There are many memberships that take the hassle out of air travel, as I wrote about here.
CLEAR’s promise is that they allow you to fly without an ID and skip to the front of the TSA or TSA PreCheck line.
The Washington Post writes that the TSA will be requiring significantly more ID checks for CLEAR passengers due to a “security breach” that occurred last summer, though the TSA won’t specify what that breach was.
Of course, if the TSA does its job there’s no difference who goes through security, but agents are often far more focused on catching water than knives or guns, which studies show are often missed.
I did notice in Orlando earlier this week that most CLEAR members, myself included, had to take out their IDs. The CLEAR line was just as long as the Pre-Check line, so it probably took longer to use CLEAR, though CLEAR members skip to the front of the Pre-Check or regular TSA line which makes people in those lines wait longer, so it can be hard to calculate which is best.
In Cleveland, I have found that the PreCheck line can vary between a minute and 15 minutes, while the CLEAR line is never more than a minute wait. Removing that variance from the equation means I can show up for a flight just half an hour in advance and know that I won’t miss it.
However, the CLEAR benefit certainly varies by location and it may not always be worth using CLEAR.
Is it worth paying for CLEAR? I get it for free from United and AMEX, so that makes it a no-brainer for me, but it’s a good question if you don’t get it for free.
There are also reports that in the future, the TSA will require an ID, whether physical or digital, from everyone, even if you use CLEAR. A TSA spokesperson confirmed to DansDeals that the information is correct, though the timeline for that has yet to be determined.
However, a CLEAR spokesperson writes to DansDeals that you will actually not need to show ID when that is implemented as they will “digitally transmit a passenger’s identifying information from CLEAR to next-generation TSA hardware at airport checkpoints and avoid any need for passengers to show their IDs.”
CLEAR says when that rolls out the process will be much more seamless.
But in the meantime, expect to have to use your ID more often when using CLEAR, which may change the equation for whether to choose the CLEAR line or the PreCheck line.
Do you find CLEAR to be worthwhile?
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23 Comments On "You May Need Your ID To Use CLEAR For Now, But That Won’t Be The Case In The Future"
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Dan I’m going to skip over my feelings on tsa in general and just say I’ve been noticing Last 6 months that there are random id checks at clear and I never got this before this.
Clear is still very worthwhile, even though lines have gotten longer it still guarantees a shortened waitime and direct pass to the TSA. Clear+/TSA PreCheck at Terminal C in EWR is quickest way in and out. I try to only fly United for this purpose.
You should try Terminal A in EWR. It has clear as well. The lines are extremely quick. I fly weekly and don’t recall ever waiting more then 2 minutes. The x-ray machine usually takes another minute or 2. In addition, the terminal is really beautiful.
CLEAR is def worth it if free, although I will admit-the last few times I flew, I had to show ID, as it came up “random ID check”
IMO the main benefit of Clear is skipping the PreCheck line, I don’t believe their machine is actually capable of verifying my identity any faster than a TSA agent. In my home airport of BWI that that makes the Clear line faster 95% of the time. In other airports though, I’ve had different experiences. In Fll, the lone Clear agent disappeared, causing a line to form so I just ducked the partition and went to the Precheck line instead. In EWR, for some inexplicable reason, there were more people waiting by the Clear + Precheck line than in the Precheck line when I first passed by (I took a picture), tho by the time I had to get in line they were about equal and there was a family with kids in the Precheck line so I bet on the Clear line which only had 2 agents, and ended up getting to the next line just in front of the family. I was also randomly selected to show my ID, so it ended up being purely a line cutting measure as I had to do the same thing as anyone in the precheck only line.
Dan. I find clear to always be shorter line than TSA.
How do you get Clear for free? I have status on United and the United card.
Amex platinum and Amex green card
United 1k and Delta diamond members get it for free
My husband waits on the regular line at Palm Beach International while I have clear and always ends up ahead of me! I have not seen any benefit and their retina id is creepy. Still regular metal detectors, so really an unnecessary hassle!
Hearing they check for ID every 100 customer
Maybe before, but it’s much higher now.
More people get clear and pre check, less people in standard lines. Everyone wins. Yay! But yeh definitely right now worth using this if you travel regularly.
I have both as well. I get it for free, first from Delta and now from United. So I am not sure if I would pay.
I use the airport at least three times a week. Each airport is different. Atlanta has the new Digital ID that is much faster. In order to get that, you need to check luggage with Delta and opt in. It is worth checking luggage online even if you do not actually check luggage. It is worth buying a fully refundable ticket…. I will leave it at that!
I always laugh at the people that pay for or get CLEAR so they MUST use it. Go into an airport, do a quick scan, if there is NO one in the Precheck line and no one in Clear, PRECHECK is faster, even in Cleveland where you need to walk in circles.
If there at three people waiting in clear and they are only taking one person at a time and three in precheck, CLEAR is SLOWER.
But when CLEAR works, and when there is a long line or when running late and there is CLEAR then you are lucky to have it.
Bottom line, it is not always worth it, but when it is worth it, usually it saves a lot of time and if you forgot your ID at home, it is definitely worth a shot at clear where yes, I have been Randomly checked, but it is a hit or miss, so before saying you do not have your liscence, try it, chances are you will breeze right through it!
Couldn’t agree more. There must be some psychological thing that makes people who have Clear feel like they must use it, regardless of whether or not it’s faster. Clear is a tool. When I believe it’ll get me thru faster, I use it. When I think it’ll take longer, I don’t.
Same thing with Global Entry, if it looks faster, I’ll use it. If not, I go with Mobile Passport. I don’t NEED to use GE just because I have it.
Same thing with lounge access. Just because I can get in to a lounge, either because of a business class ticket or with a credit card or Priority Pass, doesn’t mean I have to. If the lounge will offer a more pleasant experience than the terminal, great! If not (the Dan Lounge in TLV comes to mind), what’s the point.
Agree!
Been way more ID checks recently / but still worth it
Yes, I use CLEAR. Flying out of MSP early in the morning, there are immense lines and CLEAR + Pre-Check allows us to bypass a lot of it.
do any of the chase cards give the free clear perk?
Nope but any of the United cards will lower the price from $189 to $149
In PHX, CLEAR usually takes longer than the regular line.
I have been targeted for “random ID checks” almost every time I’ve flown in the last while. I asked the CLEAR agent why. She asked me if I fly often. I said yes. She said if you fly often, that’s why. Seems counter intuitive, no?
I traveled multiple times with other people, while I was chosen “randomly” ALL of those times to show ID. Am I being punished because I left a negative review/feedback? They’ll never admit it.
Priority Pre check lanes, if you are in a terminal that has them, are almost always faster than clear. At least IME