The Clear airport security system that closed last year is back up and running at a new web site and under new ownership. Plus, it promises to honor the membership terms remaining for any previous members at the time the old program closed. That’s the good news. Bad? Clear still stupidly requires biometric registration for no good reason, offers support at a greatly reduced number of airports and might not recognize that you had an account in the past.

Fewer Airports

Previously at flyclear.com, Clear now operates at clearme.com (but the old domain will redirect you to the new location). It promises that Clear lanes will begin again at:

1. Denver, in October
2. Orlando, in November

The prior Clear program offered support for these airports:

1. Albany
2. Atlanta
3. Boston Terminal A
4. Cincinnati
5. Denver
6. Indianapolis
7. Jacksonville
8. Little Rock
9. Louisville
10. Newark-Terminals B1, B2
11. New York-JFK -Terminals 1, 2, 3, 4, 7
12. New York-LaGuardia -Central Terminal B, Terminal D
13. Oakland
14. Orlando
15. Reno-Tahoe
16. Salt Lake City
17. San Francisco
18. San Jose
19. Washington-Dulles
20. Washington-Reagan
21. Westchester

So, that 2 airports down, 19 more to go to get back to where Clear was.

Biometric Bull

Oddly, Clear’s still going with cards that require people to log biometrics — taking your fingerprints and scanning your eyes. If you were never in Clear before, you can only do this at the two airports where Clear operates. And what do you get after all this work? The ability to walk to the front of the security line.

Well heck, I do that already using my Southwest A-List card, using Southwest’s Fly By lanes. I didn’t have to have my eyes scanned, my fingerprints taken. I didn’t have to bring two different forms of photo ID. Nor do I have to use slow, inconvenient fingerprint scanning devices before I can even go through the express security lane.

Nah, I just had to fly Southwest a lot. Lots of other frequent flyers have this option, too.

If you don’t fly a lot, and you use the specific Clear airports now, then paying for one of the new cards and going through the registration hassle might make sense. But I have to wonder why the new Clear just didn’t ditch the entire biometric aspect.

Not Security Bypass, Just Front Of The Line Service

The old system had all this because it was supposed to let you BYPASS security, not just take you to the front of the line. That never happened. The new system doesn’t seem like it had to do what the old one did (which in turn, came through a TSA program). It seems like the new Clear just could have negotiated special express lines with each airport just as the airlines do — lines that that you to the front of the security line, but not around it.

Why Clear Might Not Remember You

If you had a card, sure, why not renew. But don’t be surprised if the Clear site doesn’t recognize you. I tried to reregistered, and if failed to find me.

After calling Clear, I learned that not everyone has been uploaded into the database. When you are, you’re supposed to get an email and/or a printed letter telling you to re-register.

There’s nothing on the Clear site that explains this. The phone rep seem surprised I knew about the Clear site reopening, and that officially, it wasn’t supposed to be out there. Well officially, Clear tweeted about it earlier this month. So officially, there ought to be some more explanation and help about who can and can’t yet re-register on the site itself.

I’ll also be curious if Clear really will honor the rest of my term. I’d referred so many people to Clear through a program that gave them and me an extra month of membership that my card was good through 2064.

For past posts from me about Clear, see my category about the service, and here are some selected posts:

• Passport Fast Track: UK’s IRIS Easily Beats US’s Clear
• Using CLEAR To Clear Airport Security — This Is Efficient?
• CLEAR Registered Traveler System To Improve; Airport Security Competitors Coming!
• Clear Airport Security Program Closes Abruptly; Goodbye Flo, Too?
• TSA Stays Silent As Its Registered Traveler Program Melts Down
• Registered Traveler Meltdown: Class Action Suit, Flo Might Close & Anyone For Fraud Investigation?
• FLO Says Registered Traveler Program May Be Back

And thanks to Mark Rosch for the tip on Clear being back.

Postscript:

I just had a call from Clear’s new CEO, Caryn Seidman-Becker, who talked to me a bit more about the system and answered some questions I had. Talk about fast and high level response!

On the limited number of airports, she said “you’ve got to walk before you run,” and that Clear fully intends to expand. She said enrollment is faster than in the past and that the number of enrollment stations would expand.

Why go the biometric route? Clear is building a biometric security company, one that might allow those with verified security cards to bypass or speed through security on cruise ships, with companies and other places. “If you just buy a lane at an airport, you can’t do that,” she said.

She asked what I liked and disliked about the old service. Well, I loved getting to security faster. But I hated that to do this, I was taken through the regular security line, with people sometimes literally pushed out of the way. In contrast, most airports I’ve been to have separate express lines for those airline frequent flyer cards that allow access.

Good news, there — Seidman-Becker said that Clear will be getting its own dedicated lanes.

I also said that I hated having to scan my fingerprints just to be taken to the front of the line, where I still would have my security checked — something unnecessary when I use my Southwest card. She pointed out that Clear actually took me past security.

Indeed, I’d forgotten this. You would be escorted past  the TSA agent who normally checks your ID and ticket and be delivered to the x-ray line. That definitely saved time, in some cases.

Still, I pushed that many people would be happy just with a network of express lanes, that maybe building those out would be a form of “walking first,” with biometics stations coming next.

Another thing I liked about the old Clear is that I didn’t have a frequent flyer card with enough status to let me use the special airline lanes at the time, so this was a great options (more of these lines also seem to have appeared since Clear went away).

There’s no doubt that Clear potentially offers people an easy network for speeding through security, if it grows. And the company deserves kudos for its pledge to honor all remaining time on anyone’s membership. Yes, Seidman-Becker said, my membership through 2064 will stay intact.

It’s still a tough sell for someone new at $179 per year, I’d say. If you are using one of the existing airports often, and you don’t have alternative to speed through security, then the new Clear is worth considering. If not, I think it’s still wait-and-see time, until the airports expand.

By the way, here’s an article from the New York Times in April, about the new company.

Did you throw away your Clear card? That might have been too fast. Former Clear competitor FLO says after the New Year, it hopes to relaunch at airports under TSA guidance. From today’s press release:

NOTE (Sept. 20, 2010 : See Clear Airport Security Is Back, With All The Downsides about the resumption of the Clear program, after Clear closed on June 22, 2009. Also see my category on Clear for any further news about the program that I may have posted since this note.

The RT program was effectively suspended on June 22, 2009 after the financial failure of Verified Identity Pass, Inc.’s CLEAR program.  FLO will be re-launching RT at major airports in January under current TSA guidelines.

“RT represents a tremendous opportunity to impact millions of travelers each year,” said Glenn Argenbright, FLO Corporate Chairman.   “Our agreement with Cogent is truly a game changer for the program.  Over the last several years, roughly 200,000 members have enrolled in the program, paying annual subscription fees of between $100 and $200.  This is an impressive figure when you consider that there were fewer than 30 RT enrollment centers nationwide.  Given Cogent’s network of more than 1,000 biometric enrollment locations in the United States, coupled with an aggressive expansion strategy for new markets and airports, we expect to vastly expand the availability and convenience of the program.”

What’s happening is that FLO will partner with Cogent to take in the biometrics that the Registered Traveler program requires, under TSA rules.

Of course, it’s not like those biometrics were ever needed to get you past security. That’s not how RT worked, in the end. Instead, you just got walked to the front of the line.

So why on earth is FLO going through the hassle of reviving this stupid system? Why not just partner with a bunch of airports that are willing to have someone run “walk to the front of the security line” lanes? You don’t need biometrics for that. You just need to stand in front of a TSA agent who will look at your ordinary non-biometically enhanced regular ID.

NOTE: Fred Fisher, principal & managing partner for FLO, emailed me this after I posted about why do the biometrics stuff:

Soon to be released TSA guidelines may (will) include background checks and eventually lane benefits. Plus the airlines and airports would push hard against a “flash pass”

Meanwhile, back to Clear. Under the terms of the RT program, any RT provider is supposed to accept the cards issued by another one. So those Clear cards? Maybe they are still valid. Maybe not. Be nice if mine was. It was good through 2065!

NOTE: Fisher said about honoring Clear cards. They said:

Not required, but we are certainly considering. Stay tuned.

Past coverage on this topic from me:

• Registered Traveler Meltdown: Fraud Action Against Clear? Investigate The TSA?.
• Registered Traveler Meltdown: Class Action Suit, Preferred Traveler In Trouble & Anyone For Fraud Investigation?
• TSA Stays Silent As Its Registered Traveler Program Melts Down
• Clear Airport Security Program Closes Abruptly; Goodbye Flo, Too?

Yesterday, despite being a Southwest A-List member, I received my first “B” boarding number. Curious about why this happened — A-Listers are supposed to get the best “A” numbers — I asked Southwest. Sorry, that’s “proprietary” and “confidential” information, I was told.

Wow. Who’d have thought the order that Southwest hands out boarding passes was that big of a secret? And more important, who are they keeping such a big secret from? Perhaps A-List members who don’t get as many early boarding spots thanks to the new fees that fee-less Southwest Airlines now has?

Southwest Airlines Flying Tips from me covers how boarding on Southwest works. It’s a wonderful system, where the lower the number you have (A1 beats A15, A15 beats B34), the earlier you can board and get a good seat. It’s efficient and works well.

That same flying tips article I mentioned also covers how you can get early boarding by purchasing a Business Select fare or by becoming an Southwest Airlines A-List member. After I wrote it, Southwest introduced a new $10 “Early Bird” program that lets you book early boarding for $10. Some people have derided Southwest — which prides itself for not charging fees — as effectively charging an early boarding “fee” through this program.

When the Early Bird program launched, my question was how would that impact the early seating I was supposed to get as an A-List member. Boarding is promised this way:

• Business Select: Guaranteed A1-A15 spots
• A-List Members: Promises to “most likely” give you  A-16 through A60 spots
• Early Bird: Promises to improve your “seat selection” but doesn’t guarantee A-15 through A-60 spots

Now since I joined the A-List program, I’ve typically gotten boarding numbers in the A20s-A30 range. I’ve also been higher or lower than that. It’s worked well. I’ve never had a middle seat. I’ve usually gotten the exact seat I want, even.

But yesterday, I was taken aback. I checked in and got a B1 boarding spot. While I know the A-List program doesn’t guarantee an A spot, I still wondered how this could happen.

In particular, I’d booked my ticket two weeks before I flew. Southwest is supposed to automatically hold my boarding spot when I book. That means when I booked, there were 60 other people who had spots reserved for them. I know that 15 of those spots were held for Business Select people. But the remaining 45? Were there really 45 other A-List people or early bird people who had booked before me on this flight, two weeks before it departed?

Who knows? Well, Southwest does. But as I lead with, they’re not saying. The customer service response I received:

Thank you for your e-mail regarding Rapid Rewards A-List Membership. As a longtime Customer, your concerns are extremely important to us, and we appreciate the opportunity to respond.

We’re so sorry that you did not receive a higher priority boarding pass on your recent flight as one of our valued Rapid Rewards A-List Members. Certainly, we understand that some of our A-Listers are curious to know the method used to assign boarding positions to those who qualify for reserved boarding privileges. Unfortunately, we cannot share this proprietary information as it is considered confidential (and must remain so) in order to maintain our competitive advantage. We apologize for any disappointment.

We truly appreciate your loyalty, and we hope to continue to enjoy the privilege of your patronage. We look forward to welcoming you onboard again soon.

In the end, it just feels weird. None of Southwest’s competitors offer a similar boarding system that I know of. If they do, I find it difficult to believe Southwest would lose a competitive advantage because people could now board the same way on other airlines as they do on Southwest. That hardly seems the primary reason for people to book Southwest flights.

Instead, I’m stuck feeling like the real reason I got a low boarding number is that Southwest is predicting ahead of time how many people it thinks will cough up for early bird boarding and holding those seats back from A-Listers. Maybe there are other reasons. Pity it’s so confidential and proprietary that we can’t know.

Insult to injury. About two years ago, I wrote Virgin’s Not So Generous Frequent Flyer Program, covering how hard it was to find available mileage award seats through Virgin Atlantic’s Flying Club program. Tonight, I’m struggling to understand how those “free” tickets cost $350 in fees.

I just priced a roundtrip economy ticket from Los Angeles to London: $687 for the ticket, plus $162 in additional fees, for a total of $859.

That’s a lot in fees, almost 1/4 of the core ticket price. What are the fees for? The “Fare Breakdown” link offered in association with the quote broke down nothing, simply saying: “USD 161.83 Taxes & fees.”

Poking around the site, I managed to find a FAQ page that says this:

Can you tell me more about fare taxes and charges?

You can find our policy on fares, taxes, fees and charges by viewing Article 4 of our Conditions of Carriage.

Don’t get excited. That article 4 provides no breakdown:

Applicable taxes, fees and charges imposed by government or other authority, or by the operator of an airport, shall be payable by you. When you purchase your Ticket, you will be advised of taxes, fees and charges not included in the fare, most of which will normally be shown separately on the Ticket.

To me, a breakdown is a breakdown. Who exactly is getting what amount of these fees? Looking at the US specials page, it suggests there’s a number of them:

All passengers must pay the applicable airport taxes, air passenger duties and the September 11th security charges of approximately $250.00.

The above advertised fares from Boston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York (JFK), Newark, Orlando, San Francisco and Washington DC include the addition of a $111, one way ($222 round trip) air carrier security and fuel surcharge.

OK, who gets what. And more important, how can those fees go up when you’re using mileage?

Same ticket, this time using 40,000 miles with Virgin for what you’d assume was a free ticket. OK, so the mileage page does have a little note saying:

*Flying Club reward flights are free in terms of fare, however applicable taxes, charges, surcharges and fees are payable and this is advised at the time of availability which can be found in the booking engine or via the contact centre when booking your flight.

Still, you wouldn’t think the fees would be that much. You certainly wouldn’t think the fees would be more than if you actually bought a ticket. But they are. That mileage ticket comes with “taxes, fees, charges & surcharges” of $347.13. That’s more than DOUBLE the fees if you just bought the ticket.

So how’s that work, Virgin? How do those fees go up so much more than if I bought a ticket? I’d really love to know.

A few days ago I was reading about New York City’s new High Line Park, and how apparently it’s a great place to watch people standing naked in the windows of a nearby hotel. I wasn’t so much interested in the naked people as I was in the idea of an elevated train track being turned into a park in the middle of a city.

As it happened, I was in New York today and near the park so went for a walk. It was fabulous, and the only disappointment was that after only a few blocks, the park in the sky came to an end.

Below are some shots taken off my iPhone. It’s such a great setting that I wish I had a better camera and photography skills. An no, I didn’t see any naked people. You can find a map of the route here.

This is the start of the park, or the end, depending on your perspective. You can really see how it is raised well above ground level.

Just past the start. The hotel in the background is where you’ll spot the naked people on display.

Old tracks still run along the park, filled with plants.

I think this is where you cross under the naked people hotel (OK, it’s called the Standard Hotel).

About midway, there’s a section filled with nice wooden benches for lounging around.

More of the path.

Near the other end, there’s a nice plaza area.

One of the best things are the views of the city from up above.

Near the other end of the park.

Looking back along the park from the other end.

Congratulate me. I’m now a Southwest Airlines A-List member. I have status! Primarily, I can board the plane before other people. It’s a long slide down from my days of having Virgin Atlantic Gold status. Oh, the shoe shines! The haircuts! The perks!

I used to fly Virgin Atlantic all the time, from the days when I lived in Britain but came back to the US for work visits and conferences. Somehow, I managed to earn gold status back in 2004 or 2005. Probably the most important perk was having access to the Virgin Atlantic lounge at my then home airport, London Heathrow.

This was my first airport lounge, and I mistakenly assumed all lounges were like it. The Virgin Lounge at Heathrow is a huge place, two stories and seemingly acres of space. As I got to know it, my visit before a flight would go typically like this:

• If wearing leather shoes, drop them at the entrance to have them shined
• If running late and dashed out of the house, head to the shower to freshen up
• Get my haircut, for free, if it had been awhile
• Have a nice cooked breakfast. Pancakes? Bacon roll with ketchup? So many choices.

I never found time to use the sauna, a tanning booth or shoot a game of pool, or just hang out and watch TV. There was all that, and more.

Typically I’d fly in and out of New York or San Francisco, where Virgin had smaller but still attractive lounges. My rude awakening came when I flew out of Boston, one year. I entered a lounge that Virgin borrowed. I think it was the Northwest lounge. I remember looking for the bar, for the ample food court area. Instead, I found a drink dispenser and some terrible looking sandwiches under a plastic cover.

I’ve since learned that this is typical of many airline lounges. I’ve had a few surprises on the odd occasion I’ve managed access to another one — but nothing has matched the Virgin lounge at Heathrow, so far.

Virgin Gold also meant I often got upgraded, for free. Book a premium economy ticket, which often was oversold, and it was the Virgin Gold people who got bumped up to Upper Class. That means a fully-flat bed, a nice dinner, snacks throughout the flight, a large entertainment screen. Sweet.

Ah, those were the times. Now I fly mostly within California, on Southwest. In fact, I’ve flown so much that just as I’m about to lose my Virgin status (I dropped to Silver last year; in about a month, I’ll be nothing), I’ve gained status on Southwest.

Access to the massive Southwest lounge? Uh, no. Upgraded to first class? Yeah, there’s no first class. Shoe shines? Get real. Southwest is a bus, but one that I’ve learned to love. And A-List status means I get to board the bus early. That’s pretty much it.

My Southwest Airlines Flying Tips post goes into more detail about the unique boarding policy that Southwest has. No seats are reserved, and the earlier you check in, the earlier you can board (to get a good seat). So far, being A-List has worked well. I’ve had a high “A” boarding pass in the past two flights, and I didn’t have to pay extra for it. I even got one only a few hours before my flight. In the past, that would have meant a lowly “B” or “C” pass.

I also get access to the Southwest Fly By priority security lanes. Since Clear no longer works, this is a perk I really appreciate. And I still have my memories of Virgin Gold.

I’ve been flying Southwest Airlines for about a year now. It’s been quite a change for me. I spent years flying mostly long-haul international flights from when I lived in Britain to the United States. Now most of my flying is short hops between Orange County’s John Wayne Airport and San Jose. Southwest runs a bus-like schedule between the two airports, and I’ve fallen in love with their service plus learned a few tips along the way.

One of the best things about Southwest is the no fee policy if you have to change or cancel a flight. Can’t fly? You get a refund or credit for a future flight. No deductions, no fees — nada. It’s wonderful. It doesn’t even matter what class of Southwest ticket you book. At the very worst, if you don’t go, you’ll get whatever you paid in full as credit.

How fair is that? Super fair, considering that other airlines can charge fees in excess of the actual ticket price. I find it sad that JetBlue, which I love to fly for many reasons, charges an outrageous $100 change fee. Why, JetBlue, why!

Specifically, Southwest Airlines has three classes of tickets:

• Business Select
• Anytime
• Wanna Get Away

The first two let you get a full refund on your ticket, if you can’t fly. They also allow you to change to another flight on the same day without having to pay any difference (if the fare has gone up, you’re safe).

Wanna Get Away doesn’t give you a refund. Instead, you get credit for future travel that lasts for a year. If you change your flight, you won’t get dinged with a change fee, but you will have to pay any difference between the fare you booked and the new one.

If you’re really worried you’ll never fly Southwest in the future, then booking either Business Select or Anytime fares makes sense. Personally, I wouldn’t pay the extra if a Wanna Get Away fare is available. These are typically half the cost of the other Southwest fares.

A huge culture shock for those new to Southwest is the boarding procedure. I didn’t get it, as first, and apparently I’m not alone. Southwest even has a Boarding School section of their web site to explain it more.

When you check in, you’re assigned a boarding letter and number. Those with letter A board first, then letter B, then letter C. Each letter also has up to 60 numbers — IE, there’s A1, A2, A3 and so on to A60, then B1, B2, B3 and so on to B60, then C1, C2, C3  and so on to C60.

When it’s time to board, you line up. First, all the A1-A30 people arrange themselves in order in front of a sign with their group number. The A31-A60 people do the same. Then the A1-30 people board. When that line is clear, the sign at the front flips so that the B1-B30 group can line up while the A31-A60 people board:

The process continues until each group has been processed. Behind the signs at the front are other signs that segment each group into fives, like this:

In the picture above, you can see how those with a numbers 51-55 stand in one section of the line while those 56-60 stand in another.

Crazy? I thought so, at first. Why can’t I just book the seat I want? A Southwest flight attendant told me the airline tested this, but it slowed down boarding. And I have to agree. Regular flyers know the system, line up religiously in correct order, then go aboard to get the best seats. It really works, better than any other airline I’ve flown.

What are the best seats? I’ll come back to that, but first the boarding pass tip. You want the lowest number possible, so that you go on first. The easy way to do this is to buy a Business Select ticket, which gets you early boarding (usually A1-12 boarding number) plus a free drink that never expires. I have about 30 of these now, and eventually I plan to buy an entire flight a drink.

Business Select is only $15 more than the Anytime fare, so if you want guaranteed early boarding, along with the ability to speed through security quickly in certain airports using the Fly By lane plus that drink, go for it.

Don’t want to spend the extra on Business Select? You can still get a high number with Anytime and Wanna Get Away fares. Just check in early, as soon as you’re allowed, online.

That’s 24 hours before your Southwest flight. Go to the Southwest site here as soon as you can in that 24 hour period and generate a boarding pass. The sooner you do it, the higher number you’ll get. Leave it late, and you’ll be in the B or worse the C group. No one likes the C group!

Don’t have a printer, such as when you’re traveling? Don’t worry. Check in online anyway and ignore the print screen. Then when you get to the airport, use one of the computer kiosks to check in again. It’ll see that you already have checked in and issue you a printed boarding pass — but since you checked in early, your original boarding number will be retained.

Another way to get a low boarding number is if you fly enough to become a Rapid Rewards A-List member. I’ve just earned this, and I’ll be curious to see how it goes. It means that Southwest is supposed to reserve “the best boarding pass number available — most likely an A” when you book a flight using your Southwest Rapid Rewards number.

I guess that means I don’t have to worry about printing my boarding pass as soon as possible. The “most likely an A” part worries me a bit, but I’m guessing that’s covering a case when someone might book a ticket just hours before a flight and when boarding pass numbers have already been assigned. We’ll see!

Now about those best seats. Most people want to avoid the middle seats. If you get a high number and board near the end, you’ll probably end up sandwiched between people on a busy flight. Board early, and you can get the window or aisle seat of your choice — toward the front of the plane, too, if you want to get off early. In addition, you’ll find plenty of overhead storage space. Boarding early is a plus!

Personally, I think seat 11E is the very best seat on the plane (here’s the SeatGuru chart to all seats on a typical Southwest Airlines plane):

Seat 11E is the one to the left, closest to the window. Rather than the usual three seat arrangement, there are only two seats in this particular row. Where there should be an 11F seat right against the window, that’s missing, as you can see better here:

This means:

• No middle seat issue
• Extra room to your right, if you sit in 11E
• Extra tray table to use, since you can easily access the table that would have been in front of 11F, if that seat existed
• Extra storage in the seat in front of where 11F would have been (under seat 10F)

Technically, the storage space under seat 10F belongs to seat 12F. In reality, the person there rarely uses it. This is because they’d have to reach forward two rows to get to it. So pretty much, 11E gets to use that space leaving the space directly in front of 11E free for legroom.

That’s pretty much it. To summarize the key Southwest Airlines tips:

• No fee to change or cancel a flight
• Check in early to get lower boarding number
• Use the airport check in kiosks to print a boarding pass if you checked in but lacked a printer
• Best seat in the house is 11E
• Business Select gets you on early and a free drink

Finally, people take the lineup very seriously. If you’re A23 and stand in front of A22, that’ll get noticed by those around you. Line courtesy goes like this, as far as I’ve found. Walk to your general area when called, where you’ll be among five other people. Hold your ticket out so the boarding number can be seen and simply ask the others already there what number they are. Then everyone sorts themselves accordingly.

Also check out this post from Elizabeth Rose over at About.com for some additional tips, more about getting the best fares rather than getting the best seat, as I’ve covered. Southwest also has its own tips section here.

Postscript: A few days after I wrote this, Southwest announced a new Early Bird program that lets you book early boarding for $10. You don’t get a reserved seat, but you can get a lower boarding number without having to fly Business Select or being an A-List member.

Somehow, Southwest says it is keeping some numbers back for Business Select or A-List members before Early Bird people can get them. From the FAQ:

Boarding positions will be assigned after Business Select and A-List Customers

I’m still unclear on how all this works. If you book Business Select a few hours before a flight — after a number of Early Bird customers have booked and been given passes, then how are they assigned “after” you. Similarly, if Early Bird people book a 4 weeks ahead — and then Business Select and A-List members book 2 weeks ahead — were Early Bird people given higher A numbers?

Meanwhile, I gained my Southwest Airlines A-List membership, and so far, it’s worked well. I had an A number in the teens (Business Select usually put me between A10-12).

Just a short update the the continued meltdown of the Registered Traveler program:

NOTE (Sept. 20, 2010 : See Clear Airport Security Is Back, With All The Downsides about the resumption of the Clear program, after Clear closed on June 22, 2009. Also see my category on Clear for any further news about the program that I may have posted since this note.

A class action suit has been filed on behalf of Clear members who lost money on their passes (IDG and Wired have news on this; Wired also said Clear founder Steve Brill was fired in March).

The competing Preferred Traveler program appears in trouble. I’ve got a report that Preferred Traveler’s Jacksonville lane has closed, and the airport there has asked that the company be investigated.

(NOTE – July 7: Originally, I’d written this was a Flo lane — Flo only operates in Reno. As for Flo, when I originally wrote this, Flo made it seem like it has a network of 20 or so airports. Today, as I update, that page has finally changed to show no airports listed)

The TSA took a week and finally posted on its site and blog about the collapse. It failed to make clear the much-reduced state of Flo’s network, the fact that competing Registered Traveler companies are supposed to still accept each other’s cards or the future of Registered Traveler in the wake of a House bill seeking to make the program what it was once intended to be, an express security check.

Meanwhile, I wonder if fraud investigations should be started. More in that in a guest post I did for the Huffington Post: Registered Traveler Meltdown: Fraud Action Against Clear? Investigate The TSA?.

For past posts on the clear closure, see also:

• Clear Airport Security Program Closes Abruptly; Goodbye Flo, Too?
• TSA Stays Silent As Its Registered Traveler Program Melts Down

Keri Morgret of Strike Models tipped me to a United offer for Clear members. I guess United offers a airport security fast lane called Premier Line, and I thought it was pretty cool that they’re giving a rebate to Clear members on the purchase price. Especially as that price seemed to be $25 per year — it’s a no brainer. You get it all back.

NOTE (Sept. 20, 2010 : See Clear Airport Security Is Back, With All The Downsides about the resumption of the Clear program, after Clear closed on June 22, 2009. Also see my category on Clear for any further news about the program that I may have posted since this note.

Then I read more closely. The price is “starting at” $25 per year. As best I can tell, you’re paying $25 each time you want to fast track through a line. $25 per pop! United will give you a rebate on only one of these.

If you’re a Clear member and flying United in a place they offer these, I guess it’s worth the hassle. Just send a photocopy of your card, not the actual card. United will take either but the photocopy portion isn’t prominently mentioned. Really, United — you want to be collecting these cards full of biometric data?

Meanwhile, Clear has posted an update to their web site that says data has been destroyed but interestingly, they’re not in bankruptcy:

Clear Lanes Are No Longer Available.

At 11:00 p.m. PST on June 22, 2009, Clear ceased operations. Clear’s parent company, Verified Identity Pass, Inc., was unable to negotiate an agreement with its senior creditor to continue operations. Verified Identity Pass regrets that Clear will not be able to continue operations.

How is Clear securing personal information?

Clear stands by our commitment to protect our customer’s personally identifiable information – including fingerprints, iris images, photos, names, addresses, credit card numbers and other personal information provided to us – and to keep the privacy promises that we have made. Information is secured in accordance with the Transportation Security Administration’s Security, Privacy and Compliance Standards.

How is Clear securing any information at the airports?

Each hard disk at the airport, including the enrollment and verification kiosks, has now been wiped clean of all data and software. The triple wipe process we used automatically and completely overwrites the contents of the entire disk, including the operating system, the data and the file structure. This process also prevents or thoroughly hinders all known techniques of hard disk forensic analysis.

How is Clear securing any information in central databases and corporate systems?

Lockheed Martin is the lead systems integrator for Clear, and is currently working with Verified Identity Pass, Inc. to ensure an orderly shutdown as the program closes. As Verified Identity Pass, Inc. and the Transportation Security Administration work through this process, Lockheed Martin remains committed to protecting the privacy of individuals’ personal information provided for the Clear Registered Traveler program. Lockheed’s work will also remain consistent with the Transportation Security Administration’s federal requirements and the enhanced security and privacy requirements of Verified Identity Pass, Inc.

The computers that Verified Identity Pass, Inc. assigned to its former corporate employees are being wiped using the same process described for computers at the airports.

Will personally identifiable information be sold?

The personally identifiable information that customers provided to Clear may not be used for any purpose other than a Registered Traveler program operated by a Transportation Security Administration authorized service provider. Any new service provider would need to maintain personally identifiable information in accordance with the Transportation Security Administration’s privacy and security requirements for Registered Traveler programs. If the information is not used for a Registered Traveler program, it will be deleted.

How will members be notified when information is deleted?

Clear intends to notify members in a final email message when the information is deleted.

Who is monitoring this process?

Clear is communicating with TSA, airport and airline sponsors, and subcontractors, to ensure that the security of the information and systems is maintained throughout the closure process. Clear thanks these partners for their continuing cooperation and diligence.

How can I contact Clear?

Please visit our website, www.flyclear.com, for the latest updates. Clear’s call center and customer support email service are no longer available.

Will I receive a refund for membership in Clear?

At the present time, Verified Identity Pass, Inc. cannot issue refunds due to the company’s financial condition.

Has Verified Identity Pass, Inc. filed for bankruptcy?

At the present time, Verified Identity Pass has not commenced any proceedings under the United States Bankruptcy Code.

And the TSA still has nothing to say. For more background, see my past post, TSA Stays Silent As Its Registered Traveler Program Melts Down

It’s been a day since Clear closed, so I thought a fresh post on the aftermath is in order. Refunds? Forget it!  The data Clear has on you? To be destroyed. But your Clear card will still work. Where? With the two other “Registered Traveler” programs that serve all of three airports in total. Assuming those companies also don’t go under, of course. Meanwhile, the TSA — which started the Registered Traveler program that encompasses the service these various companies offer — has nothing to say in the wake of its collapse.

NOTE (Sept. 20, 2010 : See Clear Airport Security Is Back, With All The Downsides about the resumption of the Clear program, after Clear closed on June 22, 2009. Also see my category on Clear for any further news about the program that I may have posted since this note.

Clear Airport Security Program Closes Abruptly; Goodbye Flo, Too? has all the news from yesterday. If you need more details for some of the things I cover in this new post, I suggest checking out that story as well.

In that post, I mentioned that there were two competitors to Clear still standing: Flo and Preferred Traveler. The Flo site still makes it seem like it serves nearly 20 airports. In reality, it only covered this many because anyone with a Flo card could also use Clear. Flo actually only has its own machine in Reno. Preferred Traveler has its own machines in Jacksonville and Louisville. Both companies have to honor each others’ cards and, as I’ll explain more, are still to honor Clear cards. In short, the entire “Registered Traveler” network now boils down to three airports in total:

• Jacksonville
• Louisville
• Reno

With a vast selection like that, I can’t see why many people would go through the expense and hassle of signing up unless they fly from one of those three specific airports. And given that, you have to wonder if the entire Registered Traveler program backed by the US government is now going to die a sudden death.

Well good, those snooty people paying to get to the front of the line deserve what they get. I’ve seen this comment a number of times, and I’ll do a future post addressing the realities of what Clear provided as well as the mess that continues with airport security lines in general. But for now, more of the immediate postmortem.

Over at Airports Council International – North America — a group that “represents local, regional and state governing bodies that own and operate commercial airports in the United States and Canada” — there’s a summary of a meeting that was held today where Clear updated airports in on the current situation (and in more depth than it has updated its own paying members). It’s good reading. The PDF is here, but somehow I was also emailed a copy:

ACI-NA

Security Notice

Re: Registered Traveler Update

Date: June 23, 2009

Today, TSA held a conference call with industry associations to discuss Clear’s cessation of Registered Traveler (RT) operations yesterday. Joe Corrao, TSA Registered Traveler Program Manager hosted the call to allow Clear representatives an opportunity to speak to the private sector. Verified Identity Pass (Clear’s Parent Company) Acting CEO, Jim Maroney, General Counsel, Charles Bennett and Chief Technology and Security Officer, Jason Slibeck participated on the call to answer questions.

Jim Maroney reiterated that Clear ceased operations as the company was unable to negotiate funding from its creditor. A statement to that effect has been posted the Clear Web site www.flyclear.com.

As the result of questions about the privacy of data, Maroney stated that all applicant and member personal information will continue to be secured in accordance with TSA requirements but is in the process of being deleted under the direction of company officials. Clear has a plan to secure and delete personal information in three areas:

1. Enrollment – Clear is using G-Band to secure software and data on kiosks
2. Lap tops – Clear is bringing all employee lap top computers to its office in New York so data can be removed
3. Central System – Once it has worked with the Sponsoring Entities (airports and airlines), Clear will ensure that data is removed from the central system located at Lockheed Martin’s facilities in Orlando and Palm Coast.

Clear requested that airports provide access to its equipment so that it can remove the data. Although airports can move Clear equipment, local program managers will need access to it and to electrical power in order to remove the data. Clear is working with its program managers to ensure that all keys, ID badges and other property is returned to airports. Due to its financial condition, Verified cannot provide refunds to its members. Customers with questions should be directed to the Clear Web site or they can contact Jason Slibeck via email at jslibeck@verifiedidpass.com.

At this point, the TSA Registered Traveler Program Office has no intention of placing Clear cardholders on the card revocation list (CRL). Therefore, Clear customers will be able to use Flo and Vigilant Systems Registered Traveler lines at the remaining three airports: Jacksonville, Louisville and Reno.

However, TSA stated a decision was reached this morning that Clear cards will no longer be an acceptable form of identification to gain access to security checkpoints. Further, the Office of Security Operations (OSO) plans to provide guidance to FSDs later today directing Travel Document Checkers (TDCs) not to accept Clear Registered Traveler cards from passengers.

OK, let me translate some of this plus highlight the additional questions it raises.

First, all that data that Clear has on people is apparently going to be destroyed. Good, but…

Second, the TSA is saying apparently that the Clear cards remain valid as part of the Registered Traveler system (so Flo and Preferred Traveler have to honor them at their three combined airports). But…

Third, if the Clear data is being destroyed, how do Flo and Preferred Traveler know anything to validate? Or do they have their own copies of a complete Registered Traveler database that the TSA maintains?

Fourth, that thing about Clear cards not being acceptable ID? Some Clear cards contained pictures (older ones did not, and Clear never seems to have mailed out new ones with pictures to those with old cards — like me). The TSA was apparently honoring the picture ID Clear cards as a government ID, so you didn’t need to show a Clear card and your driver’s license or other photo ID when doing security. Now, you’ll need to do that again — if you use the Registered Traveler checkpoints at one of the remaining three airports.

And what’s all this Registered Traveler business? My past post, CLEAR Registered Traveler System To Improve; Airport Security Competitors Coming!, has some background on the program the TSA oversees that allowed private companies to speed the security process. Or really, not clearing actual security but speed you to the front of the security line.

Which brings me to …. where the hell is the TSA in all this? I’m learning from some airport group that the TSA has made decisions, but the TSA site, the TSA blog, the TSA Twitter account and the TSA page about the Registered Traveler program all say nothing. Nada. Unacceptable. TSA oversees this program. It’s in disarray. At least one company appears to be misrepresenting how wide the network is. Let’s have some oversight and communication.

On to some fresh news accounts:

Airport security fast-track firm’s shutdown leaves customers without refunds from the Salt Lake Tribune notes the confusing situation where Flo lists Salt Lake as an airport it serves but airport authorities have no idea if Flo will take over the existing Clear setup. I doubt it — that equipment doesn’t belong to Flo. We also get this statement from the TSA (Wired and CQ got similar one):

TSA has no comment on Verified Identity Pass’ announcement. The Clear program was a market-driven, private-sector venture, offered in partnership with airports and airlines in certain locations,” TSA spokesman Nico Melendez said in an e-mail.

Um, no. The TSA has press releases about: the launch of the Registered Traveler pilot program (here); the initial $28 fee that the TSA collected from each registrant (here) as part of the program “facilitated by the federal government;” the elimination of that fee after it became clear the TSA would not let people pass through the actual security screening faster plus clearance for the RT program to expand to more airports (here) and its temporary suspension of new Clear registrations after Clear lost (and later found) a laptop containing registration information (here). But sure, this was all a pure private-sector thing that — when it collapsed in a big way — was no longer something the TSA felt it needed to mention to the public in general, much less comment on to the press.

Right.

As I said, I’ll come back to a future post of what Clear did do (got you through the security wait quickly in a dependable manner) and didn’t do (get you through the metal detector and x-ray scanner faster). While not having the latter was a disappointment, both USA Today and CQ have examples about how the former really helped.

Personally, that dependability was a huge boon for me as a regular business traveler. If the private sector solutions are going, I certainly hope the airports figure out a more consistent and dependable way for all travelers to know the typical wait time and where to go (the “expert traveler” etc. lanes aren’t a good solution; on the fairness front, if Clear was seen as unfair by some, then what’s up with the special frequent flyer / first class lines).

Postscript: See Registered Traveler Meltdown: Class Action Suit, Flo Might Close & Anyone For Fraud Investigation? for the latest. Closing comments here so they can flow to the freshest post.