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Invest In Clear To Zip Through TSA Lines In 2 Minutes Or Less
This year we’re all about investing in products and programs that will make our travels more effective and comfortable. One of those things is Clear. If you’re a traveler who wants to avoid long airport security lines in 2020, keep reading.
Clear is a great way for travelers to move through security in a quick manner. The security service uses biometric technology to scan your eyes and fingertips instead of having to go through a physical ID check.
Once you go through Clear, your biometrics are transformed into an encrypted code and then stored in a cloud. This way, when you go through Clear checkpoints in the future, your information is easily accessible, moving you through security in seconds.
The service has been certified by the Department of Homeland Security and is qualified as anti-terrorism technology.
According to Clear CEO Caryn Seidman-Becker, the service partners with the Department of Homeland Security to make travel more safe for everyone. In terms of sharing data, Seidman-Becker tells Traveler, “We will not sell or share your data unless subpoenaed.”
Since it’s relaunch in 2010, Clear has gone on to partner with major airlines like Delta and United. There are currently 33 airports in the U.S. that uses Clear’s services.
Here is a list of all the airports in the U.S. that use Clear as of January 2020:
John F. Kennedy International Airport (Terminals 2 and 4)
LaGuardia Airport (Terminals C and D)
Westchester County Airport (Main Terminal)
Newark Liberty International Airport (Terminal C)
Los Angeles International Airport (Terminals 1 – 7, Hertz Fast Lane)
San Francisco International Airport (Terminals 1 – 3, International Terminals A1-15 and G1-14, Hertz Fast Lane)
Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport (Terminals A and B, Hertz Fast Lane)
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (Domestic Terminals North and South, Hertz Fast Lane)
Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (Checkpoints A – E)
Dulles International Airport (Main Terminal, East Security Checkpoint, Hertz Fast Lane)
Ronald Reagan Washinton National Airport (Terminals A, B, B/C, and C, Hertz Fast Lane)
Boston Logan International Airport (Terminal A, Hertz Fast Lane)
Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (Center and South Checkpoints)
Detroit Metro Airport (North and McNamara Terminals, Hertz Fast Lane)
Charlotte Douglas International Airport (Hertz Fast Lane)
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (Domestic Terminals North and South, Hertz Fast Lane)
Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (Main Terminal)
O’Hare International Airport (Terminals 1 and 2)
Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport (Terminal 1, Hertz Fast Lane)
Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport (Main Terminal)
Orlando International Airport (East and West Security)
Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (Terminals 1, 2, and 3, Hertz Fast Lane)
Miami International Airport (Checkpoints E, G, and H)
Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (Checkpoints 1 and 2)
Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (Terminal E)
Dallas Love Field Airport (Terminal 1)
George Bush Intercontinental Airport (Terminals A North, A South, B, C North, C South, and E)
San Antonio International Airport (Terminals A and B)
William P. Hobby Airport (Main Terminal)
McCarran International Airport (Terminals 1 and 3)
Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (Main Security Checkpoint, Hertz Fast Lane)
Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (Terminals 2, 3, and 4, Hertz Fast Lane)
Salt Lake City International Airport (Terminals 1 and 2)
Some of the airports have Clear service at Hertz, meaning when you pick up your rental car, the machine scans your biometrics to pull up your rental reservation faster.
The cost of this service is $179 annually, which is about $15 per month.
However, if you’re a Delta SkyMiles member you qualify to get a discount. Free membership is available for Delta Diamond Medallion Members. Platinum, Gold, and Silver Medallion Members and Delta SkyMiles Credit Card Members only have to pay $109 per year.
According to CN Traveler, United MileagePlus members also qualify for a discount. Free annual membership goes out to those with Premier 1K membership while Premier Platinum, Gold, and Silver members pay $109 per year. MileagePlus members will only have to pay $119 per year.
If you’re a student, you will only have to pay $50 per year for up to four years. All you need is a student ID and a valid school email address.
Travelers can sign up for the Clear family plan, allowing up to three adults to be added for $50 each per year. Travelers under the age of 18 can travel with Clear Family for free.
If you frequently fly out of the airports that offer Clear service, the membership is definitely a steal.
Wondering why you should sign up for Clear if you have TSA PreCheck? Corina Quinn, city guides director, uses both Clear and TSA PreCheck and says to CN Traveler: “Clear works in tandem with PreCheck to get you through security even faster. You kind of need both — through not required — for maximum benefit. I have yet to find a line in the Clear lane — as PreCheck lines grow longer.”
You can sign up for Clear at participating airports and making an appointment is not needed. You’ll just need to give information like your social security number and physical address (current and previous).
If you prefer to sign up at home, you can fill out the online application. However, it is required you complete the application at the Clear enrollment center. Your eyes and fingerprints will be recorded and you’ll have to hand over your ID for verification purposes.
Clear service is only available to U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents 18 and older.
