emcampbe

personally, only had one instance of taking more than like 5 minutes to get through at SFO (I’m not counting that one time I had to clear a second time because I forgot to empty my water bottle before coming through, and so TSA made me go back - thankfully was with my wife so I didn’t have to schlep the rest of my bags out again). Otherwise, have definitely never seen lines longer than TSA pre-check.

as for ID checks, I’ve had the occasional, but nothing like what was mentioned upthread (just saw an article on that a few hours ago). But cleared through in late June no checks (domestic) and international last week, and no request for Id - both times my BP even pulled up in the system properly, for a long time, that seemed to be hit/miss, more miss. But seems to be working better this year.

lincolnjkc

IME IROPS/last minute bookings significantly increase the chances of a "random" ID check -- and since "IROPS/last minute bookings" basically summarizes my -- and I'm sure many others -- last 6 weeks of flying that proportion has likely gone up. I was randomly verified in Cleveland this week and week before last -- both after flight cancelations and attendant rebooking before I got to the airport -- but today out of EWR A (with a PNR that can best be described as 'messed up' because a significant portion of UA's infrastructure is convinced I'm still in Dulles waiting for my inbound flight to LGA [I drove, I had the UC drop that segment before I left IAD since there were no viable options when my flight canceled] + a SDC to an earlier EWR-CLE), no issues at all -- nor did I see any of the pax around be getting pulled for verification.

Before those verifications the last time I got pulled was the first trip after I renewed my drivers license/updated it with CLEAR, and before that I can't remember the last verification...

pseudoswede

There is a bit of talk in the CLEAR thread in the Trusted Traveler forum about how the TSA is forcing nearly all CLEAR customers to show ID due to a security breach of a person using CLEAR with a fake boarding pass.

drewguy

Huh. I've always chuckled at how many Clear reps seem to be standing around waiting for nobody when I've been at IAD and DCA.

As with others, if the Pre-Check line is relatively short I don't bother with Clear. It's not easier than pulling out an ID - just sometimes faster because of the line-cutting privilege.

findark

Yeah, I've always been amazed that they went to market with such a human-intensive process. Every time I see all the employees I figure that's why they have to charge such a comical price.

I can't fathom paying actual money for Clear, although since with it as a free perk I will use it from time to time.

HNLbasedFlyer

Saw on the news this morning CLEAR will be coming to HNL and OGG by the end of the year.

Precheck is fairly fast at HNL - haven't recently been to OGG but I've heard security lines can be long........

Repooc17

Pre is quick at OGG. Based on a recent data point at around 10 or 11am, extremely long lines for regular security, but less than 10 people on the Pre.

IAH-OIL-TRASH

Same here. I use it most frequently at LAS, and there I can check out the Pre line to see if it's even worth going to the Clear kiosks. Maybe 50% of the time Clear is useful, but even then, it probably only gets me ahead of maybe 5-10 people at best.. Only one time (at Houston Hobby for a WN flight) do I recall it saving me truly significant time. Not sure Clear will be faster at HNL for me - - Pre's usually quick for the 7 or 8am flights I'm on. I probably wouldn't pay for it. What gets me is the people who insist on using it even if it's obviously faster to go straight to the Pre podium.

Airport security line-skipping service coming to Hawaii airports, but some urge caution (hawaiinewsnow.com)

(From link) "“We’re proud that 91.3% of people decide to keep their CLEAR Plus membership after signing up... We believe that’s a reflection of the passion people have for the CLEAR brand and the service we provide,” the company said." I guess I'm one of the 91.3% who decide to keep my CLEAR membership - because UA keeps paying the fee

mfirst

At OGG, regular lines are unpredictable but appear to move quickly. Pre-check rarely has a line of more than 2-3 people....sometimes, I am the only one and breeze right thru - hopefully they dont spoil that

DEN - on the other hand, the other day Pre-Check/Clear was the worst that I have ever seen - "glad I am not paying for this" - stepped into the pre-check only line next to it and zipped right thru with only a few people on line....got me thinking of why people would use Clear which wrapped around the side when the regular pre-check line was nothing..... they need to do something about this.....

fumje

Anyone else having a weird run of ID checks using clear? I am at 6/8 for my recent times using clear and getting the "random" ID check.

TSA says its a thing that clear initiates, not them. Is that true?

goodeats21

I have had a couple of them over the past months but figured it was just an anomaly.

More often, I am paying more attention to regular precheck line and using it when CLEAR is backed up. Finding it less and less a true benefit, but as others have said, as long as United keeps paying for it....

WineCountryUA

I had a run of this earlier in the year but not recently.

However my Clear experience is about to end. As a Plat I got first year free but then $109. With the often reported PreCheck being just as fast and id checks may, maybe not, the value proposition was getting more and more questionable. But with the fee increase for Plats to $149, I'm done. Back to PreCheck.

SFO 1K

This will happen more and more due to Clear's failures over the past year.
https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-...mbers-show-ID#

rcodey

I had a run this past Summer of about 5 consecutive .

fumje

Yeah on regular-pre line often being as fast or faster, I have noticed that too. Seems like EWR is especially prone to people mindlessly filing into CLEAR while there are only a handful of people in the regular line.


​​​​​​​Interesting report. I had not heard of this. If CLEAR winds up changing and universally loses the waiver for ID-check, I don't think I'd bother with it even for the price of free.