California wants to crack down on CLEAR at the airport

[basballguy]

As if California politicians couldn't get any dumber with their virtue signaling

Quote:Clear is a service that lets people skip the security line at airports with nothing but a biometric scan and $189. Some California lawmakers want to make changes to it in the state, saying it separates travelers into haves and have-nots

So something that costs less than Netflix now separates haves from have nots?

https://www.cnn.com/2024/04/24/business/clear-california-airports/index.html

[GMDino]

(04-25-2024, 09:36 AM)basballguy Wrote: As if California politicians couldn't get any dumber with their virtue signaling


So something that costs less than Netflix now separates haves from have nots?

https://www.cnn.com/2024/04/24/business/clear-california-airports/index.html

Seems like travelers were mad that people could skip the line in front of them.

This bill would allow the program (ran by a private company) to continue but it blocks expansion and would require a separate line so other flyers aren't getting passed when they are already in line.

That seems okay to me.

Quote:California lawmakers voted 8-4 to move a bill out of the Senate Transportation Committee that would create a moratorium on Clear’s expansion at state airports. The bill has to be approved by the full California Senate and Assembly and signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom to become law.

Clear, a publicly-traded security company, lets members jump the line at airports, sports, concerts and other venues. For $189 a year, Clear members can verify their identity at an airport kiosk using their biometric data, such as a face scan or fingerprint, without having to show their ID to a Transportation Security Administration agent. Once a traveler’s identity has been verified, the traveler is escorted by a Clear employee right to the front of a TSA security line.


...


Line skipping is the issue at hand


But California lawmakers don’t want to end the program entirely. It’s more about the pain of watching someone else skip a line.


The bill, which appears to be the first in the United States, won’t block Clear at California airports, Newman said. Instead, it seeks to have Clear and other third-party screening services operate separate lines for members.


This would mean general passengers won’t have anyone cutting in front of them anymore, and Clear passengers can still fly through their dedicated security lane, he said.



It also would prohibit airports from entering into new contracts with private companies like Clear if they use existing TSA security lines and screeners.


The bill has support from the Association of Flight Attendants and a California branch of the American Federation of Government Employees representing TSA agents.




But Clear, and major airlines like Delta, California airports, and business groups like the California Chamber of Commerce oppose the bill.




Clear did not comment directly on the bill to CNN. But a Clear spokesperson said the company has created hundreds of jobs in the state, serves nearly 1 million California residents and contributed more than $13 million in revenue to state airports. Airports earn fees from leasing space to Clear.

“We are always working with our airline and airport partners as well as local, state, and federal governments to ensure all travelers have a safer, easier checkpoint experience,” the spokesperson said.

I don't like the quotes about it not being "fair" to people who can't afford it.  Life isn't fair.  I flew this past week and one of our fellow passengers upgraded to the faster TSA line but we got through before her anyway...lol.


But I can see where if you get there on time and are in line and they are making you wait so people can pass you would be frustrating vs them having their own lanes.

[basballguy]

(04-25-2024, 09:52 AM)GMDino Wrote: Seems like travelers were mad that people could skip the line in front of them.

This bill would allow the program (ran by a private company) to continue but it blocks expansion and would require a separate line so other flyers aren't getting passed when they are already in line.

That seems okay to me.




I don't like the quotes about it not being "fair" to people who can't afford it.  Life isn't fair.  I flew this past week and one of our fellow passengers upgraded to the faster TSA line but we got through before her anyway...lol.


But I can see where if you get there on time and are in line and they are making you wait so people can pass you would be frustrating vs them having their own lanes.

If they would’ve just left it alone and said that then I think, cool. But the whole “ haves vs have nots” comment is a bit silly. The article makes it sound like a caste system. This doesn’t seem like something that requires legislation. Oh well. I’ll move on

[JustWinBaby]

There was already an existing program with a separate line, TSA Pre, which I'd highly recommend to everyone who flies even just a few times per year.

I think TSA is like $95 for 5 years.  CLEAR is $189 PER YEAR, although both are sometimes covered by various travel cards...which themselves have fees ranging from $200-$500+, so again really only worth it if you travel a lot.

Problem is, TSA line is still plenty fast in most airports, even during peak times.  I have experience with CLEAR, and I got annoyed that my TSA wait was sometimes extended a good 5-10 minutes while CLEAR people were ushered to the front of my line.  The problem is, that CLEAR line is often SLOWER....except when it's not.  CLEAR is probably not helped by the amount of free trials they've been pumping out.

From my perspective, it's simply not worth the money even at airports where the CLEAR line is occasionally faster AND when TSA is a 20+ minute wait.

Never used CLEAR for concerts or other events.  Maybe it's worth it in that instance.

[StoneTheCrow]

(04-26-2024, 02:06 PM)JustWinBaby Wrote: There was already an existing program with a separate line, TSA Pre, which I'd highly recommend to everyone who flies even just a few times per year.

I think TSA is like $95 for 5 years.  CLEAR is $189 PER YEAR, although both are sometimes covered by various travel cards...which themselves have fees ranging from $200-$500+, so again really only worth it if you travel a lot.

Problem is, TSA line is still plenty fast in most airports, even during peak times.  I have experience with CLEAR, and I got annoyed that my TSA wait was sometimes extended a good 5-10 minutes while CLEAR people were ushered to the front of my line.  The problem is, that CLEAR line is often SLOWER....except when it's not.  CLEAR is probably not helped by the amount of free trials they've been pumping out.

From my perspective, it's simply not worth the money even at airports where the CLEAR line is occasionally faster AND when TSA is a 20+ minute wait.

Never used CLEAR for concerts or other events.  Maybe it's worth it in that instance.

I have TSA pre check and it’s been GREAT. Except for Atlanta (when I was coming back from the Masters NBD), my friend beat us to the terminal going through the general check.