Is Clear worth it?

[mikehn]

Now that everyone has TSA precheck, it's really not any advantage anymore. Sometimes the regular line moves faster than precheck. What about Clear? Is it worth the hefty fee?

 

[Lewisc]

Now that everyone has TSA precheck, it's really not any advantage anymore. Sometimes the regular line moves faster than precheck. What about Clear? Is it worth the hefty fee?

I don't agree with your premise. You can look at the airports website. Pre almost always has a significantly shorter wait.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

Copying a response I posted recently on the Clear question.

I have Clear and travel quite a bit. Generally speaking the Clear/Pre-Check combo is very helpful at most airports (including MCO). Does Clear provide an earth shattering advantage? No, not really - but sometimes every little bit helps. It's not the usual travel advice around these parts but I don't like waiting around airports so we time things close.... skipping 5-10 minutes of people waiting longer in the Precheck line (when applicable) is worth it for us.

There are some cities, I'll pick on Atlanta in particular and I've also had mixed experiences in Denver, which at times can have substantial Clear lines, sometimes rivaling the regular Precheck. I love Delta and Amex but they give Clear memberships out like candy and it leads to way too many people at some airports (in my humble opinion).

But, those are exception airports, overall most places I really appreciate having it. It's maybe debatably "worth it" if I didn't have a card that paid for it, but I've grown used to the convenience so I'd probably still pay out of pocket if I had to.

 

[lockets]

Yes. Especially if you can get it paid for by a credit card or discounted during a sale or have someone else get it for you with their card benefit offers.

 

[FreeTime]

I have both due to adding Clear this year as precheck will expire soon. I have not noticed a big advantage and will probably not renew Clear but will precheck. With Clear (PHL and LVS and CMH) I have been walked to the front of the precheck line. In ATL there was a designated line that was longer than precheck. I wouldn’t pay for it over precheck. The few extra minutes is small.

 

[sam_gordon]

How much are you flying and where are you flying from/to? I've recently flown out of DC (Reagan) and Cleveland and between the two, Clear (if I had it) *MAY* have saved 5 minutes.

 

[AgentMama]

Some airports, like MIA, don't even have Clear at all the terminals. I travel a fair amount, personally haven't had the desire to pick up Clear in addition to precheck, our family will always keep precheck updated.

 

[kanerf]

Some of the higher end credit cards will give you Clear for free. I know that some of the AMEX cards do.

 

[sam_gordon]

Flying out of Cleveland last week, when I got to security, there was a party at the Clear kiosks. There was NO ONE in the security lines... either Pre-check OR "normal". I walked past the Clear kiosks and into the pre-check lane.

 

[projectx3]

I've had clear for two months now, and have used it three times.

At DEN on a random weekend, the CLEAR line was about the same as precheck.
At CVG on the Saturday before Thanksgiving, the time savings was maybe 2 minutes, if I'm being generous.
At MCO, it might have saved us 10-15 minutes over precheck, tops. And this was during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.

Small sample, but based on these experiences so far I wouldn't bother if I didn't already get it for "free" with a my credit card.
We'll see how much difference it makes on future flights.

 

[robinb]

My DH has Clear and I have Pre-Check. When we travel together we often "race" through TSA. I often beat him through security by a minute or two. He occasionally beats me but only by a minute or two. It really doesn't make a difference.

 

[mikehn]

Thanks for all your responses. So it sounds like the ability to jump to the front of the line, which is what I see some people doing while I'm standing in the precheck line. It's nice to know that when you arrive, you are going straight to the front of the line. Im just not sure Im ready to pay for that. I googled to see what deals are out there, but nothing that would make any financial sense for me at the moment.

 

[projectx3]

I googled to see what deals are out there, but nothing that would make any financial sense for me at the moment.

You get a $180 CLEAR credit with the Amex Platinum card or Amex Business Platinum card. Either card comes with a staggering $695 annual fee BUT...

Amex Platinum
-Sign up bonuses of 100k points (or more) are available ($6k spend in 6 months)
-If you search for Amex Platinum Resy offer, you'll get 100k points AND 10x points per dollar earned at restaurants for the first 6 months.
-It comes with a ton of other benefits, or as I like to call them a coupon book, but the easiest ones to take advantage of are the $15 monthly Uber credit (which works with Uber Eats), $200 airline incidental fee credit, $20 monthly streaming credit, and I guess the $50 Saks Fifth Ave credit every 6 months is useful to some.

Business Platinum
-A 170k offer is publicly available (15k spend in 3 months)
-$200 airline incidental credit
-$200 Dell credit

Both come with the $180 CLEAR credit. If you sign up through a frequent flyer program, it's usually discounted and you can add another family member for $50. Kids are free. I did this and our whole family now has CLEAR, covered by that $180 credit.

 

[LYSE]

For free with a credit card it's a no Brainer

Paying for it? Maybe if you travel often through really busy airports that get huge lines...I felt it was the most helpful for us in Atlanta

 

[EACarlson]

I have both due to adding Clear this year as precheck will expire soon. I have not noticed a big advantage and will probably not renew Clear but will precheck. With Clear (PHL and LVS and CMH) I have been walked to the front of the precheck line. In ATL there was a designated line that was longer than precheck. I wouldn’t pay for it over precheck. The few extra minutes is small.

More terminals, especially those terminals served by Delta, are going with a separate line for those with Clear+Pre, which can often be slower than the line for just Pre.

Thanks for all your responses. So it sounds like the ability to jump to the front of the line, which is what I see some people doing while I'm standing in the precheck line. It's nice to know that when you arrive, you are going straight to the front of the line. Im just not sure Im ready to pay for that. I googled to see what deals are out there, but nothing that would make any financial sense for me at the moment.

I have a philosophical objection to Clear, I don't believe you should be able to pay a private company to receive better government service.

For free with a credit card it's a no Brainer

Paying for it? Maybe if you travel often through really busy airports that get huge lines...I felt it was the most helpful for us in Atlanta

That's surprising, Atlanta is one of the places that people say it helps them least now because so many people in Atlanta are Delta elites and get it free or almost free.

 

[LYSE]

More terminals, especially those terminals served by Delta, are going with a separate line for those with Clear+Pre, which can often be slower than the line for just Pre.

I have a philosophical objection to Clear, I don't believe you should be able to pay a private company to receive better government service.


That's surprising, Atlanta is one of the places that people say it helps them least now because so many people in Atlanta are Delta elites and get it free or almost free.

There was a Line for clear but it was nothing compared to the pre and normal lines

 

[lockets]

I have a philosophical objection to Clear, I don't believe you should be able to pay a private company to receive better government service.

That’s really interesting. I didn’t think of it that way.

 

[js]

Now that everyone has TSA precheck, it's really not any advantage anymore. Sometimes the regular line moves faster than precheck. What about Clear? Is it worth the hefty fee?

WOW! What airport(s) do you fly out of that regular lines move quicker than precheck?
I'm honestly asking since by me, that doesn't exist LOL

 

[supersnoop]

I've got an Amex Platinum, so Clear would be free, and I haven't bothered. I fly through AUS and DEN at least once a month, with MCO and ALB in there frequently, too. I've never been in a line long enough to make me want to spend the time to even research Clear.

FYI: the Morgan Stanley branded Amex Platinum comes with two cards and, I'm pretty sure, both get the Clear credit. Some benefits are per-account and some are per-cardholder.

 

[nolatravelgirl]

I travel frequently for work and find the Global Entry (which includes PreCheck) and FlyClear to make my life so much nicer. Even if the regular line is slightly shorter by length I will always take the Clear/Pre option because I don't have to remove my laptop and shoes. The other big benefit is you don't have to go thru the 'nude-o-scope' detector which I find to be incredibly invasive. Pre/Clear combo just uses the regular metal detector. They may send you thru the nude-o-scope if you ding too many times but overall Pre/Clear is just so much more civilized.