Travel Alert: Clear Security ceases operation

Just yesterday evening as I passed by the Clear Lane at Boston’s Logan International Airport, I saw my favorite employee and wondered how the business was doing.

The company, designed to allow passengers to pay to get around lengthly security lines, was formed on the concept that enough people would pay for the service to make the operation profitable. Now, it appears that that’s not the case — especially as people are trying to cut back during the recession.

Navigating to flyclear.com, browsers receive the following, solemn message:

“At 11:00 p.m. PST on June 22, 2009, Clear will cease operations. Clear’s parent company, Verified Identity Pass, Inc. has been unable to negotiate an agreement with its senior creditor to continue operations.”

It’s always sad to see a company fail, but in this case, it seems a bit more personal. Taking part in a review of the service earlier this year I distinctly remember meeting the Logan employees and writing positively about the experience. I wonder what they’ll do now?

Test driving Clear Security

Well that took for ever. On January 19th of this year, I took the opportunity to sign up for a free trial of Clear Security. Designed to help the frequent traveler pass through airport security checkpoints faster, the system takes several biometric data from the passenger and in exchange returns expedited service through security. They have kiosks at over a dozen of the largest airports in the country (and some venues) marked with a light blue Clear cube.

Whether the service is useful, saves time, is worth the money or is truly secure is a good, relevant question, but for now we’ll focus on the logistics of Clear Security operation.

Signing up for the Clear program is a two step process. Interested travelers must first go to flyclear.com where any number of coupons will earn you discounted or free service for a few months. At the site, you give normal registration data and authorize the collection of “excess data,” which are the biometrics with which you’ll identify yourself in the future. Clear will also ask if they can share your retinal data with NIST (National Institute for Standards and Technology) for research purposes, but you can decline this.

Once you provide billing information, you’re required to go to the airport for the second half of enrollment. At any kiosk outside of security, you basically explain that you signed up online and need to provide additional info, then an agent will assist you in providing your biometrics. Passing through Chicago on my way to Boston this January, I took this chance. Each of my ten fingers was scanned separately, then I stepped back at the machine and stared at the window while it scanned my irises. After that, I headed my own way with the knowledge that my card would arrive in 2 – 4 weeks.
It took me three attempts and nearly that many months to finally use my Clear security card. Not every airport hosts the system, and my home McNamara terminal at Detroit Metro isn’t one of them, so I had to wait until I passed through one of the cities to try out the service.

The first time was in LaGuardia airport, departing from New York into Detroit on a 6AM flight. Reaching the airport with my Clear security card eagerly in hand, I was disappointed to find out that that the lane wasn’t open. Operating hours vary by airport and in this case, I was too early to indulge. My fault.

Passing through of Boston‘s airport a few weeks back, I missed my second chance. As Northwest Airlines has just switched terminals at Logan, I was unprepared when I arrived at Terminal 1 at 5:30AM and found an outrageously long line at security. Clear’s lane was empty.

The next week I came prepared. It turns out the line wasn’t as long as it was 7 days earlier, but determined to use my status I marched towards the checkpoint wielding my Clear card. With no line in front me, I approached the kiosk and was greeted by a friendly attendant who took my boarding pass and watched me insert my card. In turn, the machine asked me for a random biometric. In this case, it asked for my right thumb, and I willingly obliged. According to the agent I could have chosen another metric, including any of my other fingers or my retinas, but my thumb print would suffice for now.

A fraction of a second later the machine beeped, the attendant checked my boarding pass and I was ushered towards an x-ray line.

It’s important to remind you at this point that Clear does not circumvent your requirement to go through the metal detector, screen your bags or pack 100mL containers. The real time saved is in the avoidance of oft lengthly lines to get your boarding pass screened. In some airports, after screening you merge with the regular line in front of the metal detector. In others, you get access to your own quasi-personal line.

This was the case in Boston, where the absolute nicest Clear agent was scrambling around picking up plastic bins for passengers. While I could have easily leaned over and picked up my own plastic tub, I appreciated the gesture and effort that this poor guy was putting into his job.

At this point, all passengers converged and the benefits of Clear ended. The total time I saved in Boston? This time I probably saved about three minutes. Last week I would have saved about a half hour. And that could make a big difference when you reach the airport at 5:45 for your 6AM flight.

For what it’s worth, now that my three month Clear trial is almost up my account is automatically expiring. This is a nice because I don’t have to worry about remembering to cancel the service to avoid hefty annual fees. That said, if you get the opportunity to try the service out for free, give it a go. It’s worth trying for no obligation, right?

Get a free Clear security pass for three months!

We finally found a way to give Clear security a trial run without having to pay any of their fees. Previously, we uncovered a deal to get access to the fast-track airport screening service, but it only worked if you were in an elite tier of a hotel rewards program. Now, it’s available for everyone.

The key is that you have to be a member of Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG), the rewards program run by Starwood, the mother chain of The Westin, Sheraton, W Hotels and the like. But enrollment is free and no credit card is involved, so you only need to quickly sign up. You can do that here.

After you get your membership number, just go to the SPG promo page, drop in your ID and bounce over to Clear for the balance of your application.

The crux of the application process is in giving up your personal information to Clear. While they swear that their system is secure (with, only a hiccup or two,) some people aren’t really comfortable with giving up more personal information to another third party. They’re not taking just your home address either – you’ll need to give them fingerprints and a retina scan once you get to the airport.

Your trial membership courtesy of SPG lasts for three months and you can sign up until the end of February.

Only after your application is complete will you be able to show up to the airport with your Clear card, scan your retina and zip through the ID check line – only to get into the x-ray line with everyone else.

Fine. But will it save you time? Often times when I’m in the airport the first class & elite line is just as short as the clear line, so in many cases it may not shave off minutes. But if things are backed up and the clear lane is open, it could save your trip. I’ll let you know how it goes when I give Clear a test run next week.

Is Clear Security secure?

If you’ve passed through airport security at more than a few airports in the past year, you’ve probably noticed Clear security lanes. The Cliff Notes version of their service is that they take a retina scan, store some info and let you get through screening faster — for a fee, of course.

I have to admit, I don’t know anyone that uses it. Most business travelers I know fly either in First Class (so don’t have to go through the long security line) or plan well enough in advance to anticipate long security lines (so don’t worry about it). And I think that some people are concerned about giving biometric and personal data to a third party to store in a database — you know, that whole privacy thing.

But surely a security company would keep tight control over and even encrypt that private data, right? Not necessarily. According to cbs5tv, a Clear laptop at San Francisco International airport was boosted the other day, along with the personal data of over 30,000 members in the system. New applications are on hold while the company that operates the checkpoint, Verified Identity Pass Inc., tracks down the notebook.

I’m glad I didn’t apply for a Clear Pass last year.

An alternate route into Clear Security

You may have heard about Clear, the new airport security lanes that have been popping up at airports all over the country. They offer an “enhanced” security screening, where they initially take your iris and finger prints then you can fly through their special security lanes without waiting in line for TSA and the other schlubs. Willy wrote about their rollout last year.

You may have also, like me, taken a quick look into the service, discovered the 128$ enrollment fee then abandoned your research right there. I don’t know you, but it’s worth 128$ for me to stand in line for the regular screening.

There may be an alternate route to Clear memberdom though. Apparently, members of Hyatt’s Platinum rewards program can enroll in a free year of Clear because of their exalted special status. But there’s also a promo going on right now where you can get Hyatt Platinum for free after one stay.

Just sign up on the special Hyatt page and next time you’re traveling for work, book a Hyatt room. After that, check out the special Clear page (which I also happen to have), and BANG. You’re all set.

You can weird out about all of the information that Clear collects from you later while you’re sending me a thank you card.

[Update, Marriott Rewards members are now eligible too!]