As a loyal Clear user for the past three years, I will continue paying for it for as long as it exists. It saves me time and stress when passing through Transportation Security Administration security.
Though I’ve never doubted the expedited security program’s worth, the implementation of random ID checks undoubtedly questions its core tenet.
Some users, including TPG staffers and readers alike, have questioned its worth due to improvements in biometric screening via airlines, unspoken Clear competitor TSA PreCheck and a recent price increase.
Below is an in-depth look at the evolution of Clear to help determine whether the program makes sense for you.
Improvement of third-party biometric screening
Three years after Clear rolled out its first airport lane in 2010, the government launched its own expedited TSA security lane program, TSA PreCheck.
Though both programs save travelers time, TSA PreCheck distinguished itself from Clear as a government security operator. As a Trusted Traveler Program, the government provides PreCheck travelers with a separate lane where they do not have to take off their shoes or belts or remove laptops or liquids from their bags. These travelers generally experience a wait time of 10 minutes or less, per TSA data.
Given PreCheck’s success, United Airlines and Delta Air Lines have worked with TSA to implement their own expedited security experience for flyers under the Touchless ID umbrella.
Touchless ID eliminates the need to show a physical ID or boarding pass to verify identity; this enables TSA PreCheck members flying United or Delta at select airports to use facial recognition to pass through PreCheck security in a few seconds. It’s also called biometric screening.
Although no ID is required, airlines and TSA advise travelers to bring a valid ID as the agency reserves the right to randomly check a traveler’s ID at any point, regardless of participation in this or any expedited security program.
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It’s important to note that Touchless ID does not merge with Clear as PreCheck does. While Clear members who also participate in TSA PreCheck are escorted to the front of the TSA PreCheck line after verifying their identity via a Clear pod, Touchless ID travelers will have to choose between the two lines.
TSA PreCheck’s Touchless Identity Solution is also available for Delta flyers at five airports via its Digitial ID program — an alternative screening procedure that uses the passport information saved in each passenger’s SkyMiles profile to match the photo taken at security checkpoints.
In addition to Delta and United, American Airlines offers Mobile ID facial recognition for PreCheck security at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA).
With these developments, flyers — particularly those loyal to Delta and United — may opt for Touchless ID in lieu of Clear. If so, they’ll still be required to show their ID as the final part of the three-step TSA identification process.
Random ID checks
It may seem inconsequential, but the act of not having to remove my ID from my purse is a simple pleasure worth the cost of Clear for me. Other Clear travelers seem to agree. In July 2023, TSA pledged to randomly select an increased number of Clear members to show a valid form of identification, thus jeopardizing the whole point of the program.
In response, a Clear spokesperson previously told me that the rate of random ID checks experienced by Clear users was based on a “number of factors” outside of their control and under the agency’s purview. Following public backlash, the two rolled back on their initial announcement until August 2023, when Clear announced it would begin upgrading Clear users in preparation for their NextGen Identity+ technology.
In order to use the new technology, Clear sent an email to users explaining how to upgrade, which included a one-time two-step reverification process. After completing initial administrative steps via email, users were told to visit a Clear pod the next time they were at the airport in order to rescan their face and show a valid form of identification to a Clear agent.
Clear positioned this as an upgrade for the program, enabling facial recognition as the primary biometric for membership identification; thus, it eliminated the need for members to stop at a Clear pod altogether down the line.
But frustration ensued among Clear users, including TPG staffers, who have reported being asked to show their IDs more than once after recently reverifying their identities. Their personal experiences have been two-fold: a delayed Clear experience and a feeling that they are being asked to show their IDs more frequently after upgrading to NextGen.
“NextGen Identity+ enrollment should not be confused with randomization, which is controlled by the TSA,” a Clear spokesperson reiterated via email in response.
Clear’s response seems to suggest that travelers may be conflating TSA-administered random ID checks with the one-step identity verification as part of the Next Gen reverification process, which are two separate things.
“Travel is hard and is getting harder. Clear’s mission is to transform the passenger experience from home to gate so our members can win the day of travel. That includes the launch of NextGen Identity+. This free, one-time upgrade unlocks the Clear Lane of the Future — a series of technologies and automations that will enhance speed and security,” a Clear spokesperson said via email. Rolling out over 2024, the Clear Lane of the Future is designed to be seamless, where a Member can verify with their face — delivering a more predictable and enjoyable travel journey.”
As of Aug. 23, more than 95% of Clear members have been reverified for NextGen Identity+ enrollment, according to a Clear spokesperson.
Still, according to comments in the TPG Lounge, a private Facebook group readers use to discuss travel, such screenings have increased pretty dramatically in the past year or so.
“[I’ve experienced] a ‘random ID Check’ every time I’ve used Clear this year (12 times),” wrote a member. “At Tulsa International Airport (TUL), the PreCheck line is almost always faster except for the Monday morning rush. On my last trip, the Clear agent at the front of the line directed me to PreCheck because there were no agents operating the machines.”
TPG editorial members use the TPG Lounge to crowdsource the experience of our TPG community. For this story, I asked if anyone wanted to share their most recent experience with Clear. Specifically, I wanted to know if they had been asked to show their IDs or experienced a Clear line longer than the TSA and/or TSA PreCheck line.Their nearly 40 comments are summarized below:
- Group members observed longer PreCheck and Clear lines at Denver International Airport (DEN) compared to both TSA lines.
- Group members experienced a longer Clear line versus PreCheck line at DEN, Dulles International Airport (IAD), Tulsa International Airport (TUL), John Glenn Columbus International Airport (CMH), Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) and Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport (BMH).
- Travelers conveyed reverification issues and had to flash their IDs at various airports, including IAD, DCA, Boston Logan International Airport (BOS), Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).
“They’ve really messed up Clear in Denver,” one member said. “Not worth the hassle any longer.”
Longer wait times
Clear has more than 25 million members, and PreCheck has approximately 20 million members, per data from both companies. As both programs evolve, the lines designed to make passing through security quicker sometimes result in longer waits than the regular lane.
As of Aug. 21, TPG staffers reported a longer Clear line during recent visits to RDU, Orlando International Airport (MCO), John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), LaGuardia Airport (LGA), Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), with some being asked to reregister for Clear’s NexGen by showing their IDs more than once at Palm Beach International Airport (PBI) and Harry Reid International Airport (LAS).
“I’ve never once saved any meaningful time with Clear vs. PreCheck,” a TPG senior editorial member said. “Maybe it’s five minutes, but I’m really struggling to see the point of Clear these days.”
Price increase
In addition to longer wait times due to congested Clear lines and showing IDs, another pain point for Clear users is the recent price increase.
As of Aug. 1, Clear costs $199 annually, and you can use it at 58 airports across the U.S., plus stadiums and other large venues.
In comparison, a five-year TSA PreCheck membership starts at $78. However, travelers can enroll in TSA PreCheck through Clear and access both programs for a discounted rate of $200. There are 50 U.S. airports that currently offer this service, per Clear.
To get that price, travelers must apply for both TSA PreCheck and a Clear membership via Clear’s website. After they complete the process and get approved, Clear will issue a rebate of $77.95.
Some say it’s still working for them
Despite the aforementioned hiccups, some users (myself included) remain positive regarding Clear. When I asked the TPG newsroom about their recent experiences with Clear, one TPG senior reporter said Clear has actually “improved” for her as of late.
“After chronically being asked to show my ID for months, I haven’t been asked the last two or three times I’ve flown,” she said. “And I find that Clear with PreCheck is still faster for me than either of them alone. I’ve started flying more out of Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) instead of Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) recently, and PHL doesn’t have Clear, which annoys me so much.”
When it might be worth it
If you use Clear, remember that five credit cards currently offer an annual statement credit covering its cost:
Occasionally, targeted Amex Offers covering the cost of Clear Plus membership are available for those with different American Express cards.
The information for the Centurion, Green and Hilton Aspire cards has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Given the price point, far more credit cards cover the fees associated with TSA PreCheck and Global Entry.
“I would never spend my own money on Clear, but as a perk of my credit card, it’s sometimes useful,” wrote a member of the TPG Lounge.
If you don’t have a credit card that makes Clear free, all Delta SkyMiles cobranded Amex cards offer a $159 annual membership, and all United credit cards available in the U.S. offer it for $159 annually.
Top-tier Delta Diamond Medallion members can get Clear for free; Platinum, Gold and Silver Medallion members can pay a reduced price of $159.
United’s Premier 1K members also get Clear for free, while United Premier Platinum, Gold and Silver members can pay $159.
Bottom line
It’s up to you whether Clear is worth it.
For me, it remains a consistently used, reliable tool in my traveler toolbox. The combination of TSA PreCheck and Clear provides me peace of mind each time I head to the airport. It has not taken me longer than five minutes to pass through TSA security since becoming a member of both programs.
The ease I feel from both programs justifies the cost of membership for me as a traveler.
When I arrive at the airport, I locate the nearest Clear pod and wait for an attendant to direct me to scan my eyes and scan my boarding process. On average, this process takes fewer than 30 seconds. From there, the Clear agent escorts me to the front of the PreCheck lane, which usually takes two minutes. I then load my belongings on the carousel without reaching into my purse or suitcase or removing any items.
A number of factors can negatively affect this experience, so it’s quite remarkable (and lucky) that this has been my experience.
It may not be as quick and easy as it once was for some, but based on my experience, the combination of TSA PreCheck and Clear is one I will continue paying for.
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