Frequent (and even not-so-frequent) flyers will tell you that if you’re going to fly, having TSA PreCheck is essential in saving time (albeit not quite as much as it used to).
If you have a CLEAR membership, it can save you even more time, either in conjunction with your TSA PreCheck membership, or just to avoid all the queues before the airport’s TSA security checkpoint (although you can also do that, usually for free, in these select airports, which are offering their own “make a reservation & skip the queue” options [some of which, coincidentally, are powered by CLEAR]).
However both programs, TSA PreCheck and CLEAR, are only as helpful as where they’re offered. You can only use your TSA PreCheck option for airlines that have partnered with the PreCheck program. Similarly, you can only use CLEAR at the 45 airports that currently offer CLEAR as an option.
Fortunately, both programs have announced some additions to their respective programs.
Orlando International Airport
Because Joe and I live in Orlando, we’ve been watching the advent of Terminal C with much interest. We’ve told you things as they happened:
- How it looked, mid-construction, in the summer of 2019
- All the restaurants that would be in the new terminal
- When Terminal C’s opening date was announced
- When we found out the new terminal was going to get a Plaza Premium Lounge
- MCO’s confirmation of which airlines would be using Terminal C
And now we just got another piece of the puzzle filled in – the technology that will come with Terminal C. Orlando Magazine recently write a piece on the latest with the new terminal. It included how it’s doing architecturally and how many passengers it’s expected to have when completed (up to 15 million per year!).
But the part that intrigued me the most was the technology:
TSA screening lanes will be 100 percent automated with facial recognition for arrivals and departures. The eight screening lanes, with automatic bin returns, will accommodate 2,000 passengers an hour.
And it’s not just what will happen at the TSA checkpoint, but how luggage will be handled at the new terminal.
In addition, passengers can opt for early bag storage hours ahead of their flights, knowing their bags will go automatically to their planes. All baggage will be RFID-tracked, and a high-tech baggage handling system will get bags to baggage claim within five minutes of landing. Wayfinding signs using Bluetooth beacons provide location-specific guidance. They built device charging into seating throughout the terminal. On the airside, a visual docking guidance system will allow for the automatic docking of planes.
Now I’m really going to want to fly on any of those 11 airlines that will be in Terminal C, just so I can try all of the new tech out!
CLEAR
CLEAR just announced that their expedited lanes are now available at Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport (MKE).
This addition marks their fifth airport launch in 2022, their 45th in the country and the introduction of the CLEAR system into Wisconsin.
“Our partnership with CLEAR will elevate the customer experience for Milwaukee travelers while showcasing the innovation we continue to cultivate at the airport,” said Milwaukee International Airport Director Brian Dranzik. “We’re confident passengers will love the new technology and take advantage of the opportunity to travel faster through the airport.”
Feature Image: Edward Russell / Wikimedia / CC by 2.0
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