Jul 3, 2022, 9:46 am
Last edit by: mia
Effective May 19, 2022 Platinum Card Members can now earn up to $189 (increased from $179) in statement
credits per calendar year when they use their Platinum Cards to pay for the annual CLEAR membership.
Purchases by both the Basic Card Member and any Additional Card Members on the Card Account are eligible
for statement credits. However, the total amount of statement credits for eligible purchases will not exceed $189
on the Card Account per calendar year. We are also changing the Benefit Name to $189 CLEAR Credit.
credits per calendar year when they use their Platinum Cards to pay for the annual CLEAR membership.
Purchases by both the Basic Card Member and any Additional Card Members on the Card Account are eligible
for statement credits. However, the total amount of statement credits for eligible purchases will not exceed $189
on the Card Account per calendar year. We are also changing the Benefit Name to $189 CLEAR Credit.
Platinum USA Clear membership fee reimbursement. [Consolidated]
May 3, 2022, 9:48 pm
#47
Formerly doc4science
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: CMH/DSM
Programs: United Airlines Silver, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Gold
Posts: 562
CMH has had Clear now at the B terminal for some time... At this airport, I fail to see how a membership would improve my experience. With Precheck, I'm 40min door-to-gate. 50min with checked luggages. I'm never behind more than 1 or 2 people in the Precheck lane, usually the only one.
I suppose if you're based at a hub airport, per some reports, it may be useful.
For someone who spends ~$20k+ on airfare annually, I would have trouble justifying $100/yr let alone $200/yr.
Am I just being cheap???
I suppose if you're based at a hub airport, per some reports, it may be useful.
For someone who spends ~$20k+ on airfare annually, I would have trouble justifying $100/yr let alone $200/yr.
Am I just being cheap???
May 3, 2022, 11:37 pm
#48
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: New England
Programs: American Gold, Marriott Gold, Hilton Silver
Posts: 5,640
Realize that CLEAR's business model *relies* on their customer base being small. If the CLEAR line backs up worse than the regular line, then there's no longer a benefit, and the negative press/customer sentiment will harm the business more than if they pruned their customer base themselves.
May 4, 2022, 12:38 am
#49
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Pacific Northwest
Programs: UA Gold 1MM, AS 75k, AA Plat, Bonvoyed Gold, Honors Dia, Hyatt Explorer, IHG Plat, ...
Posts: 16,854
Realize that CLEAR's business model *relies* on their customer base being small. If the CLEAR line backs up worse than the regular line, then there's no longer a benefit, and the negative press/customer sentiment will harm the business more than if they pruned their customer base themselves.
May 4, 2022, 2:15 am
#50
Suspended
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 4,188
CMH has had Clear now at the B terminal for some time... At this airport, I fail to see how a membership would improve my experience. With Precheck, I'm 40min door-to-gate. 50min with checked luggages. I'm never behind more than 1 or 2 people in the Precheck lane, usually the only one.
I suppose if you're based at a hub airport, per some reports, it may be useful.
For someone who spends ~$20k+ on airfare annually, I would have trouble justifying $100/yr let alone $200/yr.
Am I just being cheap???
I suppose if you're based at a hub airport, per some reports, it may be useful.
For someone who spends ~$20k+ on airfare annually, I would have trouble justifying $100/yr let alone $200/yr.
Am I just being cheap???
Last edited by Mama; May 4, 2022 at 2:20 am
May 4, 2022, 6:13 am
#51
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: CMH, West Coast
Programs: AA Executive Platinum, oneworld emerald
Posts: 2,741
CMH has had Clear now at the B terminal for some time... At this airport, I fail to see how a membership would improve my experience. With Precheck, I'm 40min door-to-gate. 50min with checked luggages. I'm never behind more than 1 or 2 people in the Precheck lane, usually the only one.
I suppose if you're based at a hub airport, per some reports, it may be useful.
For someone who spends ~$20k+ on airfare annually, I would have trouble justifying $100/yr let alone $200/yr.
Am I just being cheap???
I suppose if you're based at a hub airport, per some reports, it may be useful.
For someone who spends ~$20k+ on airfare annually, I would have trouble justifying $100/yr let alone $200/yr.
Am I just being cheap???
At SEA, where I fly about every other week, CLEAR at checkpoint 5 is always mobbed, and I just walk into pre check-only checkpoint 4 and never take longer than 5 minutes. Even in a much bigger and busier airport like SEA, I really don't see the advantage of CLEAR at all.
May 4, 2022, 9:43 am
#52
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Watchlisted by the prejudiced, en route to purgatory
Programs: Just Say No to Fleecing and Blacklisting
Posts: 102,095
When it comes to the financials for Clear's service at airports for the at-airport passenger screening process, Clear's counterparts for the screening process are the airport/airport authority and/or the airline, depending on the specific circumstances applicable to a location.
While TSA has gotten into a financial arrangement with Clear, its financial relationship with the TSA at this point is not generally relevant to the passenger screening security lines that Clear members and other travelers see at the airports.
While TSA has gotten into a financial arrangement with Clear, its financial relationship with the TSA at this point is not generally relevant to the passenger screening security lines that Clear members and other travelers see at the airports.
May 5, 2022, 7:38 am
#53
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,461
As a weekly flyer, Clear saves me a bunch of time. There are often long Pre lines at large airports, including my two regulars, SFO and PHX, and you skip ahead of all that. It's also particularly valuable at JFK T4.
May 5, 2022, 9:59 am
#55
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Long Beach, CA
Programs: AA PLTPRO, HH Diamond, IHG Plat, Marriott Plat, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 3,559
It's been hit-or-miss for me. A couple of weeks ago, there was a back-up of people at the Clear line at T5 at LAX. I just walked up to the TSA Pre-Check person. I think the Clear folks were busy with new people or helping people scan their eyes, or whatever. On the other hand, coming home from MCO last week, Clear was a great benefit.
It's definitely nice to have but if I had to shell out my own $189, I'd totally take a pass
It's definitely nice to have but if I had to shell out my own $189, I'd totally take a pass
May 5, 2022, 10:20 am
#56
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: Over the Bay Bridge, CA
Programs: Jumbo mas
Posts: 38,638
That's reason one that I use it, even if the Pre line is very short. I can have everything except my BP in my bag. And every rare once in a while, one doesn't get the TSA Precheck showing up on the BP.
May 5, 2022, 7:16 pm
#57
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Redondo Beach, CA USA
Programs: UA 1KMM, Bonvoy LTE+A, HH D, Nat'l EE, Hertz Plat, Avis PC
Posts: 3,713
I totally understand why some people would say Clear isn't worth it. But I've had it since their only airport was MCO, and in all those years there are two times I know for a fact that I only made a flight because I had Clear. There are countless other times where I bypassed a long PreCheck line, which both fed the ego and allowed me to be productive in the terminal rather than wasting time standing in a line. Clear is free to me now because of United, but I'd absolutely pay $189 a year if I had to.