Airport Security Lines: Post 9/11
Do you remember the last time you went through the security line at an airport? You arrived at the security checkpoint and there were 200 people ahead of you resembling rats winding their way through a maze. The angry old guy that was in back of me had not taken a shower for a week. The woman three rows over was causing everybody to choke on the bio-hazard (uh, excuse me, perfume) she was wearing. And why is it that I have to stand next to the chatty teenager in line that has a vocabulary consisting exclusively of “totally” and “like”? I tried throwing some cheese outside of the maze but nobody scurried out of line to get it.
Surely there must be a way to bypass this hell. Why, yes there is! The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) worked with private industry to create the Registered Traveler (RT) program. If you sign up for the program and receive an approved Security Threat Assessment (STA) then you can be identified at the airport through biometric (iris and fingerprint) technology. This allows you to bypass the Maze of Hell and undergo an expedited security process. Actually this program has been available at some US airports since 2005 but has more recently come to my neighborhood airports in California, namely San Francisco and San Jose. This is known as the Clear Program and it costs $99.95 a year. There are 59,000 people now signed up nationwide.
Getting signed up is basically a two part process. First you can enroll on-line at http://www.flyclear.com. The second part of the process involves bringing your identification to a published Clear enrollment station and getting an iris scan, fingerprint scan and photo. You are issued a Clear card which you can then use at the security kiosk at the airport. This is a classic case of government and private industry collaborating to improve customer service – Bravo! At the time of this writing, I am their newest customer.
September 12th, 2007 at 6:48 pm
I just used my Clear card a few days ago! After standing in the unbearable and unpredictable security lines that Jim describes above (even with having flight status on United to use the Premier security line), I felt applying for the Clear card was an absolute must! I promptly filled out all the necessary information online and went to SFO to have my enrollment completed (iris scan, fingerprints from both hands and a quick photo). After a few weeks, my Clear card arrived. It couldn’t have come at a better time as I had two East Coast trips within the month. When I arrived at SFO early Monday morning for a flight to Newark, I knew immediately where the Clear kiosk was located. After checking my boarding pass and having me step into the space-age contraption that I slid my Clear card into, it confirmed my identify by asking for a fingerprint. A confirmation slip was printed (something for the Clear staff) and I was escorted by a Clear attendant into the front of the security line. The whole process didn’t even take 5-minutes. I’m sure it took me longer to re-collect my belongings (by putting my jacket and shoes back on and putting my computer back into my backpack) than it did going through the Clear security screening. I can’t wait for other airports to start this program!
September 16th, 2007 at 9:46 am
Thanks for the info regarding Clear. I decided to give it a try and completely agree with your assessment of this service. The process was simple, clear, with a very high degree of customer service. Looking forward to receiving my Clear card in the next few days.
October 5th, 2007 at 10:52 am
Thanks for all the comments on this! I wanted to let everyone know that I received my Clear card and can’t wait to use it. The process of recording the fingerprints and iris scan was fairly quick and easy. About a week after I received my card, I received the following email from Clear. I wanted to share this with you because it is a great example of following through with your customers. Here it is:
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Dear James Schmidt,
We are writing to confirm that you have received your Clear card that was mailed on 09/24/2007. If you have not yet received your card, please call Clear support at (866) 848-2415 and we will locate your card or issue a replacement immediately.
Once you have received your Clear card, you can use it at any registered traveler airport in the US. You do not need to activate the card, nor do you need to respond to this email.
We look forward to seeing you in the Clear lane!
Clear Support