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Despite being at airports since 2012, CLEAR’s popularity is…complicated.

The private security company allows members to verify their identity at a CLEAR airport kiosk using biometrics, without needing to present their ID (unless a random check requires it, in which case they must still show their ID). Once a traveler’s identity has been verified, they are escorted by a CLEAR employee to the front of the TSA security checkpoint line.

However, the system still has many detractors. And with good reason. Here are some of the problems:

Why Some Travelers Dislike CLEAR

Cutting the line

It’s widely seen as a way to “cut the line”. And, if you think about it, it is. You’re paying more to get to the scanners before others. Pay and you get your way…it’s the American way! However, it still irks people…and with good reason.

The cost

The cost of CLEAR has skyrocketed since 2012, and there are less ways to get reimbursed via your credit card, etc.

The slowdowns

As of February 2025, CLEAR had a bit less than 30 million enrollments, although I think that includes people who got an introductory 3 free months and never paid to be a CLEAR member after that. Regardless, that’s a lot of people going through the CLEAR lane.

CLEAR really can save you some time. That is, IF they have enough people working to handle the lines (they often don’t. The more people using CLEAR, the less efficient it becomes, because whether they average 3 people standing in the CLEAR line or 30, they still have the same number of people working the kiosks, and they’re not spending more time getting new applicants to sign up. If I’m paying $200/year to save time in line, I want to actually, you know, save time in line.

The security issue

Remember when CLEAR had that whole security breach a couple of years ago? Yeah, that’s a way to make yourself unpopular quickly enough.

And yet, CLEAR is still growing and is currently available in 59 airports across the country – most of them hubs, with some notable exceptions (more on that later). Which leads to the question:

If so many people hate CLEAR so much, why does the TSA allow it at airports?

This is the question that was asked on the r/TSA forum not that long ago. You can read it here (heads up that the thread may have adult language that’s NSFW).

As a synopsis, Redditor Fiveby21 said they didn’t understand how the company remains in business. They said their process is so much longer than TSA’s line. They also complained that CLEAR takes up space that could be used by more TSA officers, which would make the TSA security checkpoint go faster. So they wanted to know, “What am I missing here – what benefit do the airports and TSA get out of this?”

The subreddit, which appears to have a whole lot of TSA officers, set them straight.

Who Actually Decides If CLEAR Can Operate?

TSA has no say

The reason why TSA doesn’t stop allowing CLEAR to be at airports, even though people hate it so much, is because TSA has no say in the matter. It’s totally up to the airports.

With one exception (this one), U.S. airports that have scheduled passenger airline service are currently owned by a government entity – either the federal, city, or county government, or by a regional airport authority that’s part of the local government. Each airport has personnel in place who make decisions for the airport, including which third parties will be allowed to rent space in their respective facility. This rent is a significant source of revenue for airports. Here are some other ways.

Because that’s all CLEAR is – a third-party entity that the airport has given permission to be there. So TSA *has* to be at commercial airports, and they *have* to work with CLEAR when CLEAR is open and active. But they have no say in whether or not CLEAR is there. Only the airports do. And if the airports say that it’s OK for CLEAR members to cut the line, who’s going to tell them otherwise?

OK, then why do airports allow CLEAR to be there?

Money. Capitalism.

I have no idea what the contract between CLEAR and airports looks like, although I’ve read how airports make money from allowing CLEAR to take up residence at their facilities.

Then again, when you consider that, in the past 13 years, CLEAR is still only at 59 airports (in January 2024, they were at 58 airports – they gained ONE in a year and a half), while there are nearly 500 commercial airports in the U.S., that’s still not a great track record. Perhaps some airports simply don’t consider CLEAR “worth it” to them.

Fun Fact! American Airlines won’t allow CLEAR at their hubs because they wanted CLEAR to partner exclusively with them, rather than with other airlines. That didn’t fly with CLEAR – they wanted to partner with Delta and United as well. So American told the head honchos at their hub airports not to let CLEAR in. Airlines are powerful entities, so the bigwigs at CLT, DCA, DFW, JFK, LAX, LGA, MIA, ORD, PHL and PHX have made sure CLEAR isn’t allowed at their respective airports, or at least the AA terminals at those airports.

Curious. If CLEAR is in so few airports, how much money could they be making?

Quite a bit, apparently. Remember that CLEAR isn’t only at airports. They’ve got their hands in many baskets. I think even if they left the airport industry, they’d still do fine.

Even if so many people hate them. 😉

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