any experiences? worth the 99 bucks a year? What do you guys think? Now that its at newark, i think it could beat the elite line.

The only thing CLEAR does is lighten your wallet. Do a search for "CLEAR" on this forum. Then, ask for your money back while you still can!

It's not worth it even if you frequent all of the limited airports (and the limited terminals within each airport) that uses this program.

didnt mean to start a new thread but when i searched "clear" i got a million results.

Sometimes at newark even the elite line is monstrous. Plus at airports like MCO where I frequent there arent elite lines. If i can get guaranteed fast pass in under 10 mins at EWR and MCO, its worth the >$10 a month since i fly out of newark at least 2 times a month.

I am confident that "Some day" they will get their anti-shoe-taking-off technology greenlighted by the TSA (they've been denied twice), and then it will be worth it. I've had it since almost the beginning, and I have to admit that it's tough to justify. However, I will still renew. I fly out of SJC Terminal C every 2 weeks, and there's no elite line there. So, for the rare times when there is actually a line, it is useful. It's slightly humorous how there are so few people who have it. Almost without fail, as I'm walking up to the Clear line (at any airport), they immediately start to direct me to the normal line. When I ignore them, they get a little nervous and ask if I'm a Clear Traveler. When I say, "yes", they are pretty surprised.

I don't think it is worth it at all. At EWR it is only at Term B and I think just one area, not all three sections. Your not going to get your use out of it at EWR on CO. I would just stick to the elite line where available. I did consider it because I travel to MCO quite often, but the line seems to move quick at MCO. I never wait more than 10 minutes.

Clear is a waste. Period. Despite the hoopla, passengers who show up at the recommended times for check-in will virtually always make their flights, and those who didn't sign up for Clear will have that many more dollars in their wallets.

Sorry -- I meant that you should do a search on CLEAR on the Travel Safety & Security forum, where this topic belongs. It's moving now. Please hold on!

Xyzzy
CO forum moderator

I agree. I looked at Clear a few months ago and could see no benefit to it. I rarely fly into any of the airports using Clear, with the exception of EWR, and there, it's of no use to me since it's not available at Terminal C.

From the CLEAR web site:Wow -- they help you with the bins for $100/year. Oh - and despite the fingerprint/iris scans and the fancy card you are issued, you still have to show your ID. Save your money!

I only got it coz it was free from Hyatt for a year... Feds already have my prints due to my job... so biggie on that end.

P.T. Barnum is laughing in his grave.

Aside from the privacy concerns, I think clear might be reasonable (especially as it is being rolled out to more and more airports) *if* it was implemented as envisioned and it would actually save the trusted traveler some of the hassle of going throuh security (in particular the shoe carnival).

Unfortunately right now all it does is allows one to cut to the front of the line, which for some people might make it well worth the 99 bucks, but for someone who already has elite status probably not (unless they are regularly flying out of a terminal with clear, but no elite line - and a tendency for long security lines).

Another downside to using it as simply a means to cut to the front of the line is that unlike elite status, it does not allow you to bring a traveling companion with you. So it won't do you any good when traveling with the wife and kids - unless they also sign up.

I often wonder if there are more people working the Clear line than using it...

Clear is a bad idea. It's a precursor to removal of elite line benefits for frequent flyers. Instead of spending money on clear, frequent flyers should be spending their time complaining at places like MCO where there are no elite lines.