When it comes to getting through airport security faster, there are a few options. There's TSA PreCheck, a government-run program, and then there's CLEAR® Plus, a privately operated service. And they serve drastically different purposes.
CLEAR® Plus allows you to cut to the front of the line: On its own, you can skip to the front of the standard security line. In tandem with PreCheck, you can skip to the front of that shorter, faster line – keeping your coat and shoes on and keeping electronics inside your bag, too.
So what's not to love about CLEAR Plus? For one thing, the price: After yet another increase, it now clocks in at a whopping $199 a year – though fortunately there are a handful of ways to cut that cost (or even make it free with some travel credit cards). Even so, that can be a tough price tag to swallow.
And it's gotten even harder for many travelers to see the value lately. As more and more Americans have signed up, long lines have formed in CLEAR kiosks at airports around the country, leading to longer waits than even PreCheck lanes. To make matters worse, CLEAR members are regularly being subjected to random ID checks, negating the service's major selling point of speedy, touchless travel.
From signing up to getting through security, here's our review of using CLEAR® at the airport.
The Basics on CLEAR (& How it Compares to PreCheck)
CLEAR Plus is a privately run trusted-traveler program that takes both your fingerprints and iris scans to confirm your identity before security screening. Once you've signed up (more on this shortly) and finalized your registration, you simply head to the CLEAR® lane, confirm your identity at a kiosk, and get whisked away to the front of the TSA line by a CLEAR ambassador.
Unless you get stopped for a secondary ID check – a recurring problem with CLEAR these days – you can just flash your boarding pass to the TSA agent and you're on your way. If you've got TSA PreCheck too, you'll head to the front of that line – otherwise, you'll cut to the front of the standard TSA line.
The one hitch is that it's not available at every airport – but its presence is growing fast. It's available at nearly 60 U.S. airports and counting, with more locations at even small airports added seemingly every other month. Scan through the list and you'll find plenty of Delta and United hubs, thanks to close partnerships between the companies.
| Airport | Terminal(s) |
|---|---|
| Atlanta (ATL) | North & South Domestic Terminals |
| Austin (AUS) | Checkpoints 1 & 2 |
| Baltimore (BWI) | Checkpoints A,B,C, D & E |
| Birmingham (BHM) | Main Terminal |
| Boise (BOI) | Main Terminal |
| Boston (BOS) | Terminal A |
| Buffalo (BUF) | Main Terminal |
| Chicago-Midway (MDW) | Main Terminal |
| Chicago-O'Hare (ORD) | Terminal 1 & 2 |
| Cincinnati (CVG) | Main Terminal |
| Cleveland (CLE) | Center & South Checkpoints |
| Columbus (CMH) | Main Terminal |
| Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) | Terminal E |
| Dallas-Love Field (DAL) | Terminal 1 |
| Denver (DEN) | North & South Entrances |
| Detroit (DTW) | North & McNamara Terminals |
| Fort Lauderdale (FLL) | Terminals 1 & 2 |
| Greenville-Spartanburg (GSP) | Main Terminal |
| Hartford (BDL) | Terminal A |
| Houston-Intercontinental (IAH) | Terminals A, B, C and E |
| Houston-Hobby (HOU) | Main Terminal |
| Kansas City (MCI) | Main Terminal |
| Las Vegas (LAS) | Terminals 1 & 3 |
| Long Beach (LGB) | Main Terminal |
| Los Angeles (LAX) | Terminals 1 - 7 |
| Miami (MIA) | Checkpoints E & H |
| Milwaukee (MKE) | Main Terminal |
| Minneapolis−Saint Paul (MSP) | Terminal 1 |
| Nashville (BNA) | Central Checkpoint |
| New Orleans (MSY) | Concourse D |
| New York City-John F. Kennedy (JFK) | Terminals 2 & 4 |
| New York-LaGuardia (LGA) | Terminals C & D |
| Newark (EWR) | Terminal C |
| Oakland (OAK) | Terminal 2 |
| Oklahoma City (OKC) | Main Terminal |
| Ontario (ONT) | Terminal 2 & 4 |
| Orlando (MCO) | East & West Security |
| Palm Beach (PBI) | Terminal A/B & C |
| Palm Springs (PSP) | Main Terminal |
| Phoenix (PHX) | Terminals 3 & 4 |
| Pittsburgh (PIT) | Main Terminal |
| Providence (PVD) | Main Terminal |
| Raleigh-Durham (RDU) | Terminals 1 & 2 |
| Sacramento (SMF) | Terminal A & B |
| Salt Lake City (SLC) | Terminals 1 & 2 |
| San Antonio (SAT) | Terminals A & B |
| San Diego (SAN) | Terminal 2 |
| San Francisco (SFO) | Terminals 1-3, International Terminals A & G |
| San Jose (SJC) | Terminal A & B |
| San Juan (SJU(+) | Terminals A, B & C |
| Seattle-Tacoma (SEA) | Checkpoints 1-5 |
| St. Louis (STL) | Terminal 2 |
| Tulsa (TUL) | Main Terminal |
| Washington, D.C.-Dulles (IAD) | Main Terminal & East Security Checkpoint |
| Washington, D.C.-Reagan (DCA) | Terminals A, B & C |
| Westchester County (HPN) | Main Terminal |
There's also a growing list of professional sports venues offering CLEAR®, too, helping you get into the stadium or arena faster.
| Sports Venue | City | Where to Access |
|---|---|---|
| State Farm Arena | Atlanta, GA | Gate 6 |
| Ball Arena | Denver, CO | Altitude Authentics Entrance |
| Comerica Park | Detroit, MI | Gate A |
| Allegiant Stadium | Las Vegas, NV | North Entry, Lanes 49 and 50 |
| T-Mobile Arena | Las Vegas, NV | Hyde Suite VIP Entry |
| BMO Stadium | Los Angeles, CA | Northeast and Northwest Gate |
| SoFi Stadium | Los Angeles, CA | South Entrance, Entry 9 |
| Kaseya Center | Miami, FL | Gate 1 & Gate 2 |
| Barclays Center | New York, NY | Flatbush Avenue Entrance |
| Yankee Stadium | New York, NY | Babe Ruth Plaza, Suite Entrance, & Gate 6 |
| Madison Square Garden | New York, NY | 7th Ave South Entrance |
| Chase Center | San Francisco, CA | West Entrance |
| Oracle Park | San Francisco, CA | Willie Mays Gate & King Street Gates |
| SAP Center | San Jose, CA | South Entrance |
| Lumen Field | Seattle, WA | Gate 3 |
| Capital One Arena | Washington, D.C. | 7th & G Street at Gallery Place |
| Nationals Park | Washington, D.C. | Center Field Gate |
TSA PreCheck works a bit differently.
For starters, it's run by the federal government. And it's drastically cheaper: Just $78 for a five-year membership compared to the $200 annual price tag for CLEAR® Plus. And the lines for PreCheck are always shorter (and much faster) than the standard security queues.
But it’s not just the shorter line that makes TSA PreCheck so valuable for travelers. You also get to leave your shoes, a belt and a light jacket on. Your laptop and the carry-on approved liquids in your bag can also stay put as you put them through the baggage screeners.
Those advantages make PreCheck and CLEAR a potentially powerful duo – they're not duplicative. When it works well, you can cut to the front of the line with CLEAR, then waltz through security – shoes, belt, and jacket on – with your PreCheck membership.
How to Save When You Sign Up
Signing up for CLEAR Plus at the airport is easy. It's the price tag that's scary.
Head to CLEARme.com to register for your membership. At $199 per year, it's a steep cost – especially considering a TSA PreCheck membership costs less than half that … for a five-year membership. But there are easy ways to cut that cost … by a bit.
For starters, all Delta SkyMiles members can save $10 and enroll in CLEAR® for $189. So even if you're not flying Delta, you can quickly sign up for a free SkyMiles account to save $10 a year. But if you've got status with Delta or hold one of the co-branded Delta SkyMiles American Express, that drops to $159. And the lowest pricing of all is reserved for top-tier Delta Diamond status holders (and invite-only Delta 360), who can select an annual membership as a free perk.
United has also partnered up with CLEAR® to offer similar pricing to its own members. Flyers with Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines can also get discounts.
These discounts don't go nearly as far as they did just a few years ago after CLEAR® raised these “special partner pricing” rates, then raised prices again this year.
Not sold yet? CLEAR® occasionally offers free two- to three-month trials, which allows you to give the program a test-run before ponying up for a full membership. We've also seen some worthwhile promos to sign up for CLEAR® Plus, like an offer to get a $75 Uber gift card when you signed up last fall.
Want to save even more? Or bring friends and family with you for less?
Cover the Entire Cost with Travel Credit Cards
*amex platinum card* got a huge overhaul a few years back, with a higher annual fee and a slew of new benefits – some better than others. But one great benefit is the $199 CLEAR® Plus credit that covers the cost of enrollment.
If you've already got this card, just pay for your membership with it each year and voila: A statement credit will kick in automatically to cover the cost. *biz platinum* also has an identical CLEAR Plus perk.
Learn more about *amex platinum*.
But you don't need to pay a $695 annual fee (see rates & fees) for a premium travel credit card to cover the cost of CLEAR Plus. The American Express® Green Card also comes with a CLEAR Plus credit of up to $199 per year. The Green Card charges a much lower annual fee of just $150 (see rates & fees).
All information about the American Express® Green Card has been collected independently by Thrifty Traveler.
Learn more about the American Express® Green Card (for full disclosure, this is not an affiliate link).
After signing up, you'll need to finalize your enrollment at the airport before your flight. Don't worry – it's not hard.
CLEAR's Family Plan
The Family Plan is a little-known but excellent feature of CLEAR membership.
CLEAR allows you to add up to three adult “family members” to your account – though there's no requirement that they're actually family (or even share an address). Best of all, members on your Family Plan can use CLEAR anytime they're flying: You don't have to be traveling with them to unlock that benefit.
Got kids in tow? No need to worry: Children under 18 can always join adult CLEAR members for free.
But the cost of adding other adults to CLEAR has grown, too. After previously charging just $70 per adult less than a year ago, it now costs $119 a year to add each adult to your Family Plan.
That's significantly cheaper than purchasing a membership outright. But if you (or your travel buddy) has another credit card that comes with CLEAR® Plus credits, that's a much better course than adding them to your Family Plan.
Finalizing Your Enrollment at the Airport
After you've signed up and received a confirmation email from CLEAR®, you're all set. Just head for the designated lanes at security checkpoints – with bright neon signs, they're hard to miss – as if you're ready to go through security. Tell an ambassador you need to finalize your enrollment, and they'll guide you toward a kiosk.
You won't need anything but your boarding pass and an ID. A representative will help you finish everything up. That includes getting fingerprints, thumbprints, and an iris scan. They'll take a quick snapshot of your face and scan your driver's license or passport. And that's it. The whole process of finalizing enrollment takes about five minutes.
Using CLEAR at the Airport
Once you've finalized your enrollment – or if that's already taken care of – you're off.
Just head for the CLEAR Plus lane at the security checkpoint with your boarding pass in hand. An agent will once again bring you to a kiosk for a quick scan of your eyes or fingerprints, glance at your boarding pass (or, in some cases, scan it at the kiosk), and then escort you to the front of the TSA line. Most CLEAR Plus members don't currently need to show their ID – that's the point of the service … at least in theory. But even paying CLEAR members are increasingly being subjected to random ID checks.
From there, you're ready to go through TSA security.
Over the course of the last few years, I've used CLEAR Plus about 60 times, maybe more. And it's a mixed bag.
Early in the pandemic, I routinely made it through airport security in five minutes or less thanks to the powerful combo of CLEAR and TSA PreCheck. When it works well, a quick, touchless trip through security is unbeatable.
But as travel demand has grown, lines have grown much longer, too. That's true of the standard security lines, TSA PreCheck queues, and CLEAR Plus too.
Some airports are better than others. Atlanta (ATL), for instance, is notoriously awful with bloated lines that mean heading straight for TSA PreCheck is almost always a better yet. But even at my home airport of Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP), CLEAR lines that were once short have become lengthy on a regular basis, too.
The Growing Problems with CLEAR
Americans are traveling in record numbers. And thanks in part to credit cards that cover the entire cost of CLEAR® Plus, more travelers are flooding into CLEAR lanes than the company can handle.
As American Express has added money-saving credits to more of its credit cards, CLEAR®'s enrollment has exploded – especially in markets where travelers are more likely to have these cards. As cardholders have signed up for CLEAR in droves – might as well if it's “free,” right? – it has added fuel to the fire, overwhelming the company's capacity to keep queues moving smoothly.
The service was designed to speed up security by replacing manual ID checks at TSA queues with fingerprint and iris scan verification, yet CLEAR members have been increasingly subjected to random ID checks over the last year. And while a big upgrade to facial recognition technology will supposedly speed things up, that hasn't happened yet … in fact, the looming changeover has arguably made things worse by requiring members to re-verify their identity in line.
Add it all up, and it feels like a coin flip as to whether you speed through security using CLEAR … or wind up standing in an even longer line, watching travelers with PreCheck alone speed pass you. Those are unacceptable odds for a service that costs close to $200 a year.
The company's CEO, Caryn Seidman-Becker, admitted it herself earlier this year, telling investors: “In 2023, we did not consistently deliver the in-lane experience that our members have come to expect.”
Read more: What Went Wrong with CLEAR (& When Will It Get Better)?
Bottom Line
Is CLEAR® Plus worth it for everyone? Hardly. It depends on how much you travel – and how much you'd wind up actually paying for it.
At $199 a year, it's hard to make sense of paying for CLEAR Plus for the occasional traveler. Flying five-plus times a year, you might be able to justify the cost. And of course, signing up using credits from the Amex Platinum or Amex Green Card makes it free/
But the sheer amount of travelers using CLEAR Plus these days combined with looming changes to the program spell trouble for CLEAR®. And that could change the math on whether it's worth signing up or not.
Lead image courtesy to Career Employer
We’re witnessing how political strategies affect everyday people. This could go in many directions.
100% not worth it. I frequently fly out of JFK and LGA. The wait times are always long – 20 min my last flight at LGA.
At JFK on 8/19/24 – the designated Clear lane was being used for wheelchair screening. ALL patrons of JFK in a wheelchair were diverted to the lane. THE RESERVE LANE AT JFK TERMINAL 4 IS FREE!!! Link on the JFK/Port Authority website.
Waste of money and time. Massive downhill after “upgrade”. Lazy staff. Poor operations. Nonexistent management.
Your description of CLEAR’s problems is spot on. Using CLEAR no longer guarantees getting though security faster. Just this morning, the CLEAR pre-check line I was in at the Denver airport took 30 minutes, while regular pre-check was taking under 15 minutes. The solution would be to dedicate more pre-check lanes to CLEAR passengers, but it doesn’t seem to be happening anytime soon. In the meantime I am going back to regular pre-check…
I usually fly from small airports in central IL. They don’t have Clear, but there are not lines anyways. The only airport that we frequent that we use Clear is Las Vegas. Clear is very poor in Vegas. Just a garbage service. I get it free with my Amex Platinum. But I may be closing that account. Once Clear isn’t free for me, I will be done with them!
Clear + TSA precheck + Amex Platinum is worth it. Since Amex Platinum covers most of the cost of Clear, it’s been very nice at SAN, DEN, SFO, SLC etc. However, I’ve been stuck in a longer line for Clear than had I just gone through the regular TSA-Pre lines at SLC. More than once. So, I look at the lines and make a choice between Clear and TSA-Pre.
You must have at least Clear + TSA Pre to make Clear a much better experience. That said, if you only have Clear and NO TSA-PRE and there are long lines at regular security, jumping to the head of the line is nice, especially if you’re crunched for time.
Many times I’ve had to show ID at Clear – so what? I instantly get to the head of the TSA Pre line – that’s really nice. Some people look at me like “Who is that?” like a celebrity.
BTW I fly a LOT on my own dime. I’ve carried platinum status on Delta for 3+ years, though this year I can’t make Platinum due to the change in Delta’s Medalion status. I’ll make gold, though. That’s a lot of $$$ in flying. So Clear is just a tiny ray of sunshine in the travel experience. If I had to pay full boat and didn’t have the Amex Platinum paying for most of it w/me and my family, I probably wouldn’t have it.
Clear is starting to be not worth it for free. They keep randomly charging my card for various amounts. Even when I cancel and have it in writing that I canceled they renewed and charged me anyway.
Since the system upgrade at CLEAR, I have been on 6-8 flights and so far they say at scanning that I have been randomly picked to to Show ID. Not just 1 or 2 flights…..all of them. You stand there as you watch TSA precheck fly right past you. With this new system upgrade, I will not be re upping my membership.
I agree with this article. If I did not have platinum amex and get reimbursed for this service, I would not have signed up. At SLC, it took longer for me to get through with CLEAR ($189 value) vs the TSA line $75 or $100 Global Entry. There is not enough CLEAR staff to escort you through the process. You cannot just walk up to the machine, eye scan or finger print scan and be on your way. You have to wait for an ambassador. If there is no CLEAR staff, it takes FOREVER! My husband and daughter went through TSA and were waiting 15 minutes for me to get through CLEAR…
Clear service is awful. My spouse and I signed up. They were never able to verify my spouses information (nor provide an explanation why they couldn’t) so the membership was 100% unused. Despite the fact that this made my membership much less useful when traveling together, I asked for refund only of my spouse’s membership. They declined. No explanation given except that I didn’t complain enough times. Sign up at your own risk. You pay now, and they verify (or not) your data later.
Clear is NOT open on the weekends at selected airports!!!
We are members. Free the first yr with AMX Platinum. Thereafter $$. This morning Nov 26 (Sun) leaving White Plains, NY airport (the busiest day of the year!) Clear was not open!! Checking the web site/Chat I was informed that they are not open on Sat & Sun! Yet when we arrived in West Palm Beach around 11:30 AM, Clear was open and signing up new customers. What good is this expensive service when they are not open on the busiest day of the year? With Pre-Ck which was also mobbed today, at least they are giving you an option to clear security a bit faster. Before signing up for CLEAR people should ck the hours of operation at the airports used most frequently. WE are not renewing!
On Nov. 9, 2023, my friend and I entered O’Hare and were almost immediately greeted by an attractive female who asked if she could help us? I had my travel ID code from United and she procured our boarding passes. Another female took over at that point and said she would get us thru with a free TSA check that would be free until Nov. 26 and thus cover our return trip. She pointed out that the security lines were very long and it would be a long wait. We didn’t have an immediate return trip but she seemed believable and I thought perhaps this was being done at O’Hare to speed up waiting for seniors? She took both of us to a scanner as pictured and did the fingerprint and appropriate checks. I used my Costco Citi credit card as ID and my friend used his driver’s license. Things went smoothly and we didn’t have to take out our electronics or toiletries going thru security. On November 23, my Citi card showed two pending charges from Clearme. One for $288 and the other for $189. I called Citi and they requested I first try to cancel with Clearme. The phone # associated with the charge is only a message that requests you make changes with a chat bot or an alternate electronic process. I called again to their New York # of 855-253-2763 after 9am on Monday but no human answers, only refers to the chat option. I was able to cancel the $288 charge but not the $189 but had to provide birthdate and email address. Citi suggested I wait to see if the $189 charge actually posts and then file a dispute. There was NO mention from either female that my card was going to be used in this manner. This is clearly a scam and should be addressed by O’Hare security. My friend and I are over 80 years old and probably stood out as easy targets. The charges don’t even make sense?
The program sucks! I fly once a week and it’s never working anymore. I will NEVER renew! Don’t waste your money. You might as well just go through TSA PreCheck!
The Atlanta airport clear TSA Pre line is absolutely horrible and the slowest line in the airport by far. I’ve used clear for years and there are a few airports where you run into this on congested travel days but I’ve never seen it as bad in Atlanta. Just an FYI just use the standard TSA Pre Line if you can or Digital ID with Atlanta. I feel like an idiot every time I use the clear TSA Pre line because it’s packed and always the slowest.
Signed up today. Used it for the first time today. I have already canceled. It was awful. If enough people had been using Clear today, it would have taken much longer than the ordinary security check. It was utterly pointless. First of all, we were accosted by the salesperson when we approached security, who basically rushed us through the process without once mentioning the fact that it was a paid service. I would not have known it was a paid service, unless I signed into the website. Once I did and tried to cancel, they made it very, very difficult to cancel. I do not trust this company at all.
NOT WORTH IT! I would not recommend Clear membership to anyone today; Clear was amazing few years ago. There’s never enough staff at the security checkpoints. The staff there always seem fake friendly and bored with their jobs – they walk super slow, there’s zero hustle. The precheck line is shorter than Clear almost every time for the past year. There’s also now security risks because of lack of care with who Clear hires as employees and we have to show IDs every time, no different than precheck. Yet, Clear has raised their prices. Absurd.
Clear was not able to match my name with the name on my tickets so it will give me errors every trip. so I decided to cancel the service. Its been 7 weeks and have not get a refund. They dont answer emails nor Phone calls. So basically they took my money and erased me from their system.
CLEAR needs a lot of work to be worth the money. Better employees are needed. Most importantly, a better system is needed to process customers through security during busy peaks periods in the day. During my last trip at Atlanta Hartsfield Airport, the CLEAR line was longer than the standard TSA security check line and took too more time to pass through security check! The workers CLEARly (pun intended) do not care about helping the customers in a timely fashion. The employees are slow and rude. Why should I pay for a service to have more time added on my trip to pass through security later than standard TSA check and STILL have to deal with rude employees? STAY AWAY FROM THIS SCAM! It’s a waste of money and most of all a waste of time!
Clear is NOT credited for American Express Green card holders. Only if you are a consumer holder and not a corporate holder!!! This is the same information as provided by the Clear agents at the airport. An Amex agent have told me that these agents are lieing to us and that they continuously get the same information. I contacted CLEAR and they told me I cannot speak to someone about it and that they will reach out to me via email. This has not happened. I feel deceived.
If you have TSAPre, CLEAR is usually worse than useless – last 4 times now I have joined the CLEAR lane and those passing through the regular TSAPre lane have got through faster! There are often lines to use the CLEAR machine that completely negate the benefit of it.
I bought into it and not worth it. Tried first time in Atlanta which is a zoo at best. Poorly run. Signed up on line, checked in on site and their employees acted like it was a bother to them to be there. Kid was distract as I signed up trying to hit on another member signing up so when I had an error show up he told me to proceed to the line. Got in this winding line and looked across at the standard line moving at a walking pace. Then a clear member would grab a portion of the line behind and take them around and run them through another shorted line. When I got to the front it did not work, surprise. The lady had an attitude with me as I told her I checked in but was told to get in the line. Still does not work but she moved me through. 45 minutes. Listening later to dad on the phone telling son it only took 10 minutes through standard line. Won’t renew. Will try tomorrow at better airport and see but not having much hope.
Atlanta might as well say it’s not available at that airport. It is ridiculous how it’s run there. Who ever does the hiring for these jobs needs to also be fired. No one at the Atlanta location is doing CLEAR any favors. I agree to stay away from this “service”.
I simply want to cancel my membership but I cannot get thru their website to do this. I tried to call the number that they suggested but what I got is a promotional advertisement from Walmart and then it hangs up. Does anybody knows how to be removed from their membership? Please help.
Standing in the worthless CLEAR line now at ATL. What a joke. I’ve been robbed. They’ve done a fantastic job of selling their services to thousands of people. They just don’t have the ability to deliver. Stuck in this line that is barely moving while watching the regular TSA line sail past us. Spending my time looking for places on-line to complain about how worthless CLEAR is.
Will either of these, TSA or CLEAR, help be get through the scanning. I am an 82 year old woman in fairly good health but with a body filled with titanium. My knees, both shoulders, both for arms my right hip and all of my lumbar region are all metal. The last screening in the Denver airport took one hour. I was roughly pushed in all parts of my body including as far up my vagina the woman could possibly reach. I want to avoid this harassment again. Will either of these help me avoid this type of scanning? If not what can I do to avoid this treatment? Thanks for your reply.
Clear is absolutely not worth it. They still have line!!! And plus they aren’t available at all airports. Waste of time and money.
Ridiculous pointless waste of money. Pay to feel special, people, pay to feel special! Wealthy bougie yuppies can’t be expected to wait in line with all the peasants, can they?? Let’s introduce commissioned salespeople into the security process! What could possibly go wrong! This doesn’t belong at the checkpoint any more than people shilling McDonald’s or Starbucks or the Gap would belong at the checkpoint. Because waiting will kill you, apparently, and buying your way out of every slightly uncomfortable moment is totally some healthy and emotionally mature behavior. Gotta have that instant gratification and some employee in a gingham blouse kissing up to you.
On a day that everything went wrong, including hectic traffic, I entered the Orlando airport 45 minutes before my flight and witnessed one of the longest lines I’d ever seen. Unfortunately, it was the height of Spring Break season. But with my Clear membership, I strolled to the front, in and out of the TSA checkpoint in minutes. It was akin to being ushered through the velvet ropes at Studio 54. So is CLEAR worth it? Absolutely! If it saves you at least once a year, it’s worth the cost.
The part about not having to unpack your electronics is not true. I used Clear for the first time last weekend at Newark and I did in fact go to the front of the line and zip through security, but when I got to the conveyor belt for scanning carryon bags, I had to remove both my computers and my tablet from my business bag. I wrote a review for Clear and mentioned this. I received a very nice response from an association, who confirmed that electronics have to be removed from carryon bags.
If you don’t have TSA PreCheck, you will have to remove shoes, electronics, etc. This is only valid if you have PreCheck.
What evidence suggests CLEAR makes us safer? NONE. These services are an Opt-out option for those willing to pay the premium for less interference when traveling. Nothing more. It’s disgusting.
Agreed. Appalling that this is allowed by a private company with no legitimacy.
Clear is an absolute joke! Used it at Miami last week, the Clear line was longer than the TSA Pre check line. As I finally made it to the Clear kiosk, the rude woman left me standing in front of the scanner while she helped two other people that ended up in line in front of me. And the kicker, I was still asked for my ID two more times after the Clear kiosk. I ended up spending almost twice as much time then if I had just immediately went through the TSA Pre check line. On my return flight home from Chicago, they didn’t even have Clear in the terminal. The agent said I would have to go to another terminal to use it, then walk all the way back to my departure terminal. Cancelling my membership ASAP!
Clear is not worth it in Atlanta anymore. They have insufficient staff and the line for clear is now regularly longer than the precheck line. Save your money.
I really feel like services such as these should be made illegal. At least with pre-check and Global Entry, passengers are going through gov entities to certify their identity as travelers to expedite through gov security and immigrations/customs. Now with something like Clear, you’re allowing the private sector to once again pave the way for the wealthier person. What if I want to start a company like Clear? Are the airports going to give me a dedicated lane too? What if 5 more companies want to offer this? There are some areas the private sector don’t belong.
Add to that, the limited actual value of this ‘service’. For the most part, it helps you to skip the fast portion of the line – the ID check. The real wait is all the security nonsense that happens after that. At least we haven’t outsourced that… yet.
Completely agree!
RUDE AUTHORITARIAN TYRANTS!!!
Never had a good experience with these elitist over paid service-sector incompetents – especially in Denver. Don’t waste your time or money!
At SFO with precheck it is great
No wait even during holiday travel times
It was once great, but beware. I’ve was double charges for several years, and now I wasn’t to MSP airport only to discover the CLEAR line closed. EXTREMELY FRUSTRATING! I suppose they can’t pay people enough money to provide suitable coverage.
App is essentially useless, and on-app customer service is worse – gave misleading information and disabled my account for which I paid full price. When it works, the concept is useful and worthwhile, but the execution by the company is spotty and frustrating. A company whose value proposition is to reduce the friction of traveling, but whose delivery is so spotty, seems unlikely to survive.
Not a fan of it so far.
Only used it once. It got me thru a very long line at DIA – Denver and that was appreciated.
However, I couldn’t use it at any of the Cali airports bc there was no one manning the Clear kiosks.
But the reason I finally canceled it was, I could never logon with my acct to their stupid site. The site gives a generic error, when I sent emails to the membership svcs support email its nothing but CRICKETS. No reply, no nothing. I don’t think they have ANYONE responding or reading their emails.
And I don’t want to do business with any company I can never contact. That’s my steadfast rule esp when it comes to something as important as TSA level security checks/IRIS verification etc.
Had they replied and helped me logon to my online acct, I would have stayed at least a while longer. But no online support, coupled with a HORRIBLE website that not only doesn’t work to log you in, but it intermittently fails all links (forgot password link, survey links etc). All their links are broken.
Only a matter of time before this company goes under. They seem to have (at least in Denver) good front-end support at the airport that gets you to sign on as a member, but ZERO back-end support.
Used the CLEAR Mobile application Health Check in DEC21 at an Orlando Conference. The App was easy to setup, navigate, upload documentation, and gain access to Event via a pretty digital Health Pass. Attending a Las Vegas Conf this week MAR22. CLEAR application has changed since DEC21 and now forces a link to health provider portals that CLEAR deems as part of its affiliated network. IF the provider or Clinical facility is not in its provided network options good luck no work around all other viable clinical options to upload test results are now discriminated against. There is no way to add your provider and no way to upload credible QR Scan C19 LAB results to an event regardless of the PCR Type of Test. Clear_Cust Service confirms this constraint and cannot help stating those decisions made with App Development are above their oversight and control. One agent stated downloading the App again perhaps that would reset the old option of uploading documents. Of course, that does not sound viable from an APP_DEV perspective and bottom line it did not work. CLEAR Cust Srvc stated they have in fact changed their App since DEC21. Called Las Vegas Event which partners with CLEAR and event management was absolutely CLEAR that they are aware of the CLEAR Application constraint and have changed their policies creating a work around for such failures in the CLEAR App and its change in operation from DEC21. So, even the Conferences are aware of the CLEAR App constraints begging the question why associate and promote CLEAR if you have to create work arounds which are an additional expense? So, why does CLEAR accept some lab results and not others from accredited lab facilities? Is there a fee charged by CLEAR to its network affiliated labs to participate in its APP registration? Is that why other labs do not participate because they disagree with profit affiliation or some other aspect governing CLEAR Management of the affiliated system governing Attendee health? Is the change in the APP on purpose to force the financial component of the affiliated labs? Bottom line, CLEAR app has been changed and is now limited forcing attendees to use CLEAR affiliated LABs. There is no disclaimer regarding a viable work around in the APP. The DEC21 CLEAR Health Pass DID NOT Prevent a C19 outbreak in Orlando as confirmed by the Host Conference. Why would any Conference be using CLEAR especially given its strategic direction which in 3 months now limits testing options for Attendees to events, forces events to expense work around to the Health Check Efforts, and still offers no guarantees to health safety as was the case in DEC21. I have watched the Pandemic consume so many small businesses and, its CLEAR some continue to profit for service which have no viability as experienced first hand.
Let’s be CLEAR, any time saved is taken directly by butting in line in front of TSA Pre passengers. The bottleneck is and will always be screening carry-ons so the little fancy check in thing doesn’t make the system any more efficient. I’m not sure why TSA is enabling profit taking and line cutters, but here we are.
I used Clear for the first time at Orlando in February 22, used the ‘reservation’ line. Scanned QR to get in, then noticed after about 10 minutes the clear line was moving very slowly and had three different queues. Still took us almost a half hour to get through and it did not appear to be much faster than the regular security line, if at all. My expectation was to be through in 10 minutes or less so was not too impressed by it.
Clear not worth it. We fly to/from Orlando frequently and the Clear lane is closed more often than not. And when it does work the time and hassle is not minimized. You get in the same line as everyone, removing shoes, etc.
CLEAR was a complete waste of money. They had no point of service at ONT or BNA-my main airports. They readily took my money and there was then no place to use the service.
Thank you for this! I’ve signed up for CLEAR through my AMEX Plat card, but no where does it tell you what to do once you’ve paid and signed up. Now I know what to do and what to expect once I get to the airport for the first time.
TSA provides same for far less. How did this private company get to profit from the government run processes? i dont trust them one bit.
Enrolling was not that easy and there was no indication that they would start charging from the day I gave them a credit card number, which is to say one week before I made it to the airport to finish the process. I signed up for the two monthj trial but apparently too late; a clear rep online I believe fixed this, but in the process my vax card disappeared. Also do not understand the difference between a vax card and a health pass, and getting the latter seems to require doing much of the process again. Finally, I did this on one IPhone but it doesn’t seem to transfer to the other and while the ads are the usual blather I found the actual instructions incomplete. AMEX is paying but I am not sure whether I will do this again.
Upon sign up at the airport, person said I could also enroll up to 3 family members for a special promo of $50 for one year along with my new sign up (United promo of $119). When I was going through the sign-up process to add everyone, it only offered a $60 per year per person fee for each of the additional 3 family members (additional $180). I called Clear who told me that there was no such offer (??). In addition, tried to upload my vaccine card through the app, which did not work. Asked the Customer Service person about this also and she said they were working on fixing the issues (??) and I should reboot my phone and try again. Nope that didn’t work. Not a good start and for now too costly…let’s see how it does at the airport.
I have Clear membership. Do I have to fly Delta or United to use it?
No, you can use your CLEAR membership flying any airline so long as CLEAR is available at your terminal.
For a frequent traveling family -very worth it! As stated, kids are free, so 2 discounted adults + 2 free kids makes the cost very reasonable. Once our kids are over 18, we might relook at options.
So let us discuss the actual facts.
1) fingerprint and eye scan database in a corporate entity’s log files. No future mention of rights or logistics with privacy or expiration.
2) allowing access of HIPA private data of personal/health information to said corporate entity (affiliates?)
3) pay to “cut the line/express” experience for travelers, which sets a tiered bar yet again with a capital caste system of “money first” mentality.
4) future oversight and minimally mentioned long term goals/effects of such a system and corporate oversight.
Sounds like 3 lines at the airport may be in order. The General Line. TSA Precheck and A line For TSA Precheck passengers with Clear. As other companies with the same or better security as Clear come into the market their names will need to be added to the list for the TSA PreCheck with Clear. However, If clear continues to improve their security, biometrics and coordinates with other countries competition may be later rather than sooner. I would like to see an option to add documents to the account that would help to identify a person should there ever be a mishap in another country. DNA, Biometrics, Copy of Personal Documents, Next of Kin or contact person for medical emergency Etc. It would be nice if all countries required Iris scans and fingerprints. Anything to keep the terrorist out of every country would be wonderful.
It used to be great before they started offering discounts. Over the last few months, the Clear line at ATL has been 2 to 3 times the length of the standard TSA line. Don’t waste your money like I did.
After reading all the comments and clear it’s not worth the cost.
absolutely not worth it nor does the corporation care if it works or not. my last email to staff: As we continue our quest for many months (I think since July 2019) of clear not working. It is so frustrating that we cannot get logged in at airport like it was at the first of sign in. We had these two and others say they will get it fixed but it is not. I cannot remember what airport I was at after the so call re-boot. I got to airport extremely early; got re-scanned of both finger print and eyes. Spent like an hour just to get over to actual check in and would not work. That guy, cannot remember said we will get it done. OF course going thru Dallas a few weeks ago produced no results. We have gone through about 8 times since the last reboot at Orlando, Dallas, and Minneapolis with no results. Our last trip to Dallas yesterday departure 12/21 I did not even try it. I told the front person I was Clear but knew it would not work. You know what the response was; ” oh well sorry it is not the best and TSA is short line today”. Meaning I could care less if we produce a service or not.
Therefore with this continual negligence in service, getting our clear to work without delay and controversy, not having anyone to step up and get control of this, not having anyway to contact upper management, and just having proven ‘I could care less attitude from everyone within Clear’ my question is if I cancel what credit do I get of unused service?
Sorry you had a bad experience, I am from nyc and usually it’s a 20 minute or so wait when you leave mid day. However one day I was flying to Orlando as usual and it took me 3 hrs just to get to the metal detectors of course I missed my flight. Signed up for clear and global entry for a trip I had to India back in October and literally got from entrance of airport to boarding area in 10 minutes with both clear and pre check combined. “This is the way”
I know I’m late to the game here, but my recent CLEAR experience is really troubling. After many successful uses in the past year, suddenly last week my biometrics no longer worked at the kiosk and they had no record of them. The staff at the airport had no idea how to help, other than to suggest re-enrolling (which was closed at the time). I tried unsuccessfully for hours to reach a customer service agent by phone, but eventually got a chat. Again, they had no idea where my biometric records went. I’m not an overly paranoid person about identity theft, but it is concerning when iris and fingerprint records can suddenly disappear without explanation, and there is no trail that websites they are being stored securely.
Overall I found CLEAR to be of less than no value. What time I saved in a TSA Precheck line was spent waiting for a CLEAR agent to log me into a kiosk, then confirm my details to take me to a TSA agent. Many times this was much LONGER than the TSA Precheck line (then you’re just like everyone else in the security line). Plus at some airports like SFO they actually have a non TSA Precheck CLEAR line that spits you out into the regular security line where you have to take off shoes, belts, coats, etc. and sometimes liquids and electronics from your bags before going through a body scanner. This is so contradictory, and isn’t even explained by the CLEAR agents.
Basically it’s a lot of money for no time savings, and absolutely the worst customer service.
I think it also depends on the airport– I watched in Orlando as someone was ushered to the front of the security line by a Clear rep. to have the ID checked–but that’s not where the real line is. The real line is kept behind the ID check and before the metal detector/x-rays, etc. So I watched a family “skip” a line that took as much time for us to go through as it did for them to go through the process at the Clear kiosk, and then get ushered into the same 20-25 minute line everyone else was waiting in.
I think Thomas misunderstood the Amex green benefit. All you do is pay with the Amex Green and you’re automatically credited the $100 by Amex
Just tried to enroll for Clear using my United Mileage number and pay with an Amex green card, but it would not give me the $100 discount for the Amex card. Called member services, they told me I wasn’t allowed to use both discounts. That was contrary to your report.
That’s not our experience, and not what we’ve heard from other readers, either. It may be worth calling again or emailing CLEAR to see if a different agent gives you a different response.
Thomas, according to the article you need to hold a United credit card (or Delta). A frequent flyer account isn’t enough.
You do not need to hold a Credit Card for either, you just need to sign up as a basic member. For me, I just signed up for a free SkyMiles account number. Thanks.
I used it for the first time and received the full TSA check with all its inconveniences. Laptop out of the bag, shoes off, complete scan etc. So other than a shorter line it was not much of an improvement.
You have mirrored my thoughts, as a TSA Pre passenger.
A perk for the wealthy, no doubt. This private company us making tons of money in an industry struggling to provide, safe, reliable travel. Would love to know who at the airport is getting all the kickbacks $.
I’ve had Clear for a couple months now (got it because of a Founders Card promo) and it has been nothing short of great. I fly from Atlanta and the lines there are always congested even with PreCheck (which I’ve had for years). With Clear they take you to the very front of the PreCheck line (if you are PreCheck). My security screening time is usually 5-7 minutes (5 minutes when I have no carry-on). We will see how it works during the Turkey Day holiday… Definitely going to re-up when my 3 month trial is up. I haven’t figured out how it works at the baseball park yet.
I’ve had CLEAR for over a year now, traveling from ATL every week and I’m yet to see the benefit. It’s super inconsistent. One day you cut to the front of the line and the next day you find General boarding passengers passing through security way before you, line today) Only one entrance through the south checkpoint if you don’t have both (pre-check and CLEAR) and there’s usually only two TSA lines operating. It is very common to see CLEAR passengers switching to general boarding line because it’s faster. So, it’s just a matter of luck not a reflection of a great product worth the expense. I wasn’t lucky today I hope to be next week. From JFK works great. From LAX doesn’t make much of a difference either. I enter at the same time than my coworkers without CLEAR. Hope this is useful. I’m still giving it a chance because of the frequency with which I need to travel plus I’m hopeful they will catch up with the increasing demand.
I’ve had Clear for a year now, and I have learned all too well just how inconsistent/unreliable it is! I have had to get my biometrics done at least 2 different times so far – and now I apparently need to do it AGAIN – after it worked just fine for several flights.
My main take-away from this article is this line…”But when it works well, a quick, touchless trip through security is paramount these days.”
Yes – but if it can’t be trusted to work, what’s the real benefit???
i have cancelled my clear account. They in their wokeness refused to accept a military retired ID as identification. I have never seen this before. In complaining about this apparently their clearance company does not recognize these as secure ID’s. IF they are that anti American, i have no reason to bother. TSA is usually quicker anyway.
Are you sure CLEAR didn’t pay you to write this article? 🙄
We’re sure. We are not a CLEAR affiliate and accept no money from them to create content.
Why do you ask this?
So basically, a perk for the wealthy.
CLEAR is super inconsistent and support is non-existent. Sometimes they’ll escort you to the front of a 5 person line. Other times, they’ll scan your finger prints and point you to the long line you could have joined without spending $200 per year. Want to complain? Good luck. They have no means of speaking or communicating with anyone.
I do not understand this comment. It would make no sense to put you in a standard line if your clear is active.
Can you give more details to the situation, or situations that have led to you being placed at the end of either line?
I would truly like to know. I have been a clear member for like 4 years. I have never been placed at the end of any line anywhere I have used clear in the country.
So true! I am at KC airport and clear terminals everywhere and nobody available. Said they were closed so I waited in line for 40 minutes. I’ve had this for three years so I will annoy be renewing