Airport security line cutters are target of first-in-the-nation California bill
1–10 of 51 posts
Re: Airport security line cutters are target of first-in-the-nation California bill
#2No idea if this will pass or not but paying a private company to cut lines in airports seemed like a flimsy value prop
Re: Airport security line cutters are target of first-in-the-nation California bill
#3No idea if this will pass or not but paying a private company to cut lines in airports seemed like a flimsy value prop
As someone who uses Clear, it has a significant benefit in that, for a comparatively low cost, it makes time through the airport more consistent.
If I have priority check-in through airline status, or am not checking baggage, then security waiting time is the main variable in the time to get from the terminal entrance to the gate (we'll ignore disaster airports like LAX where time from the freeway to the terminal is a major variable). If Clear lets me essentially not wait in line for security, that reduces an expectation of a, say, 0-45 minute time through security to a 0-5 minute time through security. Even if it might often not save me any time getting through security, the reduction in uncertainty means I can safely plan to arrive at the airport much later, while having the same low chance of missing the flight.
Some airline status provides priority security, but it is less common, usually at higher levels, and less consistent outside major hubs for each airline. Flying business or first would work, but would be vastly more than the cost of Clear for frequent travellers, while providing few other benefits for short flights.
In Europe, some airports just directly offer a paid priority security option, which sometimes is actually quite inexpensive. But it seems this may not be allowed by the TSA, and the alternative is the fiction of Clear supposedly offering some identity verification benefit.
Re: Airport security line cutters are target of first-in-the-nation California bill
#4A little zero-sum class warfare to distract from the fact that the TSA is the most wasteful and useless government agency in human history.
Re: Airport security line cutters are target of first-in-the-nation California bill
#5No idea if this will pass or not but paying a private company to cut lines in airports seemed like a flimsy value prop
As someone who uses Clear, it has a significant benefit in that, for a comparatively low cost, it makes time through the airport more consistent. If I have priority check-in through airline status, or am not checking baggage, then security waiting time is the main variable in the time to get from the terminal entrance to the gate (we'll ignore disaster airports like LAX where time from the freeway to the terminal is…
Isn't Clear just a more exclusive TSA PreCheck? It only works because the normies haven't saturated it.
Re: Airport security line cutters are target of first-in-the-nation California bill
#6Earlier quoted context omitted.
As someone who uses Clear, it has a significant benefit in that, for a comparatively low cost, it makes time through the airport more consistent. If I have priority check-in through airline status, or am not checking baggage, then security waiting time is the main variable in the time to get from the terminal entrance to the gate (we'll ignore disaster airports like LAX where time from the freeway to the terminal is…
Isn't Clear just a more exclusive TSA PreCheck? It only works because the normies haven't saturated it.
It's actually worse because you still have to go through the normal security check, you just get to skip the line. This may be dependent on the airport though.
Re: Airport security line cutters are target of first-in-the-nation California bill
#7I had clear for a bit when I traveled for work more often. It was nice, and it's definitely not "for rich people". It's less than $200 a year. I bet most people pay more for streaming services for non-essential entertainment. I've always been torn on if it's something viable long term though. While they're at it, they should ban fast passes at amusement parks.
Re: Airport security line cutters are target of first-in-the-nation California bill
#8Earlier quoted context omitted.
Isn't Clear just a more exclusive TSA PreCheck? It only works because the normies haven't saturated it.
It's actually worse because you still have to go through the normal security check, you just get to skip the line. This may be dependent on the airport though.
Not if you have TSA precheck as well.
Most US airports I’ve been to have 4 types of queues:
* No TSA precheck, no Clear
* TSA precheck, no Clear
* No TSA precheck, Clear
* TSA precheck, Clear
They all work exactly as you expect (you get the benefits of either precheck or clear or both at once, depending on the queue).
Re: Airport security line cutters are target of first-in-the-nation California bill
#9Earlier quoted context omitted.
Isn't Clear just a more exclusive TSA PreCheck? It only works because the normies haven't saturated it.
It's actually worse because you still have to go through the normal security check, you just get to skip the line. This may be dependent on the airport though.
At most large airports in the U.S., there is a separate CLEAR line for PreCheck from the CLEAR line for standard security. CLEAR is a benefit to skip the queue, but it doesn't usually have an impact on the level of scrutiny.
Re: Airport security line cutters are target of first-in-the-nation California bill
#10Can someone share background on how they got privileges in the first place (as a startup) to escort passengers to the front of the queue? Do they act as designated reps of the airlines?