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Is it fair to pay for line-cutting privileges?
Two California state senators have a beef with a particular program in place at a handful of United States airports and stadiums — and want the service drastically altered or banned altogether.
CLEAR is a private security service using biometrics to verify passengers’ identities at airports. It’s an alternative to producing a photo ID for TSA officers after standing in line.
Travelers pay up to $199 each year for membership. They visit CLEAR airport kiosks and, with the help of “ambassadors” (the company’s term for “representatives” or “agents”), have either their retinas or fingerprints scanned. When a passenger’s identity is confirmed, the ambassador escorts them to the front of whichever TSA line they’re qualified for: PreCheck or standard screening.
It’s the “front of whichever TSA line” that seems to bother California state senators Josh Newman (D-Fullerton) and Janet Nguyen (R-Huntington Beach). They’re behind a bill requiring third-party companies such as CLEAR to work with the TSA to have their own security line (good luck with that). If that can’t be accomplished, the companies wouldn’t be allowed to conduct business at California airports.
“The least you can expect when you have to go through the security line at the airport is that you don’t suffer the indignity of somebody pushing you out of the way to let the rich person pass you,” Senator Newman said in a POLITICO piece.
“It becomes a haves vs. have nots where those who can afford it jump in front of the rest of us,” said Senator Nguyen. “They even cut in front of TSA Pre-boarding pass travelers who have been screened by the TSA.”
If we’re talking about paying to jump lines, let’s look at the senator’s own backyard!
Let’s Eliminate the Oppressive Disneyland Lightning Lanes
So, if we’re going by their logic, I assume Senators Newman and Nguyen — based in Orange County, which is also home to the Disneyland Resort — will also insist on getting rid of the Disneyland Lightning Lanes.
Lightning Lanes are optional premium services that give Disneyland and California Adventure parkgoers specific time windows to access lanes that essentially jump ahead of those who don’t purchase the add-on. I believe prices start at $30 per person.
It’s not fair that the everyman Disneyland visitor must — to use Senator Newman’s words — “suffer the indignity of somebody pushing you out of the way to let the rich person pass you” to get on Space Mountain or the Cars ride before someone else.
Right?
Even worse are those people taking the $3000 (or whatever they cost) VIP tours. Getting escorted by their Disney guide is clearly a way to show up us poors. Like, fan yourselves with your $100 bills just to hurt our feelings even more.
Let’s Be, Erm, Clear
I have CLEAR. It comes as a perk of my The Platinum Card® from American Express, that has a $695 annual fee, which I earn back each year. (Terms apply. See rates and fees.) That’s the only way I can afford the card. But I promise you, I’m not rich.
Plus, $199 isn’t that much for frequent travelers who, as View from the Wing’s Gary Leff noted, spend more time in security lines annually than the average person who travels once or twice a year.
I also note that using CLEAR isn’t always faster than simply going into the TSA PreCheck line. I wrote about an experience last year at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) when the line proctor specifically encouraged people not to use the CLEAR lane. Some of our readers, in fact, have waited in CLEAR lines longer than passengers not using the service. There have been multiple times the PreCheck and standard security lines whizzed by me when I waited for a CLEAR ambassador to return from escorting another traveler. The joke’s on me.
Delta Air Lines teamed up with the TSA for a new Digital ID program, which is fantastic. Who knows if this is a CLEAR-killer? Worth mentioning: Digital ID requires SkyMiles members to have a US passport. I assume Senators Nguyen and Newman will also introduce legislation against Digital ID because passports cost money (they start at $110).
Final Approach
Two California state senators don’t want CLEAR passengers to be escorted to the front of airport security lanes. If CLEAR can’t get a dedicated TSA lane, the pols want the company banned from Golden State airports. Why? Because only rich people and “haves” get CLEAR — and rub everyone else’s noses in it.
Perhaps the Orange County senators should also chat with Disneyland—their backyard theme park—about ending Lightning Lanes. Because those, too, are paid line-jumping opportunities—and I’m sure hurt people’s feelings, too.
What are your thoughts on all this?
H/T: View from the Wing
For rates and fees of The Platinum Card® from American Express, please visit this link.
Advertiser Disclosure: Eye of the Flyer, a division of Chatterbox Entertainment, Inc., is part of an affiliate sales network and receives compensation for sending traffic to partner sites, such as CreditCards.com. Some or all of the card offers that appear on the website are from advertisers. Compensation may impact how and where card products appear on the site. This site does not include all card companies or all available card offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities. Some of the links on this page are affiliate or referral links. We may receive a commission or referral bonus for purchases or successful applications made during shopping sessions or signups initiated from clicking those links.
Responses are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.
Clear is useless the vast majority of the time. But way to go injecting the Amex referral links. Shameless credit card tout.
@Noel – Remind me again how much you pay to read our blogs??? 😉
It works well for me most of the time. I actually didn’t have to pay for it though, as a Diamond Medallion member.
Obviously, skipping the line at a private amusement park and skipping the line at a governmental agency do not raise remotely similar ethical or sociopolitical issues.
But also, isn’t the FastPass-for-pay concept widely, loudly, and thoroughly despised? Probably not the comparison you want to use if you’re making an argument for CLEAR.
How do you feel about paying for expedited passport processing?
It started for legitimate reasons only (emergency travel, etc), that it’s how it should have remained.
Your logic is sound, but it conflicts with the rhetoric used by rich people to convince imbeciles (maga types) to support initiatives that work against their self-interests.
For his self-esteem, I hope the author falls in the category of being rich and just exercising his constitutional-patriotic-second-amendment-not-socialist-god-given right of being an awful rich person, instead of being someone’s tool.
By their thinking they should get rid of Disneyland completely since only rich people can afford the prices to enter. They should also get rid of first class, Delta Comfort, and eliminate privilege altogether. Needless to say, I don’t agree with any of these proposals nor the one being discussed. I am also surprised to see statements like this coming from a Republican.
Clear line cutters are annoying. I can avoid Disneyland but if I want to fly I have to go through an airport (and JSX’s limited scope doesn’t make them a real alternative). It’s security theater taken to a next level. I applaud these politicians for their efforts. Thank goodness SNA doesn’t have it (yet).
We are not line cutters. We have paid for a service that gives us the ability to bypass the lines. Line cutters are people are jump ahead of others without having permission or the right to do so.
I think your Modest Proposal sounds good.
So why don’t they have a beef with TSA precheck, you jump the line if you have that (actually you get your own special line)? I’m guessing they can expense Precheck but can’t expense Clear which is what really bothers them. You could apply this logic to everything to make sure everyone is treated equally. Why do frequent fliers with high status get to board first (we all know this isn’t the most efficient way to board a plane)? Why do “rich” people who pay for first class tickets get nicer seats and meals and get to go in the lounge and “poor” people who travel economy have to hang out in the airport and buy food to take on the plane? Don’t get me started on how status can get you free upgrades at hotels…. Even though we don’t like it, money buys access, less waiting, more services, and better stuff.
Who doesn’t like it? Anyway, you are right, the concern with Clear vs lack of concern with TSA Pre is surprising.
Move out of the People’s Republic of California.
I love California but not it’s politics. It’s strange that there are plenty of HOT lanes which I think are great, even though these go against the philosophy of the politics of the State.
Fully agree and I propose such programs be extended to hospitals/emergency rooms and 911 calls.
I don’t care if the guy is having a heart attack, damn it I have a splinter in my finger and money to buy priority. Or my priority-paid 911 call for my cat stuck in the tree sure needs to be handled before that little girl being raped (it’s not like she can get an abortion or do anything about it anyway).
These poor people should have thought better before choosing not to be rich.
Chris and René – keep up the good work, tough crowd throwing jabs and complaints for no reason – the majority of us love the insights and your updates! The card links keep the lights on, keep posting!
I just went to Disneyland last week, first time in years. First, Clear was slower than the regular TSA precheck lane. What made it more ridiculous was it was also slower than the first class/premium lane and wait for it…even the regular lane open to anyone/everyone/not related to any upcharge/or havehavenots. Clear has not improved the speed at which it works or the weak link in the staff it hires. Clear checked our boarding passes via digital scan three times prior to reaching the TSA agent, as well as manually 2 additional times. No need, scan it and done, the system computer should be far more accurate than a human and negate the repetitive scan by hand device. BTW, we were the first people in line, meaning we waited on no one. The delay was the team and tech, and it was at MSP too.
Disney has become more of a have or have not, can you afford the extras. They add on layers of ticket enhancements the day of your visit with Genie+ ($30 pp extra per day to access regular lightening lane) as well as Park Hopper ($50-150 extra per day approx) then they get you with the if you can afford it do it option of Paid Lightening Lane ($26+ for Rise of Empire, $21+ for Cars Racers, per person), not even touching on photo passes etc or the exceptionally lousy food. We were feeling fortunate to be able to do this trip, and thought often of how people afford to do it, shelling out $250PP a day on just access tickets, before they get to the loads of merchandise, overpriced food/bev services, hotels, air, etc. BTW I asked about the VIP tours at Disneyland, started at $4800 extra…insane!
Oh, we had that French Toast and the new quiche, both were terrible on Delta….and our nearly brand new Airbus 220, which overall is very nice, had issues with the entertainment system that didn’t work on many seats. Yes we were very lucky to be upfront, we don’t take that for granted as it’s far more challenging than ever. Oh the tray table was broken too.
Bad analogy. Disneyland is a private enterprise. The TSA is government run. A better comparison would’ve been Orange County’s “express lanes” on freeways, the so called “Lexus Lanes” which are empty most of the time.