CLEAR lanes coming to ATL, LAX, NYC

CLEAR, the members-only organization that lets you bypass those long security lines and go right into screening, will soon be available in four more major airports.

In an email to members,  company said that it plans to open new CLEAR lanes at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson, Los Angeles International, New York LaGuardia and New York JFK. It did not say exactly when it would appear in those airports – just that “We will be sharing launch dates in the coming weeks.” What’s also not clear (couldn’t help myself!) is whether CLEAR will only operate at Delta terminals at LAX and NYC or if it will be in multiple terminals as at SFO.

CLEAR already has airport lanes at Austin, Baltimore/Washington, Dallas/Ft. Worth, Denver, Detroit, Houston Bush Intercontinental, Las Vegas, Miami, Orlando, San Antonio, San Francisco, San Jose, Seattle, and both Washington D.C. airports. You can look up exact CLEAR locations here.

Earlier this year, Delta acquired an equity stake in CLEAR, and since then the company has been expected to open new facilities at the carrier’s primary airports – and the four new ones certainly fill that bill.

Standard membership in CLEAR costs $179 a year, but Delta’s involvement in the company has brought discounts for SkyMiles members based on their elite status. Membership is free for Diamond Medallions, and just $79 a year for Platinum, Gold and Silver Medallions. Non-elite SkyMiles members are eligible for a $99 CLEAR annual membership.

CLEAR gives members biometric-based IDs that let them access priority lanes for security screening. That gets them quickly into the regular screening process — or even into PreCheck for eligible flights, if they are a member of that TSA trusted traveler program. With regular PreCheck lines getting longer at some airports as TSA continues to push for greatly expanded traveler participation in that program, CLEAR might be a better way to go if it’s available at your preferred airports. (It’s definitely save me a few hundred dollars in flight change fees when I’ve been late to the airport, or been surprised by super-long lines.)

Have you used CLEAR or do you plan to now that it’s hitting critical mass in terms of key airports? Please leave your comments below. 

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