Saturday, November 24, 2007
Less Than "Clear"
Today I used my “Clear” service at Orlando International Airport. For those of you not familiar with “Clear” it is supposed to allow members to, “pass through airport security faster, with more predictability and less hassle”, according to the Clear web site.
You pay $100 per year for this service which requires you to fill out background information forms which are then supposedly used to perform a security background check. When that is completed you are notified of your acceptance or rejection to the program. If you are accepted you report to one of the Clear airport locations for fingerprinting and eye scanning. After that you receive your Clear card which allows you to use the Clear service at participating airports.
The service is supposed to get frequent travelers through security screening “faster, with more predictability and less hassle”. One would assume that Clear members would be subjected to reduced security inspection since they have already been subjected to a detailed background check.
But, my two experiences indicate otherwise. For my membership and trouble I was actually subjected to increased security scrutiny.
See my E-mail to the Clear Support web site below for the details of my observations.
“Dear Clear Support:
I am a member of Clear and have used the service twice at Orlando International Airport. My expectations have not been met.
My expectations are based on your web page which states, “Clear® is the leading airport security fast pass program. Clear members are pre-screened and provided with a high-tech card which allows them to access designated airport security fast lanes nationwide. Clear members pass through airport security faster, with more predictability and less hassle.”
Both times I used Clear I have found the security to which I was subjected to be exactly the same as non-Clear travelers. Today, I presented my Clear card at the start of the Clear line. I was surprised when I was also asked for my government-issued photo ID to get past this point.
Then, once granted access to the Clear line, I was required to have my right index finger verified in your data base. Then, I was required to remove my shoes, laptop computer, and liquids/gels/creams and place them through the X-ray separately from my other carry-on baggage. Then, I walked through a metal detector and collected my belongings at the exit end of the X-ray. As a matter of fact, after I passed the Clear fingerprint scan I merged with a non-Clear line and was screened through the X-ray and metal detector by the same TSA screeners using the same procedures as non-Clear members in front of and behind me.
So, please tell me, what did my Clear membership buy me? If I wasn’t a clear member the security checks would have been exactly the same except I would not have been required to present my Clear card and I would not have been required to have my fingerprint scanned and verified. Non-Clear traveler’s, therefore, are subjected to less security checking and less hassle because they don’t have to carry and present the extra Clear card and don’t have to bother with the fingerprint scan and verification.
So, I ask again, what does my Clear membership get me? Why was I subjected to an intrusive background check if I am going to be screened in the same line using exactly the same TSA procedures as other non-Clear travelers? Why do I have to go through the Clear card verification and fingerprint scan just to join the head of the line with a group of non-Clear travelers?
Clear appears to be a scam. All my $100 gets is “head of the line privileges”. All of the background checking and fingerprinting and retina scanning is nothing more than window dressing. It appears that it would be more honest if your service did away with the phony security and renamed itself “Airport Concierge”. You could charge $100 per year to guarantee frequent travelers head of the line privileges. That would eliminate all of the security window dressing and more honestly represent the service you provide.
I am open to hearing your counter argument to my conclusions about your service. Please let me know if you think there is something that I am missing. But, based on my two experiences at Orlando International Airport, your service results in no change to the normal TSA security procedures and no value except that you get to jump ahead of the Mickey Mouse-ear-wearing tourists.
Jim Pastorick
Clear member # (removed from blog post)”
You pay $100 per year for this service which requires you to fill out background information forms which are then supposedly used to perform a security background check. When that is completed you are notified of your acceptance or rejection to the program. If you are accepted you report to one of the Clear airport locations for fingerprinting and eye scanning. After that you receive your Clear card which allows you to use the Clear service at participating airports.
The service is supposed to get frequent travelers through security screening “faster, with more predictability and less hassle”. One would assume that Clear members would be subjected to reduced security inspection since they have already been subjected to a detailed background check.
But, my two experiences indicate otherwise. For my membership and trouble I was actually subjected to increased security scrutiny.
See my E-mail to the Clear Support web site below for the details of my observations.
“Dear Clear Support:
I am a member of Clear and have used the service twice at Orlando International Airport. My expectations have not been met.
My expectations are based on your web page which states, “Clear® is the leading airport security fast pass program. Clear members are pre-screened and provided with a high-tech card which allows them to access designated airport security fast lanes nationwide. Clear members pass through airport security faster, with more predictability and less hassle.”
Both times I used Clear I have found the security to which I was subjected to be exactly the same as non-Clear travelers. Today, I presented my Clear card at the start of the Clear line. I was surprised when I was also asked for my government-issued photo ID to get past this point.
Then, once granted access to the Clear line, I was required to have my right index finger verified in your data base. Then, I was required to remove my shoes, laptop computer, and liquids/gels/creams and place them through the X-ray separately from my other carry-on baggage. Then, I walked through a metal detector and collected my belongings at the exit end of the X-ray. As a matter of fact, after I passed the Clear fingerprint scan I merged with a non-Clear line and was screened through the X-ray and metal detector by the same TSA screeners using the same procedures as non-Clear members in front of and behind me.
So, please tell me, what did my Clear membership buy me? If I wasn’t a clear member the security checks would have been exactly the same except I would not have been required to present my Clear card and I would not have been required to have my fingerprint scanned and verified. Non-Clear traveler’s, therefore, are subjected to less security checking and less hassle because they don’t have to carry and present the extra Clear card and don’t have to bother with the fingerprint scan and verification.
So, I ask again, what does my Clear membership get me? Why was I subjected to an intrusive background check if I am going to be screened in the same line using exactly the same TSA procedures as other non-Clear travelers? Why do I have to go through the Clear card verification and fingerprint scan just to join the head of the line with a group of non-Clear travelers?
Clear appears to be a scam. All my $100 gets is “head of the line privileges”. All of the background checking and fingerprinting and retina scanning is nothing more than window dressing. It appears that it would be more honest if your service did away with the phony security and renamed itself “Airport Concierge”. You could charge $100 per year to guarantee frequent travelers head of the line privileges. That would eliminate all of the security window dressing and more honestly represent the service you provide.
I am open to hearing your counter argument to my conclusions about your service. Please let me know if you think there is something that I am missing. But, based on my two experiences at Orlando International Airport, your service results in no change to the normal TSA security procedures and no value except that you get to jump ahead of the Mickey Mouse-ear-wearing tourists.
Jim Pastorick
Clear member # (removed from blog post)”
# posted by Captain Jim @ 2:18 PM 
