Fast Check to Debut at S.F. Airport

By Michael Martinez, San Jose Mercury News, Calif.

Aug. 16–Passengers who use Clear registered-traveler cards to speed through security checkpoints at Mineta San Jose International Airport will soon be able to use their cards at San Francisco International.

Verified Identity, the company that operates the Clear program, opened two enrollment stations at San Francisco International on Wednesday. The airport is scheduled to open Clear lanes at all of its terminals in September, although a launch date has not been set.

Enrollment stations at San Francisco are located at Terminals 1 and 3 and are open daily from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fliers can also register at the Hyatt Regency Embarcadero hotel from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.

Registered-traveler programs currently operate at nine U.S. airports, including New York’s JFK, Orlando, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, Reno and Newark, N.J. The price of a one-year membership is $99.95, which includes a $28 vetting fee charged by the U.S. Transportation Security Administration.

Clear card members undergo extensive background checks that allow them to use separate lanes at airport security areas. Iris or fingerprint images are compared to information on each card, although travelers must still pass through metal-detection machines.

For more information: www.flyclear.com.

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