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The newest way to beat lines at the airport involves quickly scanning your eyes or fingerprints - here's how CLEAR works
The newest way to beat lines at the airport involves quickly scanning your eyes or fingerprints - here's how CLEAR works
Connie Chen,Connie ChenFeb 11, 2019, 19:59 IST
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I'm grateful to say I've never missed a flight due to an unexpectedly long or slow security line (knock on wood), but I've come close many, many times.
Very stressful at its worst and mind-numbing at its best, waiting in a security line is an experience no one enjoys. No amount of mental willpower or foot-tapping can get you through the line faster, but there is a new biometric security service called CLEAR that can.
CLEAR is a friction-free security process at airports, stadiums, and arenas that scans your eyes or fingerprints so you can reach and focus on the place you really want to be - the flight gate, concert, or game - quickly and conveniently.
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Just like safety and security is valued at airports and large venues, CLEAR values customer security and ensures member data is kept private and secure through double encryption. This way, you have the peace of mind that your data is safe, all while you enjoy the benefits of an effortless security process.
Learn more about how CLEAR can make you a more happy traveler and event attendee below.
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Here's a quick visual look at how CLEAR will save you time.
The first security checkpoint at the airport involves standing in line to get your boarding pass and ID scanned by a TSA agent. With CLEAR, you'll skip this part, have your own lane, and be escorted directly to the physical screening.
In the designated lane, all you have to do is scan your fingers or eyes at the kiosk to get your identity verified.
This means no fumbling for the documents and IDs you need or joining a line that seems to loop and turn with no end in sight. The platform is Department of Homeland Security- and SAFETY Act-certified.
All forms of identification must be valid, unexpired, not amended, and have a photo.
Once in-person registration is complete, you can use the CLEAR lane that same day.
If you're a frequent traveler, the membership cost is actually quite reasonable: it's $179 a year and billed annually.
You can also add up to three family members for $50 per person. Children under 18 can use the CLEAR lane for free when accompanied by a CLEAR family member and no enrollment is required for the child.
Delta SkyMiles members also enjoy discounted rates:
Diamond Medallion members: complimentary
Platinum, Gold and Silver Medallion members: $79 a year
Though the two might sound like they're interchangeable, CLEAR isn't a substitute for TSA PreCheck.
Here are some key differences:
1. TSA PreCheck expedites the security process by putting you in a shorter line to get your documents checked and allowing you to keep your shoes, laptops, liquids, belts, and jackets on you. Meanwhile, CLEAR expedites the security process by letting you bypass document verification altogether with the biometric screening. If you have TSA PreCheck, you'll move on to the physical screening and still enjoy the benefits of PreCheck. If not, you will be physically screened per the standard rules.
2. TSA PreCheck members can get randomly excluded and sent to the regular line. CLEAR does not have random exclusions.
3. TSA PreCheck only works with certain airlines, though it's available in many more airports nationwide. CLEAR works with any airline, but its rollout in airports is still limited. CLEAR is also available at some sports stadiums.
4. To enroll in TSA PreCheck, you submit an online application and schedule an in-person appointment at an enrollment center. The appointment includes a background check and fingerprinting. To enroll in CLEAR, you submit an online application and visit an airport location where you undergo a background check and fingerprinting. No appointment is necessary.
If you travel frequently out of CLEAR's participating airports and want to save yourself time and anxiety, CLEAR is a worthwhile investment to consider.
