What part do you think is BS? I wish they'd move all TSA to biometrics, like they did with Global Entry. Clear has saved my ... many times, most notably at DEN where the TSA line was extremely long after getting to the airport late due to a customer meeting that ran long. Made it through CLEAR with no wait, and breezed through the precheck inspection. Best part, my AMEX Plat pays for both clear and precheck.

The part that's BS is that you are skipping the line.

If TSA was 100% biometrics, or biometrics for those who opted in, I agree that would be better. That's not what this is. Do not confuse a government program like global entry with a private company like Clear.

I wasn't confusing GE and Clear, I was saying TSA should go fully biometric like GE, but even if they did, they would still charge and provide a bio and regular line for people who don't sign up for bio. I don't know Clear is that' much different than paying for precheck, which lets you bypass post-9/11 security theater, or different from airlines providing expedited security (like Delta One at LAX - Delta One� At LAX). Federal agencies let private companies handle gov't business all the time. JMHO

Clear is very different from precheck because it is a private company. Also precheck makes a lot of sense. They do a background check on you, and if you pass (and only if you pass) they determine that you are low risk and therefore subject to lighter security. You may call it "security theater" but that's not how they see it. You are not paying to skip the line, you are paying for them to check you out before (pre check you if you will) to see if you are a security risk or not. Global entry is more or less the same concept, except for customs and immigration instead of security.

Love CLEAR. Fantastic service, and super cheap now that credit cards offer annual reimbursement for most if not all of the annual CLEAR membership fee.

Eight minutes is too pessimistic. I’d say four minutes for the walk is about right even to the most distant AA gate, which is A30, at least if you’re walking with purpose and don’t make any pit stops along the way. About three minutes to the AAdmirals Club. Maybe 3.5 minutes to Cadillac Mexican, which is the Priority Pass hangout at IAH Terminal A.

Just did A-North security to A30 this past Friday.

Um, no. That's not what I said at all. The OP is clearly a US resident.

Oh CLEAR is very different. It costs more (though not with the deals). They advertise Precheck as being really cheap, but those who don't know how to get CLEAR cannot get it that cheap.

In terms of lines, it is simply economics. Raise the price of Precheck and you'll have less people.

And in terms of letting private companies handle government business-did you see the pushback on ID.me for IRS logons? Private companies abuse people's data all the time. I don't think that should be allowed. If CLEAR goes bankrupt, can they sell people's biometrics? All's fair in business ...

Sorry if OT, but I don�t think you get your fingerprints taken for a passport or license. The only time I have ever gotten mine taken was for precheck, GE, and clear.

I'm so confused by this whole story. Who what where why when? What were all the line options?

In my experience (on UA I know nothing of AA), there are 3 lines at most airports: Regular, Elite, and TSA Pre. Elites can use the regular Elite line and take off their shoes but there is no such thing as an Elite Pre line. The only people who can cut the Pre line are Clear and Crew. Is OP saying there was an Elite+Pre line at IAH??? Regardless, if the sign is gone then I guess they can't use it. Sorry.

The companion Pre issue is neither here nor there but they stopped handing it out a few years back. My mom always (like 100%) used to inherit mine. After half a dozen times waiting in line, she broke down and agreed to get it. I've been telling her to for years now. Would not bite the bullet on GE though :/

My reading of the OP (apologies if mistaken) was that for the checkpoint they used there were two lines:

Regular
Unlabeled

The unlabeled line at some point in the past (pre-covid?) had been a Priority lane, but since then the Priority sign had been removed. The OP had continued to use the unlabeled lane without issue until this time they got called out by the TSA.

There is another checkpoint further away in the same terminal that has TSA Pre, but this one does not.