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Does CLEAR make sense at IAH for UA traveler

Does CLEAR make sense at IAH for UA traveler

Old Jul 22, 2018, 3:21 pm
  #1  
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Does CLEAR make sense at IAH for UA traveler

I fly frequently IAH-WAS (all 3 airports) and am entertaining augmenting my TSA Pre with CLEAR. I realize CLEAR is currently only @ terminal A in IAH & would only work if I am not checking a bag (which is most of the time).

FWIW, I frequently check in at a different UA terminal than I am flying and ride the sky train to the one I am departing from due to Priority Pass Lounge Access. Just wondering if there are any UA flyers out that have went down this road and what their thoughts/experiences are.

From my observations at BWI/IAD/DCA CLEAR will definitely speed me past the longer TSA Pre lines on that end. That may be enough to spend the $79 per year.
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Old Jul 22, 2018, 3:48 pm
  #2  
 
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IMO, the time savings alone at BWI and IAD, especially BWI, make CLEAR worthwhile. If you use it at IAH, that's just gravy.
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Old Jul 22, 2018, 4:27 pm
  #3  
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Clear is awesome.
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Old Jul 22, 2018, 4:42 pm
  #4  
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Entirely situational, and you should be able to easily judge by how much time you spend stuck in Pre lines. I don't think it's ever been more than 5 minutes for me, so I haven't bothered with Clear. Others have a different experience due to travel patterns.
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Old Jul 22, 2018, 5:14 pm
  #5  
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Originally Posted by findark
Entirely situational, and you should be able to easily judge by how much time you spend stuck in Pre lines. I don't think it's ever been more than 5 minutes for me, so I haven't bothered with Clear. Others have a different experience due to travel patterns.
Agreed. Lately the Pre LIne @ BWI is the one that is really making me think about it. They routinely have 1 person checking & 1 xray scanner open with a 10-15 minute wait. Hate looking over at the regular security (when they use the dog) getting the same TSA Pre treatment & flying through. I have even got out of the Pre line to got through the "normal" security lines before.

Just trying to figure out if it is worth it to go out of my way @ IAH and enter at the A terminal to go back to the United side of the airport. I just signed up for the free 2 months to try it out. Only way to see if it fits my travel pattern.
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Old Jul 22, 2018, 5:19 pm
  #6  
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If we assume that you sometimes fly back to IAH from elsewhere, CLEAR could be worthwhile if it prevents you from missing just one flight, but you need too assess your own attitudes toward risk and your tolerance for suddenly finding yourself unnecessarily in a very long line. However, I'm posting from the perspective of someone who not only gets CLEAR for free as a DL DM but also is a hub captive where the hub now has CLEAR (as well as the DL terminals at a number of major domestic airports), so for me it's been great.
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Old Jul 22, 2018, 5:48 pm
  #7  
 
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I can routinely make it from my front door (Houston heights) to boarding the plane at IAH in 50 minutes, even at rush hour. I dont have CLEAR, so I dont think IAH is your major data justification point. From the sounds of it the use at the WAS airports would be worth it.

IAH is insanely efficient. An extremely underrated airport IMO.
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Old Jul 22, 2018, 6:41 pm
  #8  
 
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I too just recently signed up for it. I don't transit IAH much so my datapoints will not help you. LAX/SFO thus far have been very efficient and I've only beat the pre-check line by a couple of people since there rarely is a queue. I'm waiting for LAS this week.

Heads up, sign up for a Delta account. Clear drops to $99 for a General Member, less if you have status(originally $179). Even beats my Alumni Association offering $139.
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Old Jul 22, 2018, 6:47 pm
  #9  
 
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For me, clear means I spend a maximum of 10 minutes at security, regardless of how busy it is. This makes it worth while.

Because you always enter the line at the same point, you know exactly how long it will take at worst case, which helps me plan when to go to the airport.

The fact act that I spend less time on average than people in the pre or priority lane is just gravy.
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Old Jul 22, 2018, 6:49 pm
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IAH is my home airport as well, and Clear is worthless unless you are flying out of Terminal A. I have asked management with CLEAR and they blame United for not allowing them at Terminal C.
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Old Jul 22, 2018, 7:03 pm
  #11  
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Originally Posted by laxmillenial
Heads up, sign up for a Delta account. Clear drops to $99 for a General Member, less if you have status(originally $179). Even beats my Alumni Association offering $139.
If I decide to extend after the 2 month trial, I plan on getting a Gold Delta Sky miles card. Current offers have the $95 yearly fee waived for the first year and the Clear drops to $79 for the first year. Cancel the card after a year and then just be a General Member with the $99 fee.

Originally Posted by txaggiemiles
IAH is insanely efficient. An extremely underrated airport IMO.
Agreed. IAH is so easy to navigate and their TSA security seems much better than some of the east coast airports I frequent.
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Old Jul 22, 2018, 7:27 pm
  #12  
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I love my Clear. That with TSA PreCheck is awesome, especially flying out of Bay Area CA airports.
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Old Jul 22, 2018, 7:52 pm
  #13  
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Originally Posted by t5campbell
IAH is my home airport as well, and Clear is worthless unless you are flying out of Terminal A. I have asked management with CLEAR and they blame United for not allowing them at Terminal C.
Yep. B, and C used to have CLEAR lanes but they were removed a couple of years ago because United decided to not renew CLEAR's leases on the space. I had a 3 month free trial earlier this year and while it's a slick service and I can see the value prop, it just didn't make sense for my travel patterns with their limited footprint at the airports I frequent, even though I qualify for the $79/yr DL elite price.
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Old Jul 22, 2018, 9:15 pm
  #14  
 
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Thumbs up

Originally Posted by txaggiemiles
IAH is insanely efficient. An extremely underrated airport IMO.

Agree ^ . HOU is pretty efficient as well, but CLEAR has helped there from time to time.
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Old Jul 23, 2018, 7:04 am
  #15  
 
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Clear is pretty worthless to me 9/10 times (even slower on occasion). But I do love that 1/10 times.
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