Skipping The Lines At The Airport

When it comes to traveling, the worse part about going to the airport is waiting in security lines to reach your airline gate. Fortunately, there are various options around this. There are 2 main services in the travel industry that provide a faster experience. The first one is a fairly new company called "Clear", they currently have 12 active airports around the country offering the service. The second one is the most popular and common which is "TSA Pre", this is available almost at all airports within the USA. Further into this discussion I will dive deep into each service, go over the cost and analyze which one can be the best option for you and your travels.

CLEAR

Clear is a unique service like no other in the industry. The way it works is you first enroll online, you must provide all of your personal information including SS #, address etc. The one thing that shouldn't be confused is that Clear is not a security clearance service like TSA Pre. There is no background checks involved in order to enroll. After enrolling online you must present your self to an airport offering Clear and finish enrollment at a Clear kiosk (you must bring your passport in order to complete enrollment).  When you get to the kiosk they ask you some security questions to confirm your identity as well as taking all of your fingerprints and eye biometrics. This is only used to speed up the process the next time you travel. 

When you see Clear at their participating locations you immediately notice that they have a separate line than the normal traveling public. You will walk up to the line and come upon a Clear agent and a kiosk. They will ask you to take your fingerprints and to show your Clear membership card as well as your boarding pass. Once the machine clears you the agent will personally escort you to the front of the line no matter how long and open the ropes and put you first in line. I personally have skipped lines that would have taken me an hour to wait in and it is extremely convenient for a frequent traveler. Clear currently has locations in Orlando, Miami, Baltimore, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Las Vegas, San Antonia, San Fransisco, and San Jose. These are truly the airports where Clear is an amazing investment because of the volume of people that flow through these airports daily. My weekly travels are out of Orlando, this airport probably has the longest lines in the country due to the overwhelming amount of tourists in the city.

So why doesn't Clear require any type of security clearance? Because you still have to go through the same scanners and X-Rays the general public does. The benefit is being escorted and being placed first in line.

TSA PRE

TSA Pre is available at most major airports around the United States. It is an efficient way for TSA to separate travelers that have been background checked and guide them through a separate line with different security measures. In order to be accepted into TSA Pre you must not have any criminal record or active warrants under your name. The application process can be started online but must be completed at a TSA Pre location. Most major airports have a TSA Pre location inside. Once accepted you will be given a known traveler number. When making a flight reservation you will be prompted to enter that number, once you check in at the airport you will most likely have a print on your ticket that says TSA Pre (it is not guaranteed that having a known traveler number will make you eligible every single time).

TSA Pre has a separate line from the general public as well but these lines can also become lengthy depending on the time of the day and the airport. The TSA Pre line moves a lot faster then the regular line because shoes don't have to come off and laptops don't have to be taken out of bags. The people that make the investment in TSA Pre are usually seasoned travelers as well so they aren't holding back the line like a first time tourist.

So what are the investments in these programs?

Clear: $179 for 1 year ($15 a month)

TSA Pre: One time $85 enrollment fee

So does Clear really cost $179?

I started Clear out with a 3 month trial that I paid $15 for, I was so happy with the service that I was planning on renewing. 2 Months into the trial I received an email saying I would be charged for the year $179 if I decided to continue the membership. I personally hoped that I could do monthly payments ($15) but clear doesn't offer monthly payments. I went on their website and spoke with a live chat representative and told him I wanted to cancel my membership unless I could do monthly payments. He told me he was sorry to loose me as a costumer but that Clear doesn't offer this. I waited for him to confirm my cancellation but he replied with a counter offer! He said he didn't want to loose me as a costumer and that he could offer me the next year for a reduced rate of $129. I immediately said yes and renewed my membership. This proves that it is possible to bargain and get good deals even with major corporations. When they see that you make payments on time and are loyal to their brand they take good care of you. I actually took a screen shot of the conversation with the agent and posted it below.

So what are the negatives?

Clear: 

-TSA has random daily K9 inspections, they bring a dog and create a box in the middle of the line. Under TSA law everyone in the regular line has to walk by the dog and let him sniff you. When this process is active Clear cant bring costumers to the front of the line.

-The other negative is that occasionally when you are brought to the front of the line you are put in front of an angry traveler that has been waiting in like for an hour and doesn't understand why you have the right to skip him. This can cause arguments but the Clear agents are always there to back you up and explain.

TSA PRE:

-You are not always guaranteed to be eligible for the TSA PRE line just because you are enrolled.

-The lines can still be long and you are not escorted to the front of any lines.

-There is no costumer service or agent willing to help you if you have issues or if you are in a rush.

Overall my personal choice goes to Clear but wait! It is possible to have both TSA Pre and Clear! This means that if you have both you will be escorted to the front of the TSA Pre line. They have an estimated wait time of 3 minutes going through security with this combination. Depending on the investment you are willing to make and how frequently you travel should decide if these services make sense for you. Also most airports have a priority line for first class passengers and frequent fliers but these lines usually only cut down the wait time by about %30.

If you are interested in Clear you can click here to receive and extra 2 free months with your membership. If you have any questions regarding these services feel free to message me through Google Circles. Safe Travels!