Clear registered traveler program CEASING operations

[Tara]

Soooooo sad! I can't believe I'm gonna have to wait in line like everyone else!


Story here

Verified Identity Pass’s Clear registered traveler lanes, located at 20 airports, are shutting down at 11:00 p.m. Pacific time tonight.

The company web site was blank except for a white page with the official statement and no calls were returned. Clear said it was “unable to negotiate an agreement with its senior creditor to continue operations.”

Orlando International Airport spokeswoman Carolyn Fennell said they had not received notice until late this afternoon via email that Clear was ceasing operations. "We haven't had time to evaluate the impact or get further information," she said.

The pilot program was rolled out with great fanfare July 18, 2005, in Orlando. Travelers initially paid $99 a year for a card that was supposed to target those who posed a minimum security risk, and give them a special line that would process them through airport security more quickly.

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) was slow to release the program from the pilot phase, finally giving the green light to roll out the program in January 2007. The program hit a snag after TSA halted the use of GE SRT kiosks designed to serve as a shoe scanner and explosives detection system, blunting one of the program’s key benefits – allowing passengers to keep on shoes and jackets, and keep laptop computers in their bags.

And opponents of the program called Clear nothing but “a "glorified frequent flyer" program. “The demise of Clear is an effect the recession and fall-off in travelers and people willing to pay the higher prices that Clear is charging,” said Henry Harteveldt, vice president and principal analyst for airline and travel research at Forrester Research, and a former Clear customer.

Clear almost doubled its prices last fall, said Harteveldt. “They misread consumer demand for a limited service like theirs, failed to do customer win back after the price hike and failed to secure access to enough major airports,” he said.

Founder and CEO Steven Brill resigned his position in March to focus on projects in journalism and public service.