tsa pre-check or clear: which one actually saves time?
We were at the airport, dragging our carry-ons through the usual chaos, when a guy started pitching CLEAR to everyone in the TSA Pre-check line. He was saying Amex Platinum cardholders get three years of CLEAR for free. The thing is, everyone in that line already had TSA Pre-check, and the line was still crawling along. One woman even ditched the line to follow the CLEAR guy, probably hoping for a shortcut.
Here’s where I got confused: is CLEAR really that much faster than TSA Pre-check? Or is it just another line with a different name? I always thought TSA Pre-check was supposed to be the fast lane, but now I’m wondering if CLEAR is some kind of VIP express pass. The pitch made it sound like CLEAR Pre-check was a special, super-fast version, but after some digging, it turns out there’s no such thing as “CLEAR Pre-check”—it’s just CLEAR, and it works a bit differently.
Honestly, I feel like these airport security programs are getting more complicated than they need to be. I’m all for saving time, but it seems like every time we figure out the system, there’s a new twist. Has anyone actually tried both TSA Pre-check and CLEAR at a busy airport? Did CLEAR really get you through faster, or was it just more of the same waiting around? I’d love to hear if it’s worth signing up, or if it’s just another way to get us to spend more money on travel perks.
#travelhacks #airportlife #tsa #Travel
