The Ultimate Guide to CLEAR
US Airport Security Series:
The Ultimate Guide to TSA PreCheck
The Ultimate Guide to Global Entry (Coming Soon)
A couple of weeks ago I wrote a post about TSA PreCheck, which has a much shorter line than the regular line, but can still take 20 minutes. At many airports in the United States, there is an even quicker way to get past airport security with wait times which are almost always either non existent or less than 5 minutes. That program is called CLEAR. CLEAR is a private company owned by Alclear LLC which is based in New York and was founded in 2010.
What Do You Get With CLEAR and How Does it Work?
With CLEAR, you get access to a special lane at airport security where you get your ID checked autonomously and you can enter security without having to wait in long lines. CLEAR is also available at certain sports stadiums, so you don’t have to wait in the lines for security there (see a list of stadiums below in this article). The process to access CLEAR is actually pretty simple:
- 1. Arrive at a CLEAR lane, where there will be multiple kiosks. Usually there aren’t many kiosks taken, if any.
- 2. At the kiosk, you have to verify yourself, so you will have to either do an eye scan or fingerprint test at the kiosk. You will now be verified as yourself, so you will be ready to head through security without dealing with a TSA agent.
- 3. Then, you will be escorted to the security line by a CLEAR representative. If you have TSA PreCheck (not included with CLEAR), you can go through the PreCheck line where you don’t have to take certain items of your bag.
Its that simple! All without the hassle of waiting in line and worrying about whether you will make your flight due to the extremely long line. For frequent travelers, CLEAR can save hours of time waiting in security lines, even for people who have PreCheck!
Diagram Courtesy of CLEAR
How Do You Get CLEAR?
To be eligible for CLEAR, you have to:
- 1. Be at least 18 years old
- 2. Have a: US Driver’s License, US Passport, US Passport Card, US-issued Permanent Resident Card, State Issued ID, or a US Military ID
While children themselves cannot get CLEAR, they can use the lanes if a family member whom they are traveling with is enrolled in CLEAR.
To get CLEAR, you first have to fill in an online form which asks you for personal information such as your name, email, and zip code. You then will have to visit one of CLEAR’s locations (see below). At that point in time, you will pay for your CLEAR membership (more on that later). No scheduled appointments are necessary to receive it. Then, while there, you have to give a personal US ID to a CLEAR representative who will enroll you. No, you don’t need to block off 2 hours for enrollment; it should only take around 5-10 minutes to enroll.
CLEAR Kiosks (Photo Courtesy of CLEAR)
Where is CLEAR?
CLEAR is available at the following airports:
- Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL)
- Austin–Bergstrom International Airport (AUS)
- Baltimore Washington International Airport (BWI)
- Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW)
- Dallas Love Field (DAL)
- Denver International Airport (DEN)
- Detroit Metropolitan Airport (DTW)
- George Bush International Airport (Houston, IAH)
- William P Hobby Airport (Houston, HOU)
- McCarran International Airport (Las Vegas, LAS)
- Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
- Miami International Airport (MIA)
- Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport (MSP)
- Westchester County Airport (New York Area, HPN)
- New York LaGuardia Airport (LGA)
- New York JFK International Airport (JFK)
- Orlando International Airport (MCO)
- Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX)
- Salt Lake City International Airpot (SCL)
- San Antonio International Airport (SAT)
- San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
- San Jose International Airport (SJC)
- Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA)
- Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA)
- Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD)
Additionally, CLEAR is available at these stadiums (see link).
Is CLEAR Worth it?
The big question: is it worth the money you pay per year. Now, what is the cost of CLEAR, you might ask? CLEAR comes with outrageous prices that are way too expensive for most people to even contemplate. CLEAR costs $15 per month, which gets billed annually to a whopping $179! You can almost book a direct flight to Europe for that type of money (on a low cost carrier)! Now, compare that to TSA PreCheck, which costs $17 per year. For maybe on some days to spend 5-10 less minutes for $169 more than TSA PreCheck is crazy for most people. CLEAR is undoubtedly simple and convenient, but in no way is it worth that much money.
However, CLEAR probably would be practical for a few business travelers, who travel a lot. It would maybe be worth it for travellers who fly multiple times per month from an airport that has CLEAR and other airports in the United States. Especially if they live in New York and fly out of LaGuardia, which often has PreCheck lines just as long as the regular ones. For those people, you would be saving hours each year of traveling with CLEAR, especially if having only TSA PreCheck doesn’t help. If I were such a person, I would really consider buying CLEAR. Almost anyone besides a person like the one I just described should probably forget CLEAR, and go with PreCheck or the regular line.
Conclusion:
Don’t get me wrong, CLEAR is amazing. Its simple, fast, stressless, and can save hours of your time every year. For most people, the $179 per year is definitely not worth it. But for a handful of frequent travelers throughout the United States, CLEAR is a life changer. And that is why CLEAR exists.
Featured Image Courtesy of CLEAR