If you already thought the folks in the CLEAR lanes got through security faster than you, things are about to get even more enviable. At the top of the TSA PreCheck line, you integrate with the CLEAR folks and share a TSA agent to check identity (and that’s even ahead of the game over people without TSA PreCheck, who usually battle significantly longer lines). But with CLEAR’s new eGates that have rolled out this fall at select airports, registered users can skip that TSA agent and go straight to the baggage conveyor belt. CLEAR passengers will only have to do a quick biometric face, eyes or fingerprint scan to match their identity and boarding pass and then will be off and running.
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The eGates are currently in place, as of August, at three U.S. airports: Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), Ronald Reagan National Airport (DCA) and Seattle–Tacoma International Airport (SEA). The company plans to implement many more nationwide in anticipation of a huge influx of travelers for next year’s World Cup, America’s 250th anniversary celebration and generalized increased airport traffic, according to their press release. According to The Points Guy, the new gates were also being tested at Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport (OAK), Oklahoma City's Will Rogers World Airport (OKC) and Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport (GSP) in South Carolina.
A CLEAR+ subscription costs $209 annually, and the eGate’s tagline is “Be unstoppable,” a very attractive thought to anyone who has impatiently wished the process could go faster. “Enjoy the most frictionless airport experience yet,” crows CLEAR’s website. “Verify instantly and go directly to bag screening with our new eGates.” Images of the eGates show that they are a pleasant white and celery green, with the majority of the gate being . . . clear. A screen is attached at roughly facial height for a fluid experience of being scanned and walking through.
“CLEAR is investing in this technology at no cost to taxpayers to modernize our checkpoints and ensure America’s airports are ready to meet global expectations,” said Caryn Seidman Becker, the company’s CEO, in a press release.
TSA still controls the operation, by “triggering gate access, conducting security vetting, and enforcing government security requirements,” according to the company. CLEAR doesn’t have access to any watchlists or no-fly lists, can’t override TSA gate decisions and doesn’t manually open the gate.