Security Lines: No Thank You

When traveling during the holidays, security lines can be extremely long, especially in big airports such as Denver, Orlando and Los Angeles. The main way to beat the lines is TSA PreCheck, however, CLEAR is becoming more and more available in airports across the country. They just added it to Newark Liberty International Airport, which is great for United flyers. Now the question is, what’s better, CLEAR or TSA PreCheck?

If you want the shortest lines at the airport, without a doubt, CLEAR is better in my opinion. With growing PreCheck lines, CLEAR is referred to as the PreCheck of PreChecks. Almost every time I go to the airport, the CLEAR line is shorter. In addition to airports, CLEAR allows for expedited security at sporting arenas throughout the country and even the fast lane at Hertz car rental. Nonetheless, CLEAR also has its flaws. It is not nearly as common as PreCheck, and if it is not located at the primary airport you use, it may not be worth it. CLEAR is also more expensive than PreCheck, costing about $179 a year. Although, you can lower this cost to $119 a year by having a Mileageplus or Delta frequent flyer account. In addition, you can add family members for $50 a year, as well as bring children with you who are under 18, for free.

On the other hand, PreCheck tends to have longer wait times. While TSA PreCheck lines are not nearly as long as the regular lines, they still exist. PreCheck is available at a significantly larger number of airports in the US. It is also cheaper. It costs $85 for a five year membership. Essentially, it only costs about $17 a year, and it can save hours of wait time for the frequent flyer. Just this year I flew out of Denver at 5 am and I was able to get through PreCheck in less than 10 minutes while people waiting in the regular line had waited over an hour. Without a doubt, the time it saved me was worth $17, not to mention the other times I have used it. You can also get TSA PreCheck for free with a Global Entry membership, which saves time going through customs and only costs $15 more for the five year period, totaling $100 for 5 years. Even if you only travel once or twice a year, TSA PreCheck is most definitely worth it. One more perk, no need to take off your shoes or take your computer out of your bag, especially in the summer when many people go sock-free. Nevertheless, PreCheck has its downfalls too. Unlike CLEAR, with PreCheck you have to create an entirely separate account for everyone in the family with whom you are traveling (except for those under 12 and senior citizens), and you do not get a discounted rate for additional family members. With CLEAR, you only have to create additional accounts for those who are18 years of age or older. PreCheck does allow you to bring those less than 12 years of age and senior citizens through security with a PreCheck member without the need for their own  membership. Quite the perk when flying family members in these age groups.

With CLEAR you still have to take off your shoes and take your computer out of your bag, and remember, it isn’t available at all airports. So, if you are the type of traveler who is always rushing through the airport to make your flight, you may want to consider obtaining both CLEAR and PreCheck, for better line and screening shortcuts. 

Overall, I would only recommend CLEAR for the frequent flyer. For me, it does not make sense to pay that much when I will only use it a couple times a year. I would recommend PreCheck for travelers like myself, not only because it will help me save time and effort, but it is included for free with my Global Entry account, which I would not consider traveling without when flying internationally. For the price, it is definitely worth it to have Global Entry and PreCheck, not to mention all the ways you can get it for free.

Now let’s talk about how you can get CLEAR, TSA PreCheck or even Global Entry for free. If you want CLEAR, I would recommend signing up for the American Express Green Card, which comes with $100 a year statement credit for CLEAR. With the credit and the discount you get for having a United or Delta frequent flyer account, the price per year could be as low as $19, which is most definitely worth it for the service. A free PreCheck membership is significantly more common with credit cards. Most of the time, credit cards offer a credit for either PreCheck or Global entry as a statement credit. I would recommend signing up for Global Entry because it includes both services for free, rather than just one. As an American Express Platinum card authorized user, I was able to sign-up for Global Entry for free, which is how I obtained PreCheck. Some credit cards that have a credit for PreCheck include:

• Bank of America Premium Rewards credit card

• The Business Platinum Card from American Express

• Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

• Citi / AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard

• Chase Sapphire Reserve

• IHG Rewards Club Premier Credit Card

• Mastercard Black Card

• Mastercard Gold Card

• The Platinum Card from American Express

• Citi Prestige 

Overall, both CLEAR and PreCheck will prevent you having headaches at the airport. I would never recommend traveling without having at least one of these services. Generally, I do not think that CLEAR is worth it for infrequent travelers, but if you have a discount or just really want it, I would say that it is money well spent.