It wasn't a company *like* Clear that went out of business - Clear went out of business!
www.businessinsider.com/clear-goes-belly-up-2009-6 Now it's back. Crazy comeback story.
Peter Kafka
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Brooo!!! The questions CLEAR asked me at the airport ... LOLOL I was like only me and God would know!
"Which one of these ISN'T a user on your Netflix account?"
Rahim Wright
740 Project // Capitol Records
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They got that data from ChoicePoint. There's tons of terrifying aspects of the business that they're in, but they're a million times less shady than Cambridge Analytica.
I've been a clear customer for a number of years. It is worth every dime, and all the signup hassle. You will never go back to flying the old way, when you fly commercial anyway.
Love your stuff, keep it up!
-Jeff Burchell
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I’ve traveled 30 weeks a year for the past 4 years. This year may end up being more.
That $175 feels like mere pennies when you are at an airport that has major congestion when you didn’t expect it... clear saved me from missing my flight last week flying from Denver to NYC.
The Denver airport was backed up hours due to families going home from spring break ski trips
Clear saves me the hassle of trying to keep up with airport scheduling quirks like spring break (it’s different in each city) and for that alone it’s with the $175
That being said - doesn’t the airport have enough data to tell us when to get to the airport early?
Or is it a ploy to capture rebooking fees when folks are late or by chance extra food/beer revenue in the airport by those arriving too early?
Patrick W. Ryan
Co-Founder
Eventellect
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Clear has save me countless hours over the 4 years I’ve had it. Orlando is a nightmare of small children, strollers and clueless travelers. I have usually been at the gate within 10 minutes of arriving at MCO. Good to hear it mentioned. One less major hassle. Every little thing …
Dan Beach
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Love clear. I first enrolled 10+ yrs ago, I think San Jose airport was one of the first place to have it. Especially with TSA PRE lines getting longer.
See you at the Music Media Summit later this month.
-Joel Gomez
Skateboarding since 1977
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Signed up the first time and they went under. They didn’t give a discount for that but they kept my info so it was so easy. I hate lines and crowds. Guess I picked the wrong business.
Jim Lewi
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I fly almost every week.
I got clear for free through my Delta diamond status. It has saved me a few times at LAX when TSA line was massive and seems worth whatever the actual cost is. It’s still not in many airports I fly.
It’s a good addition for someone like me who travels a lot until like TSA/Global entry and everything else they overcrowd it and/or allow credit card companies to ruin it.
Bon Voyage
Matt Hanrahan
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I had a kinda similar experience. I've had TSA pre-check for years. Didn't think I would use Clear -- it's not even at Newark United, where i fly in and out of all the time. But's at SLC. And more importantly, it's at Yankee Stadium, and they have slow security lines. Still, for $175? Recently was with some friends visiting on a ski trip, and one of them had received three free one year memberships to give to "family and friends" and she offered me one. So I took it. I did go to the airport in advance to do te iris/fingerprints thing and I did clock the info they had on me that I had to confirm (prior mailing addresses, etc), but I proceeded nonetheless.
Had a 5:03 AM flight SLC-Houston last Friday morning, and was running late. And the TSA line was long - at 4:10 AM (!). The Clear line was empty, so I did my Iris scan and their rep escorted me through past the TSA guy and that long TSA line, and I went straight to the TSA conveyer.
My plan to use it at Yankee Stadium for the home opener game today was defeated by the snow gods -- the game was postponed due to snow, and I'm flying home tomorrow. Next time.
But it definitely works.
Toby Mamis
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This service is several years old and is not even close to being in most airports....why anyone would do this, as opposed to TSA pre-check and express customs programs (which I get for free from American) would be hard to understand....
Whitten Pell
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Nothing and i mean NOTHING like it!
Warmest Regards,
Frederic Traube
Pro Sports Music Marketing LLC
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Been eyeing Clear for a long time, but I'm still not convinced the cost is worth it. I just haven't seen enough airports where it would save me enough time to warrant the expense. I only travel about 18 times a year, so maybe if I were closer to 50 trips I'd think harder about it. But for me, right now, PreCheck is perfect. Although I'll probably upgrade that to Global Entry soon, and include my wife since we are going to start more international travel.
Chester Bullock
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I noticed Clear a few months ago on Angel List and started investigating. I couldn’t get past the idea that they are essentially monetizing inconvenience.
Our government has made flying so miserable as a rule of law through the TSA that a private company can come in demand our biometric data in exchange for a shorter line. It will also happen at concerts and sporting events and maybe eventually schools. How is that fee divided with the airports or arenas?
I don’t think anyone is stopping to ask, why having someones information suddenly makes them incapable of committing a crime. It doesn’t. We’ll just know who you are once it happens.
Best,
Frank Woodworth
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BWAHAHA! Wait until you go to another airport and find out it isn't there at all . . . or isn't in the terminal you are in.
Complete waste of money. Been there, paid that.
Damon Henrichs
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My bandmates and I fly a ton, and we all got the Nexxus/Global Entry card thru regular Immigration channels, and in one or two cases we would have missed our flights if we didn't have it. However, although you get TSA PRE on all flights, you still have to go thru the TSA line, and yes it's getting longer but still pretty freaking cool most of the time.. Includes expedited processing thru customs if flying internationally. But sooner or later everyone is going to have this, so then it'll be back to the long lines again, right?
?
Young Hutchison
Jumping Jack Flash
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A "VIP Experience Ticket" to "Security Theater".
I don;t think our Gov't is in the right moral place when they sell "better" Gov't services.
For that I refuse to subscribe to Clear, Global Entry ( get the free Mobile pass app) or TSA Precheck.
I fly maybe 30 times a year, about 1/2 they send me to precheck line because they are so backed up people miss flights if they don't. Esp at airports where they do alot of training.
TS
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How funny. I just canceled my free trial this morning. And almost got suckered into staying for only $99.
Justin Richmond
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Bob you're really missing the point on Clear, TSA Pre and Global Entry and the like.
It's never really about the time involved -- or about how much info is already out there about us -- it's about people with money limiting their exposure to toxic lackeys rifling through their bags, forcing their hands down inside your pants (it's happened to me), and stealing our possessions.
- Or limiting abuse by faux 'security' at the stadium entrance - and where ever else these exasperating friction points are about to be located -- from malls to movies to school to everywhere -- not that this madness is sustainable -- it isn't -- but no politician ever thinks of that when they're railing for more of these time-wasting, expensive, degrading invasions -- instead of maybe enacting sane gun laws. All of warrantless searching clearly violates the 4th Amendment -- despite use of the Administrative Search variance as a get-around.
How about a column on the true costs of a 'papers please' society, security theater, how it's ultimately bad for all kinds of businesses and American culture?
When I hear people begging for more of it I wonder- how on earth do they actually sit in a restaurant without a full body search of every other person dining alongside them?
Deb Wilker
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the iris scan for CLEAR is the perfect example of something that the average person might be fundamentally against from a privacy standpoint but once you tell them it can save time at the airport they say 'okay fine'
Thomas Wigg
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Tried to sign up Friday at LAX - couldn't scan my DL after a couple dozen attempts - maybe next time.
Bob Pfeiffer
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Right there with you Bob, I did the trail because all the guys on Badu's production team were doing it so I tried it and yeah I had problem with the fingerprint scanner but there was someone to help. It's going to cost but I travel all the time. I just want to get in and keep it moving. I hope Clear doesn't bite us in the ass.
Kenneth H. Williams
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We will never agree on many things but definitely flying Private is one we do agree on. I’ve gone back to work at 79 and my financial goal ?? You got it. NetJet or anybody private jet!!
Barney Adams
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A friend & I did this at Yankee stadium 2 yrs ago. They didn't have at airports then. Never did us any good, my prints never registered right, & then we went to use it last year, and they told us ours expired, and we had to sign up again.(? - no emails or communication about this to us ever) She is signed up again, and can now use at games and airport. But I, much like you, get skeptical about these things and am still on the fence.... so - in the end - worth it or not?
Thank you,
Julie Coulter
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Aside from data concerns, which will become more obvious in the future - wouldn't the world be a much better place if we all had to stand in line alongside each other????
This faux-aristocracy is not sustainable nor healthy for any democratic society...
Vijay Thakur
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If flying private is not in the cards... And it isn’t most of the time, then CLEAR is a must have.
I have been using Clear for almost 2 years, Mostly when leaving out of my home Airport in Austin. AUS security lines (even pre check) are brutal on weekday mornings. Clear makes those lines a non-factor for me.
Great for personal travel too. I have my wife signed up as a companion, and my son can join us at no extra cost in the Clear lane until he is 15.
I have not used Clear at any sporting event yet, but I am looking forward to the day when I can go past all those security lines as well…
Cheers,
Eric Frankhouser - Tour Manager
Wilco-Jeff Tweedy-EELS-Lucinda Williams
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My boss and I decided that it was great for him.
Clear lost his identification...
I called the lawyer that was handled that case...they told me that my boss identification was lost.
They couldn't explain why it happened, they couldn't explain where was bosses identification was....
Thank you for your insight.
Darlene Solomon
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Ah, yes, Cristie got a free Clear pass for six months when she leased her new Lincoln, so they have their marketing pointed in the right direction. They need to increase their airport count. I think for business it's great, you need to do that much traveling to justify it. The plane is not going to get you to your destination faster because you got through security in record time.
TSA preCheck is good enough for me and we are getting that on every flight now. The lines haven't been long and I'm saving..what, five more minutes with Clear?
We are paying for Global Entry which is a comparative bargain ($100 for 5 years) as those customs lines can be crushing at all the big airports and after a 12 hour flight, you'd kill your own mother to get out of the airport faster.
John Brodey
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I was an early adopter of Clear here in SF where it got some of its early testing. Its use in SFO airport is at all three terminals.
I was also an early adopter of TSA Pre-check. TSA Pre-check is the best way to zip through security but even with those who subscribe to it, there are random moments where even its members have to go thru normal security. I fly about 30 trips thru SFO a year and am randomly excluded from TSA Pre-check about three times a year. At least you know your status when you get4 your boarding pass which can come 24-hours before flight time.
I am also Global entry, the really fast way to get back into the US from International airports.
But back to Clear. My wife and I maintain our annual membership to Clear for two reasons: One, it is a quick backup when TSA randomizes. Clear at least gets you to the front of the line. Problem is Clear is only in a few airports around the country. But our second reason for belonging to Clear is to get rapid access to ATT Park for Giants game. Clear members can save ten minutes of prime time if you are a Clear member using the dedicated ticket lane.
Ron Fell
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Clear is great - for the airports that have it.
Pre-check is also a plus, and Global Entry is really worthwhile.
Privacy advocates hate it all, but when I fly commercial, nothing beats getting to the lounge quickly!
Paul Martin
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Do you know about the free Mobile Passport app. Its available at 24 airports so far. I just got back to the US at JFK.
Mobile App users ended up being the Diplomats line too. There were 5 people in line.
So currently, before it catches on, it's Global Entry without the work. Sometimes quicker than Global Entry and 100% free/on your phone.
mobilepassport.us/ I discovered this right after I got Global Entry. I'll use what looks quicker. I'll try it in a couple weeks after our conference with Berklee at their Valencia, Spain campus (
www.diymusicianconeu.com/)
Jon Bahr
CD Baby
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Hey Bob, it's DEN not DIA.
Beth Hardy McLennan
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$75 if you’re a Delta member- at any status.
Put people up on Mobile Passport too, easiest way getting back into the country.
Rob Lewis
Details Music Management, Inc.
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If you have a Delta SkyMiles account (you don't even need status), you can get a discount. $99/year if you have no status, $79 for gold/silver/platinum, free for diamond:
www.clearme.com/partner/delta Worth signing up for SkyMiles to get the discount even if you never fly Delta.
Sean Harding
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Dude, it’s only $89/ year if you have a Delta AmEx! (any level, doesn’t have to be Platinum)
But yeah, I LOVE it.
- Mark Radcliffe
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Delta has a deal with Clear where any Delta SkyMiles member can get a membership for $99/year.
www.clearme.com/partner/delta And if you’re Delta Platinum/Gold/Silver it’s $79/year.
And if you’re Delta Diamond it’s free!
I’m a points/miles junkie. I’m all over the blogs and message boards (FlyerTalk, BoardingArea, etc.) If you ever need help trying to redeem your credit card or airline miles, feel free to ask. I help lots of friends/family and would be happy to help you too. Not looking for anything in return, just a fun hobby for me.
Take care,
Mike Schlesinger
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I'm in multiple airports every week. The signage for Clear at IAD says something like Transforming the Way We Travel. Such BS. They've offered a different path to the conveyer belt and metal detector and nothing more. Going private is transformational. Beam me up Scotty is transformational. Come over here to verify identity instead of going over there is far from transformational.
Ernie Spence
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If you are going to be selling Clear, at least get credit - go to
refer.clearme.com and get a share link that will give you credit and give a discount to people who click.
I do run the program, but your participation doesn’t aid me or my company. I have a personal goal of wresting control of marketing from Google and Facebook and giving it to people!
Matt Roche
_____________________________________
Maybe you'll get another month free.
Jake Gold
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Careful Bob.
Traveling twice the speed of sound...it's easy to get burned.
Jack Lynady
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