My First CLEAR Experience in Years

As I wrote a while ago, Delta has partnered with CLEAR to enhance the security experience for its customers. I was a member of the original CLEAR a few years ago. With their recent appearance at one of my most frequented airports, DCA, I decided to re-up my membership, especially with discounts for Delta’s frequent flyer members. As it turns out, I had 3 months remaining on my previous membership, and CLEAR gave me 3 months free.

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to give the new CLEAR a try since they recently opened at DCA. The verdict: I liked it a lot. I was departing DCA and the CLEAR kiosks are conveniently located adjacent to the TSA PreCheck lane on the Delta Air Lines concourse. I walked past the usual PreCheck entrance all the way around to the well placed CLEAR kiosks. I was greeted by two smiling concierges who directed me to the kiosk for a fingerprint check. After scanning scanning my boarding pass and placing two fingers on the macing, my picture appeared within seconds and I was good to go. The CLEAR concierge advised TSA that I was a PreCheck CLEAR member and I was in line for the metal detector within a few seconds after placing my bags on the belt for x-ray. I did not time the process, but I would estimate 3 minutes top from start to finish……with 1 of those minutes lost to a slow traveler in front of me.

My Take

If an airport you frequent is equipped with CLEAR, it is worth considering a membership. It will save time, even if you’re also a PreCheck eligible. This is especially true if you are a Delta flyer who is eligible for discounts or even free membership if you’re an elite Delta Diamond Medallion. I’ll be flying to some other CLEAR airports in the next few months and I’ll share my experiences here.