data to a private company, people should think twice if the tradeoff is worth it.
Outside of Delta and United hubs, as noted, CLEAR isn't any faster than pre-check. The real time and hassle savings comes in simplifying the screening process with pre-check (which is true even at airports that don't have a dedicated pre-check scanner) as well as the expedited arrival into the US with Global...
Given that you are giving your biometric data to a private company, people should think twice if the tradeoff is worth it.
Outside of Delta and United hubs, as noted, CLEAR isn't any faster than pre-check. The real time and hassle savings comes in simplifying the screening process with pre-check (which is true even at airports that don't have a dedicated pre-check scanner) as well as the expedited arrival into the US with Global Entry - which also uses biometric data but which the US government already knows about everyone with a US passport and obtains from most countries as part of their shared security protocols.
You should stick to Delta sycophancy.
"Given that you are giving your biometric data to a private company, people should think twice if the tradeoff is worth it.”
Everyone wants to know if you’ve thought twice Tim Dunn.
"Outside of Delta and United hubs, as noted, CLEAR isn't any faster than pre-check.”
So at 10-15 of the biggest US airports, which probably serve a decent plurality of US air travel, CLEAR is definitely faster. Did you have a point beyond that?
reread what I wrote and get help if you can't stop fixating on what I write.
The only thing I said was about Delta and United hubs.
If you think my statement is wrong, at least bother to provide some sort of anecdotal evidence, even if it is made up. Since the TSA publishes wait times for its services, it isn't hard to tell if someone is just blowing smoke.
Tim is spreading misinformation once again.
The US government, at least legally, doesn't have fingerprints for US citizens unless you provide them with your consent.
Yes you should think twice before giving your biometric data to a private company. You should think thrice for giving your biometric data to any very large and powerful entities such as governments. Entities that could hinder the security of a 'free' state.
Is CLEAR faster outside hubs, I...
Tim is spreading misinformation once again.
The US government, at least legally, doesn't have fingerprints for US citizens unless you provide them with your consent.
Yes you should think twice before giving your biometric data to a private company. You should think thrice for giving your biometric data to any very large and powerful entities such as governments. Entities that could hinder the security of a 'free' state.
Is CLEAR faster outside hubs, I would say yes. Saving 5 minutes is still saving time. At hubs, it could save you up to 30 minutes just like GEICO. ;)
if you have a US passport, you almost certainly have biometric data on it. same for most western countries.
and biometric data includes a digital photograph that can "read" the configuration of your face.
Another Tim Dunn pulling something out of context again, at least you corrected yourself a bit this time.
Let's be clear, we're talking about CLEAR.
Biometrics in the context of CLEAR's collection is your fingerprints or eye.
In the US Passport, as you correct yourself, or most biometric passport is your photo for facial recognition.
So yes, CBP has my photo, so does Facebook.
But would you trust Zuckerberg with fingerprints...
Another Tim Dunn pulling something out of context again, at least you corrected yourself a bit this time.
Let's be clear, we're talking about CLEAR.
Biometrics in the context of CLEAR's collection is your fingerprints or eye.
In the US Passport, as you correct yourself, or most biometric passport is your photo for facial recognition.
So yes, CBP has my photo, so does Facebook.
But would you trust Zuckerberg with fingerprints or iris?
Biometrics in general term could be anything from your height to fingerprints to genital measurement.
Agree, I have a real problem giving my biometric data to a private company that trades publicly.
This has been what stops me from getting Clear, I can’t find, as of the last time I looked about 2 years ago, any substantive discussion of their security measures, encryption strength, data retention policies, etc. Nada... Maybe it’s there now, but I haven’t looked.