Anyone using CLEAR to get through security? Interested in how it works for someone who already has PreCheck. They'll have it available soon at ATL, where even the PreCheck lines can be long...
Please don't turn this into a debate on whether it should be allowed or not. It's here. I'll use it if it makes sense for my circumstances.
I tried searching for the topic, but "clear" is way to generic to return anything meaningful. Apologies if the discussion has already happened.
Celeste
My airport has both and I use Pre Check. But last time I flew, as I waited in the maybe 10 minute Pre Check line, Clear had representatives on-site who were very friendly and offering to sign us up that date. We asked a few questions and mulled it over but haven't done anything at this point. There were no line whatsoever for Pre Check and it was a very different-looking customer service model - well-marked and well-staffed vs. Pre Check which just uses the TSA staff.
Here is a review:
http://thepointsguy.com/2015/03/clear-expedited-airport-security-program-is-it-worthwhile/
But note that is does not get you " through" security. It allows you to bypass the ID checkpoints. Then you go to the line for the scanners, Pre or regular as appropriate. If a lot of people start using CLEAR, those lines will become longer.
I have thought about it, but don't see a true benefit to me. The number of airports they cover is fairly small and for me are not open the hours I need them at the airports I go through (Clear tends to be open very early morning until mid afternoon at the airports I go through normally and I fly later). They are actively expanding the number of airports.
I have Pre and although Clear can send you through the Pre lane if they are close to each other, the Clear lanes don't always have access to the Pre lanes so you get to mix in with the regular crowd (remove your shoes, belts, jackets, unpack liquids, etc.) which in many cases ends up taking longer than going through a fairly long Pre lane.
And it costs $179 each year. That is why you see the smiling helpful employees manning their lanes. :-)
I used to have it... and then Clear went out of business. And then the TSA did pre-check.
When they came back, they have tried to get me to re-join, but the cost just doesn't seem worth it for the few times I fly.
It is often the fastest option and if I still flew out of Atlanta weekly I might consider it. That said, it's kind of a pain to deal with them. You have to go to the airport for yet another "verification that you are a citizen" test.. you have to do a finger scan each trip and some of their staff are good while others were rejects from the TSA.
