Skip security lines for free at some major Europe airports

I was about to report this as spam until I saw who posted it!

I hope it works too!

I still dont understand how this works. The airline already knows who you are and that you are flying that day. Presumably shared with the local security agency. You would really have to know exactly when you will arrive at airport, and be done with check in (if necessary), in order to make an appointment, right? Then it has someone escort you to the front of the security line, but not past it. So everybody else has to wait longer while you go through. How does that speed things up from the airports' perspective? Not being obstinate here, just not understanding.

Oh this would be so nice! I wonder when Keflavik will be operational. It would be nice if it were up and running for our trip this summer!

stan, not a clue, although I imagine it's similar to the recent post about CLEAR in the US. I'm hoping someone tries it out and comes back here with a report! 😊

We’ll be trying it at FRA this weekend and I’ll report back. I’m not sure if it applies to transit passengers (we’re connecting to Munich), but I’ve reserved a time slot just in case. We’ll book a time for our return flight in July out of FRA. You can book your time slot three days in advance.

This from the article and important:

It’s worth noting that the service at some of these Europe airports isn’t always available for flights to the United States.
When asked about which flights include access to Reserve by Clear, a Clear spokesperson told AFAR that each airport has full discretion over which security checkpoints can be accessed with Reserve by Clear “and therefore, which flights or gates are accessible via a Reserve lane.”

Each airport has its own rules and the number of slots of limited. Keflavik took part in a pilot program but no word if they will start it up again.

At Amsterdam Schiphol Airport (AMS) you can only book a security time slot for flights to a destination within the Schengen zone.
https://www.schiphol.nl/en/page/timeslots/
So this service can’t be used by those flying to the US or other destinations outside of the Schengen Zone.

"skip security lines"

No... get in LONGER security lines. Seriously, do not assume that ANYTHING Clear advertises they will actually be able to deliver. Talk is cheap... their execution is pathetic!

Carol--I disagree as my experience has been different than yours. At SEA, Clear works very well and does save a lot of time. I know you have posted that in Atlanta you have had a different experience, but I don't see how a blanket statement about Clear is fair.

Same as Mike - Clear whips you right through in Seattle.

Which I don't like. All of the tiering at security lines eventually creates a sort of cast system for a public good. I have TSA Pre but not Clear. TSA pre make some sense to me because it is a public pre-authorization. Clear is essentially a private pay to skip line system. And the new reservation system is similar. People in the know go first at the expense of people who aren't.

The zero-sum aspect bothers me. It's only possible for some people to go through faster if other people go through slower. So the rich guy gets to his 5 star in Punta Mita, but somewhere down the pipeline a field hand misses his daughter's Quinceañera.

I feel the same way at Disneyland. There's only so many seats on Space Mountain. All the people who are like me figure out how to zoom through lines with their children, the children of the less savvy, generally from lower social classes, wait for an extra 30 minutes because of it.

Of course Disney is private and non-essential, so they should be able to set up inegalitarian systems if they choose. But TSA is governmental and (reportedly) essential. It bugs me that people with less social capital etc get the shaft. Probably why Clear is slower to roll out in more communitarian Europe.

But anyway its the way of the world I suppose. Probably should just stuff my egalitarian impulse and learn to love the eye scan.

I have a friend who uses CLEAR at CVG and sometimes gets through quicker than her husband, who has TSA Precheck.

And to those who are naysaying this, the article is very clear that access may be limited, depending on the airport, and that this is definitely in the early stages. So I'm not quite sure why some are automatically disparaging this without actually trying it out. If it works, isn't that worth a try?

travel4fun, I look forward to hearing about it - thanks for being the guinea pig! :)

So I'm not quite sure why some are automatically disparaging this
without actually trying it out. If it works, isn't that worth a try?

As outlined in my above post, its an issue that's broadly political, so likely some people don't like the general vibe. I'm fairly centrist and pro-capitalist, but communitarian enough to balk a bit at on average people from different strata waiting radically different times in required governmental lines ....

Quick edit to say I'm not accusing anyone else of being unethical! Just how it hits me - good reasonable folks can see it differently to be sure :)

Hank, I missed the update to your original reply when I wrote mine above, but that would not have changed it.

Regardless, I understand what you're getting at but I can think of plenty of other perks in our society (and some of them are governmental). One example is that the booking system is used worldwide for entrance to most major museums and other sights. People who have access to high speed internet can usually get online and grab the best tickets before those who are stuck with 60Mbps. Or some people may not even realize they have to book and wind up standing in long lines at museums, while others march right in. And of course, there are many more "perks" that the educated and wealthier population enjoy in this country.

Changing our system requires going back to the early settlement of America and the types of people that came over here and established our non-egalitarian and politically advantageous system. It's very prevalent today. I'm a retired attorney and one of the attorneys I used to work with firmly believed that only people who owned real property should be allowed to vote. Another did not understand why libraries are funded by taxes - he believed people should pay for books. I'm afraid to write more because I don't want this deleted, but I think you're right, Hank, when you say it's the way of the world. :)

I completely hear everything you have to say Mardee, and certainly don't imagine myself on moral high ground! My wife and I have worked hard and enjoy all kinds of perks that come along with higher net worth whether we seek them out or not. I'm not particularly part of any systemic solutions, and certainly not working for them against my own interests - probably passively defacto the opposite. If I traveled for work more I would sign up for Clear in a heartbeat.

Just pointing out that in the security queue if there are "winners" then there necessarily are also "losers," and that those groups track with some broad stratified categories. Way of America and probably the world too.

Oh and Mardee if your firm had a pro bono program, clearly (har har) you've done way more direct good stuff for people who need help than 99% of people out there. Attorneys who dedicate some time to pro bono really do get in there and help! I'm sure far more effectively than my general method of pointing things out and then shuffling along without actually doing a heck of a lot ;)

Thanks, Hank - that is very nice of you to say. My firm had a very strong pro bono program, and all attorneys were encouraged to participate. In fact, I was named Volunteer Lawyer of the Year in Cincinnati in 2011. I try not to blow my own trumpet too much :), but I am very proud of that award and really applaud all the lawyers out there who participate in these programs. It's not easy - I was an "abuse attorney" and represented children in dependency cases who were mostly in the foster care system. The horrific things I encountered still stick with me. But it really is worth it.

Think of the system like a timed entry at a museum. You go past all those who couldn't ( didn't) make plans and are stuck having to wait in line.

Twice have signed up at SEA, but have yet to use the reservation. Once we got there ( well ahead of our scheduled time) and the regular lines were moving well so just went through those.
More recently, we were again early and started to use the regular line and the line monitor sent us to the pre-check line. No idea why we got the favored treatment. Just said 'thank you' and proceeded to the shorter line.

Bumping up this post to inquire about anyone who has used the time slot booking for security, specifically at Amsterdam Schiphol (https://www.schiphol.nl/en/timeslots/). Did it work for you? I'm returning to the US from AMS in October on a mid-morning flight and this might be handy.

CL, it looks like from the drop down list that you can book security slots for flights to non-Schengen as well as Schengen countries, so even if you don't hear from anyone else, I would certainly try it, especially since you can book 3 days ahead.

Regardless, please keep us posted - I'd like to know how it works.

Clear might be losing some of its advantages:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/transportation/2023/07/12/tsa-airport-screening-clear-checkpoints/