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:
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?
