Anyone use TSA Clear?
Contributors to this thread:International
From: Shug
20-Jun-22
Curious if ya think it’s worth it..
It would run me and my wife $160 a year and we fly 3-7 times a year
From: Brotsky
20-Jun-22
I don't see the advantages of Clear over the regular pre-check personally. I will say pre-check is the best $85 I've spent!
From: JohnMC
20-Jun-22
My wife has clear for work and added me last fall. If you are dealing with long security like Denver was having during construction and you don’t want to wait in a long line it is worthit for sure.
From: Pete In Fairbanks
21-Jun-22
Pre-check works fine for me.... even flying out of EWR (which I assume is your home airport.)
Pete
From: Bob H in NH
21-Jun-22
Pre check here, my understanding is Clear can also be used in places like sports stadiums. Other than that the lines I've seen at major airports, clear is shorter than pre-check, but mostly cause nobody has it yet.
More interested in global entry, but only if you leave the country regularly.
From: Bob H in NH
21-Jun-22
Oh and a down side to pre-check. I don't have to go through those phone-booth scanners, but I also can't go through a metal detector. Knee replacement sets them off, so I have to tell them that then either go anyway and get searched, or go through the phone booth thing where if it's a pre-check only line, then they need to find someone to man it for me.
From: Cotton
21-Jun-22
Can you honestly tell me you believe it isn’t just a scam to take your money? I’ve seen the TSA make an obviously pregnant blonde woman with a 2 year old in a stroller go through a full search and then let a Muslim man in a robe pass right through. It’s Bullshit!
From: StickFlicker
23-Jun-22
StickFlicker's Link
Shug, Since you posted on the Africa forum, I really don't see that much value to it compared to some of the other choices out there. Although, for stadium events it seems to have occasional uses. Global Entry is probably the best choice if you are indeed traveling to Africa and other international travel. It allows you to skip the long Customs lines when you return to the U.S. as well as giving you TSA Precheck. You can compare the different services available at the link.
From: Matt
23-Jun-22
“ More interested in global entry, but only if you leave the country regularly.”
There is a gov’t app called mobile pass into which you scan your passport which (at least in our local airport, SJC) gets you into the same line as global entry. Might be worth looking into as an intermediate step. Not sure if it administered similarly across all airports, but it saved us a bunch of time when returning from Mexico once upon a time.
From: StickFlicker
23-Jun-22
If you have a travel credit card (airline credit card, some others), they often will reimburse you for the charges to apply for TSA Precheck or Global Entry.
From: 32Timbers
23-Jun-22
We had ours reimbursed too. Nice surprise.
From: StickFlicker
28-Jun-22
StickFlicker's Link
For those that are interested in applying for the Global Entry card, and collecting Delta SkyMiles (best for travel to Africa) at the same time, there is a much-increased welcome offer on the AMEX Delta SkyMiles credit card right now (up to 90,000 SkyMiles) - you can apply at the attached link (if you use it, I'll get a small number of miles for referring you). The instant reimbursement for the Global Entry fee of $100 will go a long way toward offsetting the $250 annual fee, and the 90,000 miles could completely pay for a round-trip flight to Africa! Last year, my flight was 84,000 miles (although it was a little less than normal due to Covid reducing the number of travelers). My friends and I have been flying to Africa for free this way for a number of years now.
From: JTreeman
28-Jun-22
What Matt said! I use it every time I come home internationally. I wanted Global Entry, but not very easy to get if you don’t live in a major city (interview process), last time I looked. But that free App is money, super easy and accepted at most major points of entry in my experience.
—jim
From: StickFlicker
29-Jun-22
Jim,
The interview can be a bump in getting global entry. They do have an option where you can do the interview at the arrival airport when you arrive back from your trip. I don't know anyone that has done that, but they say that's the easiest way to do it.
From: Boreal
11-Mar-24
I did the free trial period last year. It took me just as long to go through so I canceled.
From: Capt C
11-Mar-24
Get a Twic card and it’s good for 5 years.
From: Shug
11-Mar-24
Funny I didn’t realize it was in the Africa section … ty for the responses. yesterday was the first day I used it and it was great flew right through security
From: Altitude Sickness
11-Mar-24
Sometimes there are more people in the trusted traveler line. Depends on the airport
From: DonVathome
11-Mar-24
I fly a lot and I us TSA precheck on rare occasion I see where clear is better but not often.
I strongly recommend TSA precheck.
If you really need clear you can do it at the airport pretty quick and use it that day.............
From: Lost Arra
11-Mar-24
My wife has TSA Pre Check but was running late for a flight. Pre Check line was long plus she has knee and hip hardware. Clear was running a promotion with first month free so she took it and zipped right through security and then cancelled it.
From: Beendare
11-Mar-24
I have TSA pre and Clear. Clear was good when few had it-now not so much.
I wouldn’t do clear again. They just did a reboot in their software and we had to go back through the line to get a facial recognition scan…vs the eyes that only worked 1/2 the time.
IMO, TSA pre worth it…Clear no.
From: SteveB
11-Mar-24
For International you want Global Entry which also gets you TSA Pre-Check. Wouldn’t want to enter again without Global Entry.
From: DonVathome
13-Mar-24
This is a god thread, dollar for dollar for me it is TSA precheck BUT if another $100 does not matter I would get clear or both. I have seen short clear lines and long TSA lines but never vice versa. Also like Lost Arra said you can get clear in a few minutes if needed.
I believe TSA is US only, meaning it does nothing in another country when coming home. Not sure about clear.
From: Ace
13-Mar-24
Clear and Global Entry here. The very first time you walk right through while the other line has hundreds of people in it, you'll be glad you paid the few bucks it costs. I signed up for Global Entry and did the interview when I returned from an International trip Piece of cake. Often having TSA Precheck, Clear etc won't matter, all the lines are short, but sometimes it makes a huge difference. YMMV
From: HDE
13-Mar-24
"Get a Twic card and it’s good for 5 years."
Yep, got one for my MMC.
