The Consolidated CLEAR Information Thread (Locations, Promotions, Value)
Mar 15, 2019, 3:30 pm
#751
Join Date: Dec 2018
Posts: 13
Ah, indeed. Good points all around.
I only have experience with the DL terminal there but there DTW is somewhat rare in having a dedicated CLEAR+Precheck line (in most other cases there is a single CLEAR line and they take you to either Pre or non-Pre after the biometrics) -- however in the DL terminal at least, DTW also has a CLEAR/non-Precheck line on the other side of the setup.
So to riff off of BigFlyer's advice, the simplest thing might be just to show up and explain the situation to the CLEAR agent and see what they suggest (and assuming there is a similar CLEAR-without-Pre line in the North terminal they would be able to direct you to it if appropriate)
I only have experience with the DL terminal there but there DTW is somewhat rare in having a dedicated CLEAR+Precheck line (in most other cases there is a single CLEAR line and they take you to either Pre or non-Pre after the biometrics) -- however in the DL terminal at least, DTW also has a CLEAR/non-Precheck line on the other side of the setup.
So to riff off of BigFlyer's advice, the simplest thing might be just to show up and explain the situation to the CLEAR agent and see what they suggest (and assuming there is a similar CLEAR-without-Pre line in the North terminal they would be able to direct you to it if appropriate)
Mar 28, 2019, 10:28 am
#753
Moderator: Hyatt; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: WAS
Programs: :rolleyes:, DL DM, Mlife Plat, Caesars Diam, Marriott Tit, UA Gold, Hyatt Glob, invol FT beta tester
Posts: 18,947
Mar 28, 2019, 10:38 am
#754
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Minneapolis: DL DM charter 2.3MM
Programs: A3*Gold, SPG Plat, HyattDiamond, MarriottPP, LHW exAccess, ICI, Raffles Amb, NW PE MM, TWA Gold MM
Posts: 100,417
CLEAR Sports (for sports facilities only, no airport access) is free, and regular CLEAR should work at any sports facilities with CLEAR. (You need to know which entrance/door has the CLEAR setup, where you should also be able to sign up at least for the sports version.) Soon you can use CLEAR also to purchase drinks (I presume this means that your age is tied to your fingerprint) at sports facilities.
Mar 28, 2019, 11:43 am
#755
Join Date: May 2017
Location: Dar-e-Salam
Posts: 38
CLEAR Sports (for sports facilities only, no airport access) is free, and regular CLEAR should work at any sports facilities with CLEAR. (You need to know which entrance/door has the CLEAR setup, where you should also be able to sign up at least for the sports version.) Soon you can use CLEAR also to purchase drinks (I presume this means that your age is tied to your fingerprint) at sports facilities.
Apr 2, 2019, 2:10 pm
#757
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Southern California
Programs: AE Business Plat, Marriott Gold, Hyatt,, Priority Pass for AE & RC Chase, Global Entry, CLEAR
Posts: 110
I'd like to sign up for Clear at LAX a couple of weeks before my next flight as I'll be in the area. I have a choice of terminals 1-7 and can have someone drop me off and pick me up. Any thoughts on which terminal would be the easiest at opening (4pm on a Sunday)?
Apr 5, 2019, 5:56 pm
#758
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 376
As a quick data point (hopefully an outlier):
While there were two Clear kiosks up and running in the part of MSP I was in, one was flakey - it was both slow and giving out error messages similar to "No subscriber found."
This caused a minor backup; I was directed to use the machine in question and also got a similar error message, but it did ultimately work. The person in front of me had to use the other machine to get passed.
Never run into this before; had the staff simply directed everyone to the normally operating kiosk, there would have been minimal delay (or none at all).
While there were two Clear kiosks up and running in the part of MSP I was in, one was flakey - it was both slow and giving out error messages similar to "No subscriber found."
This caused a minor backup; I was directed to use the machine in question and also got a similar error message, but it did ultimately work. The person in front of me had to use the other machine to get passed.
Never run into this before; had the staff simply directed everyone to the normally operating kiosk, there would have been minimal delay (or none at all).
Apr 6, 2019, 11:16 pm
#759
Join Date: May 2017
Location: Dar-e-Salam
Posts: 38
CLEAR is Hiking Annual Membership Prices for New Delta SkyMiles Members
- All Delta SkyMiles Members: $119 per year – was $99
- Delta SkyMiles Credit Card Holders: $109 per year – was $79
- Delta Platinum, Gold, and Silver Medallion Members: $109 per year – was $79
- Delta Diamond Medallion Members: Free – was free
Let’s say you signed up for CLEAR last year when you held Silver Medallion status with Delta, and paid $79. You’ll continue paying $79 each year so long as you hold status with the airline. If you lose status, your next membership renewal will cost $99 – the fee for all SkyMiles members under the old pricing structure.
Apr 24, 2019, 6:05 am
#761
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 3,461
If you live in ATL. SAVE YOUR MONEY.
This is morning I get there and the clear pre-check line has overflowed across the hallway. I tell the nice person “please tell your superiors that this is why I am not renewing”. One man in line laughs at me and says “it’s still the fastest method”. I didn’t respond. (note. I was very nice to Clear employee, it’s not her fault).
I then walk to the regular precheck line and get in. About 5 minutes later I am through. The guy who told me it was faster.. when I was giving my ID to the TSA agent he was just about to the Clear validation kiosks. No telling how long I would have waited just to get to the kiosk but based on what I saw at least 15 minutes
sadly this happens often here.
No I won’t renew. Pay more to wait longer? You fooled me once
This is morning I get there and the clear pre-check line has overflowed across the hallway. I tell the nice person “please tell your superiors that this is why I am not renewing”. One man in line laughs at me and says “it’s still the fastest method”. I didn’t respond. (note. I was very nice to Clear employee, it’s not her fault).
I then walk to the regular precheck line and get in. About 5 minutes later I am through. The guy who told me it was faster.. when I was giving my ID to the TSA agent he was just about to the Clear validation kiosks. No telling how long I would have waited just to get to the kiosk but based on what I saw at least 15 minutes
sadly this happens often here.
No I won’t renew. Pay more to wait longer? You fooled me once
Apr 24, 2019, 1:34 pm
#762
Join Date: Sep 2004
Programs: USAir
Posts: 429
CLEAR cutting in front of TSA Pre - why?
Why CLEAR customers are allowed to cut in front of the whole line of TSA Pre?
They are paying for a proprietary technology to ID them. Why they are allowed in front of you and me sheepishly standing in the TSA Pre ID line which is the same line to TSA baggage screening line.
What is the legal basis for their cutting the TSA Pre screening line?
If they want to pay for the salary of a separate TSA screener and separate screening equipment - maybe the airport for which I pay with my federal and local and travel taxes can sell them sparte area for screening - but it must be without decreeing the services I pay for or increasing my wait line.
Soon you can expect all the insurance industry agents today hogging all first class upgrades out of Poenix but tomorrow they all will be cutting in front of you using Clear while you wait in TSA Pre line and you will pay increased insurance rates so they can enjoy the Clear cut.
This is as unamerican as it gets. In other parts of the world they can have their paid for princes and counts - but not here.
What do you think about Clear and similar cut-the-line at my expense offers?
If the Clear person goes to the end of the TSA Pre line - I have no problems - they can be waved through by TSA agent when they reach that gate.
The problems is that the line to the TSA ID screener is the line to TSA baggage screening.
They are paying for a proprietary technology to ID them. Why they are allowed in front of you and me sheepishly standing in the TSA Pre ID line which is the same line to TSA baggage screening line.
What is the legal basis for their cutting the TSA Pre screening line?
If they want to pay for the salary of a separate TSA screener and separate screening equipment - maybe the airport for which I pay with my federal and local and travel taxes can sell them sparte area for screening - but it must be without decreeing the services I pay for or increasing my wait line.
Soon you can expect all the insurance industry agents today hogging all first class upgrades out of Poenix but tomorrow they all will be cutting in front of you using Clear while you wait in TSA Pre line and you will pay increased insurance rates so they can enjoy the Clear cut.
This is as unamerican as it gets. In other parts of the world they can have their paid for princes and counts - but not here.
What do you think about Clear and similar cut-the-line at my expense offers?
If the Clear person goes to the end of the TSA Pre line - I have no problems - they can be waved through by TSA agent when they reach that gate.
The problems is that the line to the TSA ID screener is the line to TSA baggage screening.
Apr 24, 2019, 1:41 pm
#763
Join Date: Nov 2013
Posts: 4,374
If I understand correctly, you argue CLEAR is meant for ID simplification, not line cutting.
My response is the ID simplification is certainly one benefit, but it is not the primary benefit. The primary benefit is to reduce waiting time. This can only be accomplished by cutting the line.
If the only benefit of CLEAR were that you don't have to take out your boarding pass and ID -- if you were still obligated to wait -- then CLEAR would be 99% pointless.
Disclaimer: I don't have CLEAR. My primary airports are SFO and EWR. SFO lines are short and EWR has no CLEAR lanes.
My response is the ID simplification is certainly one benefit, but it is not the primary benefit. The primary benefit is to reduce waiting time. This can only be accomplished by cutting the line.
If the only benefit of CLEAR were that you don't have to take out your boarding pass and ID -- if you were still obligated to wait -- then CLEAR would be 99% pointless.
Disclaimer: I don't have CLEAR. My primary airports are SFO and EWR. SFO lines are short and EWR has no CLEAR lanes.
Apr 24, 2019, 1:55 pm
#764
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Chicago
Posts: 11,513
I will unquote the rest of your "but-that's-not-fair" tirade and answer the question that can be answered:
TSA only legally controls (by space-sharing agreement/pseudo-lease) the screening area which is defined as the area that TSA uses for TSA operations. The lines leading up to the TSA ID checker are not part of the TSA screening area. That means that whoever controls the airport lobby (the airport authority, airport management concession, airline, etc) controls the lines leading up to the TSA ID checker. If that managing body decides to contract with CLEAR, CLEAR machines are installed in the area near the TSA ID checker (but not in TSA's space) such that passenger's can use a CLEAR machine and then walk past the TSA ID checker because the ID is already checked by CLEAR. TSA is not controlling the line or letting anyone skip in line; TSA is just taking the passengers as they come. If CLEAR passengers don't have anyone in front of them, there is no reason for them to wait in line twice, once for CLEAR and once for the TSA ID check which they don't need anyway-- CLEAR passengers just use CLEAR instead of the TSA ID checker and then merge with the line at the x-ray line. It isn't skipping the line. It is using the proper queue.
TSA only legally controls (by space-sharing agreement/pseudo-lease) the screening area which is defined as the area that TSA uses for TSA operations. The lines leading up to the TSA ID checker are not part of the TSA screening area. That means that whoever controls the airport lobby (the airport authority, airport management concession, airline, etc) controls the lines leading up to the TSA ID checker. If that managing body decides to contract with CLEAR, CLEAR machines are installed in the area near the TSA ID checker (but not in TSA's space) such that passenger's can use a CLEAR machine and then walk past the TSA ID checker because the ID is already checked by CLEAR. TSA is not controlling the line or letting anyone skip in line; TSA is just taking the passengers as they come. If CLEAR passengers don't have anyone in front of them, there is no reason for them to wait in line twice, once for CLEAR and once for the TSA ID check which they don't need anyway-- CLEAR passengers just use CLEAR instead of the TSA ID checker and then merge with the line at the x-ray line. It isn't skipping the line. It is using the proper queue.
Apr 24, 2019, 2:10 pm
#765
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: DCA
Programs: UA US CO AA DL FL
Posts: 50,262
The answer to "why" is "because"
CLEAR holders have paid (or have had paid by a third party) a fee which lets them jump the line. It's that simple/
The ID verification gimmick was never a big deal, is less of one now, and won't amount to anything in the next generation of TSA license scanners. The fee gets you to the head of the line. The fact that you don't have to pull out your DL is a side show.
CLEAR holders have paid (or have had paid by a third party) a fee which lets them jump the line. It's that simple/
The ID verification gimmick was never a big deal, is less of one now, and won't amount to anything in the next generation of TSA license scanners. The fee gets you to the head of the line. The fact that you don't have to pull out your DL is a side show.