Verified Identity Pass Shuts Down "Clear" Operations 171
torrentami writes that Verified Identity Pass, operator of the "Clear" program, which allowed pre-screened passengers faster access to US airport gates, "sent out emails to its subscribers today informing them that as of 11 p.m. PST they will cease operations. Clear was a pioneer in speeding customers through security at airports and had planned on expanding to large events. The service, where it was available, offered a first class security experience for travelers willing to fork over $200 a year and their biometrics. Customers are now left holding their Flyclear cards with encrypted biometrics. The question now becomes, what happens to all that information? This is not the first time Clear has been in the news. A laptop containing customer records was reportedly missing from the San Francisco International airport recently but then turned up shortly thereafter. Another casualty of the recession's downturn in business travel."
Most people won't care, but at Orlando... (Score:5, Interesting)
This is too bad for a few folks. One of the training companies used extensively by my employer is headquartered in Florida. All of their staff signed up for Clear and said it was either unavailable or pretty much worthless everywhere EXCEPT Orlando. There, seasoned travelers frequently found themselves in line behind hundreds of Disney-vacationing families with little kids, families unused to flying and doing everything wrong while still trying to herd the ankle-biters. It was supposedly a nightmare. For that airport and that airport alone, those guys thought Clear was a godsend.
Everywhere else? Their attitude was...meh.
Re:Most people won't care, but at Orlando... (Score:3, Interesting)
Doesn't Orlando have self-select back diamond [tsa.gov] lanes? Wouldn't that solve the problem of skipping past the many families that your company was solving using Clear?
Re:There goes my argument... (Score:2, Interesting)
well, why were you carrying a giant razor blade?
Clear SUCKED (Score:2, Interesting)
I am so glad I decided not to enroll. I am a very regular traveler through the Denver airport and Clear had a very visible presence at the security gates. I was tempted at first but decided against it for 2 reasons:
1) Privacy: When I emailed Clear they stated that they did not share data with the government but they couldn't guarantee they -wouldn't- share data in the future. Clear takes -both- fingerprints and retinal prints. I asked if I could just give the retinal and they said no. While I haven't done anything that would have gotten me in hot water if the government got my finger prints ... well ... I reserve the right to keep them to myself, thank you very much.
2) Speed: Clear was supposed to be a "breeze through security" service. And yet all the stuff they do in the line (scan you for identity, put you through a "puff & sniff" detector) seemed to make people go through Clear -slower- than the normal lines over half of the time. The only time Clear was faster when I watched was during very high holiday traffic times ... and then only when there weren't many people in the Clear line.
Thanks but no thanks. Instead of getting us to pay to make a few people go through faster why not improve the TSA processes in the "real" security lines so that we don't have to suffer through things like:
* Idiots who STILL don't know how to remove their jewelry/shoes/laptops (easily accomplished by a -free- registration card that you can apply for after having passed through security at least once and using that completely wasted "1st class" security line for us business travelers)
* TSA jerks who literally go on break while being the baggage scanner. 25% of the time or -more- I am in a line where the scanner just stops. NO they aren't being diligent by double-checking a bag they are just sitting there. The last time a supervisor came over and started chatting up the bag scanner ... positioning themself between the growing line of travelers and the scanner so they couldn't see us ... even looking back, seeing the line growing, and continuing to chat the with the bag scanner attendant. Based on the amount of laughter and hand motions it was all just fun ... for them. Meanwhile there were other people standing nearby who could have helped.
And Clear wouldn't have helped in that situation. Why? Because it was late in the evening on a Sunday and Clear had closed up.
Clear was an attempt to make money off the fact that the TSA has no damned concept of speed nor efficiency. That's the wrong way to do it.
Good riddance!
Re:Color me unsurprised (Score:2, Interesting)
Once you have checked your baggage, they more-or-less have to wait for you. The are not allowed to fly baggage without passenger, because that would be an easy way to get a bomb on board without risking yourself. So if a passenger disappears, they have to unload all the baggage and scan through to find the bags of the disappeared passenger by scanning the tags. Extremely laborious - probably take over an hour for a large plane, unless they are lucky. Which is why they get so energetic paging missing passengers over the PA, and have staff looking for drunks passed out in the toilets.
Re:A lot of business travel is unnecessary (Score:3, Interesting)
New TSA rules are likely what killed CLEAR... (Score:2, Interesting)
A funny security theater story (OT) (Score:5, Interesting)
Well, I thought it was funny.
http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200811/airport-security/2 [theatlantic.com]
Re:Security Theater (Score:3, Interesting)
I thought the same thing until an international flight a couple of years ago. I was flying home from Japan and knew the flight would be long and I always get dehydrated when flying, so I brought 4 empty bottles with me. This worked fine at Narita and I was able to fill one of them up for the short first leg of my flight. And it even looked like it would work at the Seoul airport since I was able to fill up all 4 once I was beyond the security checkpoint.
But then it came time to board the airplane and there was yet another checkpoint for all flights to the US where they took all 4 of my bottles. The checkpoint was literally at the gate just before boarding the airplane, so there was no opportunity to fill the bottles beyond the checkpoint. And, of course, the flight attendant said they didn't have enough water on board to give me my own bottle.
So yes, there are many times where you can fill up your bottle beyond the security checkpoints. But no, it's not always possible and there are instances where people have a legitimate gripe about the availability of water.
P.S. As someone who does what you say for most flights, you can avoid the pressure issue by filling your bottle to the brim with water since the volume of water doesn't really change when the pressure changes. It's only when there's air in the bottle that you have to worry about pressure changes.
Re:Security Theater (Score:3, Interesting)
I don't know what the japanese airports have, but all I had to do was drop my soft drink onto a scanner and pick it up a couple seconds later. I assume it was some sort of chemical sniffer. Although it could certainly just been a bit of security theatre. I don't know. Slightly difficult to ask, too, when one doesn't speak the language.
Walk through the security check point enjoying my drink, not being hassled, not throwing away a perfectly fine refreshment, not having to take my shoes off to be scanned. And the lines at Haneda for security/check-in.. far better than the ridiculous times at Newark.
Re:Operative words: "self-select" (Score:3, Interesting)
I find in my travels that a lot of business travelers consider themselves experts just because they fly a lot. These are the same people who need 6 bins because they have to practically strip naked to get through the metal detector and haven't checked a bag since 1987. If it takes you any more than 30 seconds to a minute to "prep" for the check once you are in everyone's way you are doing it wrong.
One of the best features of being Elite... you only have to wait for a short line of idiots, not the really long line of idiots.