Clear Tracking Order Status

Enjoyed clear for what it was until I got the airport and the employee asked me to get in the normal line where I could get in front of people, but essentially have to still go the normal check in process and go through dog security, which proceeded to take 30 minutes, while I saw all of the others clear members going through the fast clear check in process. I have no clue why she chose me or why I had to do that since I pay the same amount as everyone else, but it made me almost miss my flight. When bringing it up to the other airline employee in line, he responded “it’s clear, they do that kind of stuff everyday, I wouldn’t trust them.” Not going to renew.

I guess maybe sometimes this is better than regular security but 90% of the time in the Atlanta airport you might get through 5% faster than usual but it’s like 30 minutes instead of 36 minutes. Pretty frustrating

Unreliable at best. Some terminals the clear line checks you in fast and then puts you at the back of the line for security. If you have an early morning flight they don’t open clear lines until the terminal “opens” but tsa pre-check will be operating. You’ll be lucky if they even open on time in the morning and they are frequently very late to open. Overall, it’s an insane amount of money to waste for such unreliable service compared to tsa pre-check.

I have used Clear several times paired with preTSA and it has been fantastic! I started with a three-month free trial and, after seeing the huge convenience, I had no problem signing up for the annual plan. It saves so much time. I am able to speed through the queue and be on my way. You really notice the convenience when you are traveling with others that don't have it. I have used it at several airports and have had no issues whatsoever. It was especially useful at the McCarran International Airport which was in complete chaos. Customer service has been great, as well. When I was billed the full price and not the discounted price tied to being a Delta Skymiles member, customer service rectified the situation within 24 hours. Clear may not be for everyone but for those that hate long lines and/or travel a lot it may be worth it.

While not quite a "bait n'switch" scheme, the first experiences one has with CLEAR, the one that convinces you to enroll; is probably nothing less than extraordinary! In airports like EWR or AUS, the service WAS truly worth it's annual membership fee of $179 because there was a dedicated security lane for CLEAR members. Fast forward a couple years and multiple airports now offer CLEAR but, for customers paying $179 annually to bypass security lines the convenience of the service has changed significantly (and differs from airport to airport): 1) There are no dedicated security lanes 2) TSA controls the process and can/will withhold (briefly) your entry ahead of PreTSA regardless of the CLEAR escort at your side. 3) CLEAR isn't really any more than a line-cutting facilitator at this point (which TSA representatives will be more than happy to point out, and of which other passengers in line will be openly resentful). The efficiency of approaching a kiosk to validate your identity via retinal or fingerprint scan facilitates the process only marginally more quickly than pulling your drivers license or passport & boarding pass to share with the TSA agent before heading through security IF you're merely being ushered in front of others who've been waiting and you still have to wait to do so. The PreTSA line moved faster through security than folks with CLEAR during my most recent experience at IAH. Not only did they surpass the CLEAR line to reach TSA first but they also weren't subjected to a waiting line for the kiosks to validate their identity, no doubt the result of CLEAR's policy to escort each passenger to the TSA agent (which may entail waiting in line with you)! So the upshot is that CLEAR is charging $179 annually without providing the efficiencies that prompted enrollment in the first place. It's further perplexing that CLEAR customers aren't automatically granted PreTSA status so that at least they might rely on the benefit of not having to remove laptop or shoes prior to walking through the scanners, but that's not even a guarantee. Improvements in air travel, the scaling of airline business models, etc., more people are flying today than ever before. Where the 80/20 rule prevailed and perhaps 20% of the traveling population had frequent flier status once upon a time, now 80% of passengers have it. Likewise, PreTSA qualified a passenger to a guaranteed faster excursion through airport security. Now the PreTSA line is as long or longer than the 'regular' security - it still moves faster because you don't have to take off your shoes or pull your laptop, but it's often faster to go through regular security. Similarly CLEAR's service is teetering on a tipping point and unless it can offer dedicated lanes to it's customers or some other route that's significantly time-saving (without pissing other passenger's off in the process); it's not really worth the money. That said, if you're an outbound traveler at EWR with any frequency the CLEAR line moves MUCH faster still, the wait feels significantly less so the annual fee is probably worth it. CLEAR's service is "new" in every respect and they're doubtless evolving so it's my hope they'll figure out a way to negotiate with TSA, Homeland Security, ICE, the FAA or whatever oversight bodies are involved to provide the kind of experience to which it might be argued a frequent traveler is entitled. It seems appropriate that speed and efficiency should be the result of voluntarily providing one's biometric data to facilitate a much greater depth of identification and therefore security to all travelers and air travel employees alike. One would think, and one can hope!