EAJuggalo

They can, whether that is effective or not is another question. I flew out of MCO in October in the morning rush and one employee took me and four others at once. Four of us had no issues and one had problems so we all had to wait while they fixed that before we could get to the TDC.

Majuki

Isn't it only a facial scan now, not iris or fingerprints?

SCChris

it's been extended a couple times since then. The current deadline is 5/7/2025.

msimons

When I joined the iris scan was the prime method for ID. Well that and name on your boarding pass would have to match naturally.

Xyzzy

I've seen/heard reports of iris scans, but I'm not sure whether that's the case or people got that cnfused with a facial scan. That's why I asked.

dayone

I completed the upgrade to the new NextGen Identity+ today at DFW.

There was no wait, but it seemed like only one ambassador could do the upgrade. The upgrade was done using the regular biometric scanning kiosks, not the enrollment kiosks. The upgrade is two steps: Taking a new, tighter face scan and scanning your "valid" ID. I had both may passport and a REAL ID driver license. The ambassador said the DL would be easier. I wouldn't recommend trying with a non-REAL ID DL.

The process took about two minutes, mainly because the camara couldn't "focus" on a tight enough capture of my face on the first attempt. The ambassador tried her best (e.g., squat down, move back, turn left, look up, look down). The image has to be within a fixed rectangle tightly capturing only the face. Similar to digitally cropping a passport photo, but only the face.

The second attempt was immediately successful. It was so fast that I didn't even notice it was accepted. The DL scan also gave a message that name had been updated, I think to match my license.

The ambassador said that I should immediately experience fewer "random" ID checks. The NextGen Identity+ functionality is scheduled to roll out in the first half of 2024.

Zorak

Haha, when I went through JFK as mentioned a page or two back, I stopped by the enrollment kiosks outside the line to complete my upgrade. When I used the CLEAR+Pre line I was then instantly (well, 30+ minutes later) randomed for an ID check and I know the upgrade "took" because I received the same email.

(Yes, I realize "fewer" doesn't mean "zero", it's just amusing )

Majuki

My guess is the reduction in random ID checks won't happen until the CLEAR Lane of the Future rolls out next year.

A 30-minute wait to get to the TDC is the exact problem that CLEAR tries to solve. Having the non-CLEAR line move faster really erodes the value proposition of having CLEAR.

FriendlySkies

I completed my CLEAR upgrade this morning and MCI and the agent claimed it should reduce the number of “random” ID checks. To some surprise, no random moments later when I used the kiosk. We’ll see what happens at IAD in a few days…!

phltraveler

"Upgraded" at MCO today and it was a nightmare due to process issues and everyone being directed to do it. I will say that employees were really polite and that I do not fault them in any way, I'm just at the front of a change that all of the kinks haven't been rolled out of yet.

Nov 30th started the NextGen enrollment which required new photos to be taken. The step adds to time to acquire. I asked around 8:30 AM MCO Terminal A/B pre-security can I have my photo taken there even though I was flying JetBlue terminal C (shuttle from Port Canaveral went to A). No sir, you can go do that there. Alright, cool. Walk to the train to C, take it, walk through parking garage to terminal C departures.

Get to Terminal C departures... the CLEAR updates are taking time because for 99% of CLEAR users, they haven't used clear in the prior week. I get to the kiosk and... nothing. Doesn't work. Keep getting "photo doesn't match document". They keep trying. They suggest a manual TDC verify using my passport, I say hey, if we can fix this, I have more than four hours to my departure. They suggest a wipe of my profile. I'm told to wait while they call, I figure app/web chat will be quicker. Sure enough, I won that battle... 10 minutes in. They tried to enroll me again, but basically the same thing, on the enrollment side.

I suggest that since my driver's license has me wearing glasses, that the mismatch is probably due to the glasses interfering with facial recognition. The IDEMIA machines at Port Canaveral recognized me instantly without glasses (and was told to remove them). The ABC gates at Changi popped open instantly for exit customs when I took off my glasses. GE kiosk explicitly says remove glasses. But alas - the kiosks at MCO Terminal C haven't been updated to read the chip in passports, so they can't use it for enrollment updates with NextGen. I basically got told I could be manual TDCed and do the nextgen update later, or if I had time and wanted to, I could go to MCO Terminal A/B again and finish enrollment there. With an abundance of time to flight time, and it not being a particularly hot day in Orlando, I said fine.

Back to A/B gates I went... where the CLEAR + TSA Pre line was about 15 minutes, due to the enrollment photo updates. A helpful employee found my profile by name/DOB/email, re-acquired my right hand fingerprints, and then acquired my passport. Firstly with the bio data page for the MRZ, then it directed him to insert the back page only for reading the RFID chip. Another walk back to the interterminal train and CLEAR gates at C... deliverance.

I probably didn't need to force the update so soon, but with time abundant before my flight, I decided to. Again - the staff worked diligently on the issue, proposed alternatives that would keep me moving (manual TDC this time so I could enroll later if I needed to clear security sooner), and explained my options, so I'm not upset.

Key insights gained:

1. CLEAR's Facial recognition is now not only comparing to what they have on file for the member as an individual photo, but against the individual government travel document. This was probably done as a risk reduction measure to convince the feds and TSA to reduce ID checks. CLEAR can basically point to that the member face was analyzed against a file photo, and that the file photo was compared to a state or federally issued ID.
2. As with most facial recognition systems, glasses interfere. If you enrolled with a document that has glasses, you may not be able to enroll in NextGen with or without glasses (they tried taking the new pic with both to no avail). CLEAR staff ("ambassadors") at the airport can't help, but customer service can wipe your profile out.
3. CLEAR's newer kiosks updated (whether it was software alone or a combo of hardware/software - given appearance, I am hazarding a guess that it's software only. They mentioned the kiosks not being "patched" in MCO Term C) will, like many ABC gate solutions, read the actual chip in a biometric passport. This is supported by the ambassador's comments in Terminal C about the CLEAR kiosks there not being updated to read it, and the CLEAR kiosk during enrollment directing the ambassador at A/B to scan my bio data page first (which has the information required for basic access control on the biometric chip) and then the back page (which in a US passport has the biometric RFID chip). This would, rather than a scan of the passport surface with glare, result in a direct copy of your passport biodata image being accessible to CLEAR, rather than a scan with glare, impurities like glare or wear/dust/etc...
4. The comment made by at least one ambassador basically set a tentative timeline for initial rollout of the updated NextGen experience Feb 2024. What exactly that meant is unclear, and there were "weasel words" like "should be rolling out", but whatever fruit this may bear in terms of not just fewer ID checks but an even more streamlined CLEAR experience may be as soon as Feb 2024.

SCtime

I was told at ORD T1 TSAPre+CLEAR on 11/29 was that it was mandatory to upgrade to continue using CLEAR. And I didn’t have a moment to spare either, so I just walked over to regular TSA Pre. No data from other airports since then. CLEAR rep. told me I had to “call to cancel” if I didn’t want to upgrade.

It seems it possible, from what others have written in the thread, that upgrade is mandatory if the CLEAR reps have the right tools to process you and your id document.

sxpsxpsxp

Flew from BOS on the 3rd and FLL on the 6th. In both instances regular pre line was faster than Clear, I'm sure in large part due to them doing the enrollments. I didn't have my passport with me and didn't have that much free time on my hands, so I didn't bother. I do hope this next generation thing pans out, because otherwise it's too hit-or-miss to make it truly valuable.

cerps343

Has anyone upgraded without getting an email? I signed up for CLEAR at the airport at the end of September and am yet to receive an email about upgrading. However, I'm flying out of EWR tomorrow and want to upgrade while I have the time.

mfirst

Went thru Denver nonpre this am
no one was online when I get there and took less than 2 min to register and then went thru.
my partner who didn’t answer the email also registered in less then 2min

however a line was starting to form.

apparently, a little faster if you check in and then register vs register and then check in. But not much

overall, quick efficient and painless

vanillabean

Following the online verification of our cell phone numbers on 11/29, my wife and I got upgraded at ORD on 12/7. The parallel process took 2-3 minutes.