I originally wasn't thrilled with the registered traveler program Clear, but as they worked out the kinks (and my free-month Clear referrals grew) I began to enjoy the convenience of having someone else carry all my crap to the x-ray machines for me.
And then on Monday night at 8PM PST I received an email from Clear Customer Service.
Subject: Clear to Cease Operations
At 11:00 p.m. PST today, Clear will cease operations. Clear's parent company, Verified Identity Pass, Inc. has been unable to negotiate an agreement with its senior creditor to continue operations.
After today, Clear lanes will be unavailable.
3 hours notice that a company is closing? Forget the fact that I had free service through October, 2011 (which Nick suggested may be part of the problem), 4 days earlier Clear was pushing the card as a gift for Father's Day, with a $30 Brooks Brothers gift certificate in return.
On their website Clear claims they aren't currently issuing refunds.
Will I receive a refund for membership in Clear?
At the present time, because of its financial condition, Verified Identity Pass, Inc. cannot issue refunds.
I wonder if those Brooks Brothers gift certificates will ever arrive? Based on their email marketing you would never have suspected anything was awry.
Over at GigaOM, Om agrees that things are a bit shady.
At least my shaky eyes ensured I didn't contribute any iris data to be sold off.
Since I had plenty of time (>1 hour) before my flight to Vegas this afternoon I decided to try out my new CLEAR card. There were probably 30 people in the normal security line, no one in the premier lane and two people in the CLEAR lane.
Here's how it went down:
- Wait while the CLEAR attendant deals with an angry customer in front of me who has a broken card.
Time: 3 minutes
- Listen while the angry customer curses and whines about how she should have used her Northwest Platinum status. She loudly says "Northwest Platinum" 11 times during her rant in case anyone within 20 feet has any doubt that she's a really obnoxious bitch.
Time: 2 minutes
- Present my ID, boarding pass and CLEAR card to the attendant, who looks at them and hands them back to me, and then tells me how she just watched 21 and it was great, and hey, am I going to gamble?
Time: 2 minutes
- Insert my CLEAR pass into one of only two kiosks, scan my fingerprint.
Time: 30 seconds
- The attendant asks for my boarding pass and ID back and hands them to a screener. The screener asks me if I'm going to Vegas to gamble.
Time: 45 seconds
- The second CLEAR attendant (leaving only one attendant for two kiosks) walks me to a table to load my carry-on items into a bin. She picks them up and walks me over to the security lines.
Time: 1 minute
- We both stand there awkwardly while she looks for someone who looks like they've had a lifetime of abuse and torment.
Time: 2 minutes
- She steps in front of a doleful looking fellow and informs him that a Registered Traveler will be stepping in front of him.
Time: 30 seconds
- I apologize to him, explain how this was just an experiment. We talk about CLEAR, it comes up I'm flying to Vegas, the passenger behind him asks me if I'm going to gamble.
Time: 1 minute
- At this point it's the normal wait where I go through the metal detector and wait for my bags. Another TSA attendant starts talking to me, asks me where I'm flying to, asks if I've seen the movie 21 and suggests I gamble like the math geniuses and then give him a couple thousand dollars.
Total time: About 12 minutes, 45 seconds. Questioned three times about gambling, twice about seeing 21.
Verdict
Total waste as long as I have status. Typically it's less than 10 minutes from the moment I enter the airport until I arrive at my gate. And while the CLEAR attendant who chatted me up was friendly, I really didn't want to talk. While I'm traveling and between destinations I don't want pleasantries, I want pure cold efficiency. In other words, I'm happy to talk while I wait, but I don't want to wait while I talk.
Two kiosks is also not enough, nor is two attendants. Also if you're going to have a dedicated line it should include a dedicated metal detector so I don't have to apologize for cutting in front of someone – Steve was also uncomfortable with this as I suspect most everyone would be (except the charming lady with Northwest Platinum status).
And the next person to ask me if I'm going to Vegas to gamble is going to get kicked in the knee.
