Registered traveler programs — which are designed to speed prescreened travelers through security — are effective, but one size does not fit all.
There are currently three basic programs available to U.S. air travelers.
“TSA PreCheck is what you would use to fly domestically. Global Entry is an expedited program for clearing U.S. Customs. Clear is used to board domestic flights and is faster than PreCheck,” Tori Barnes of the U.S. Travel Association in D.C. told WTOP.
TSA PreCheck and Global Entry are both government-run programs. Clear is a privately run program. And while Clear is fastest for domestic flights, it is also the most expensive, costing $179 a year, and is limited to about 30 U.S. airports currently (as well as 20 sports venues where security checkpoints are in use).
Clear also requires both fingerprint and retina scan instead of a driver’s license or other traditional ID. But it has its own check-in kiosks, separate from the security line, and Clear members are directly escorted by Clear employees, who are called “ambassadors,” to a security checkpoint.
TSA PreCheck is available at more than 200 U.S. airports. It costs $85 for five years, and it is relatively easy to sign up.
“The online application plus a 10 minute appointment at a TSA enrollment center is all that is required, so it doesn’t take a lot to register for it,” Barnes said.
In 2019, 94% of PreCheck travelers waited five minutes or less on average to clear airport security.
Global Entry is strictly for expedited clearance through customs and immigration in the U.S. after an international flight. It is $100 for five years. But it also includes TSA PreCheck for no extra fee.
“If you’re someone who takes even one trip internationally, Global Entry is the best way to go,” Barnes said.
Learn more about TSA PreCheck and apply here.
Get information and an online application for Global Entry here.
Get information for Clear here.
Clear is available at Reagan National Airport, Dulles International Airport, and BWI Marshall Airport.
