CLEAR

[willie99]

$895 Amex Platinum Yearly Fee > $209 Clear Yearly Fee

$ 25 monthly food credit

Free room to like $ 1,000 per night, which I use in NYC every November / December when going to a Huskies game

My AMEX is Marriot Bonvoy, maybe that's different. I think my membership is only $ 695. It more than pays for itself we freebies and givebacks and travel perks. Works for me. We're all different

 

[cordeodato]

Coming back from Indy one of my kids had me sign up for Touchless TSA. I did not even know this existed. There was virtually no line. Went to a station, TSA scanned my face and that was it. Proceeded to the bins

TSA says Touchless ID is currently available at 65 airports, but flyers must opt into the program through whichever airline they're using. To be eligible for enrollment, a flyer must already have TSA PreCheck and an active frequent flyer profile with an airline participating in Touchless ID.

 

[Hoopcrazee]

Always depends on the airports. Lots more people have tsa pre check. Clear and Global entry make it so easy and stress free to travel

 

[Fishy]

Without wanting to take this off-topic topic off-topic, Walmart+ is a great deal too. Just the 10 cents off a gallon of gas can pay for the $99 annual membership. Throw in free shipping, and free delivery from a store if you live close enough, and it pays for itself several times over.

I'm heading east across the pond today. I'll be using the Delta Sky Lounge in Atlanta and I know it'll save me and Mrs. Diesel at least $75 in food and drink. Plus, it's hella more relaxing than sitting at a terminal.

And with Walmart+, you get your pick of a free streaming service, Peacock or Paramount

 

[CL82]

And with Walmart+, you get your pick of a free streaming service, Peacock or Paramount

And you can switch between them, which I'm about to do since there's not much on Peacock.

 

[nomar]

CLEAR is great. I use it all the time. There's also a priority CLEAR line at Barclay's.

 

[HCCForever]

And you can switch between them, which I'm about to do since there's not much on Peacock.

Any idea if either Peacock or Paramount gives you more baseball games? Peacock was great for college basketball but not sure about MLB.

 

[CL82]

Any idea if either Peacock or Paramount gives you more baseball games? Peacock was great for college basketball but not sure about MLB.

Nope. I haven't looked yet.

 

[HCCForever]

Nope. I haven't looked yet.

I just did a quick search and it appears that Peacock is better than Paramount for MLB. Peacock has Sunday Leadoff package and some Sunday night baseball as well. Appears to be minimal coverage.

 

[Fishy]

And you can switch between them, which I'm about to do since there's not much on Peacock.

I would sub to peacock for the Tour, but with NBCSN on YouTubeTV, there's no reason to do it this year. And the rest of Peacock is blah.

Paramount is actually my favorite - there's an absolute shit ton there.

 

[Chin Diesel]

As an FYI for those traveling to Europe, several EU airports have gone full electronic for passport control. Started about few weeks ago. No more standing in lines waiting for an immigration officer to stamp your passport.
Amsterdam has about 25-30 kiosks where you slide in your passport, get your picture taken, and put down your finger prints. Then you go to the immigration line where you do it a second time and you are clear. What used to take 20-30 minutes took less than 5 min today.
If anyone is concerned about privacy of their image or finger prints, I’m sure Google has an answer.

 

[Edward Sargent]

I asked ChatGPT to explain CLEAR to me (I haven't flown in 20 years and I never even heard of it)

For those interested:

CLEAR is basically a paid “line-skipping” service for identity verification at airport security.

Instead of waiting to show your ID to a TSA officer, CLEAR uses biometrics (eyes or fingerprints) to confirm who you are — and then escorts you to the front of the line.


🔄 Step-by-step: what happens at the airport

1. Go to the CLEAR lane
   It’s separate from the regular TSA line.
2. Verify your identity at a kiosk
   • Scan your eyes or fingerprint
   • No need to pull out your ID most of the time
3. CLEAR agent walks you forward
   They physically escort you past the ID-check line
4. You still go through TSA screening
   • Bag scan
   • Metal detector or body scanner

👉 Important: CLEAR does NOT skip security screening, just the ID + line part

Isn't that what my TSA precheck does for me?

 

[HCCForever]

As an FYI for those traveling to Europe, several EU airports have gone full electronic for passport control. Started about few weeks ago. No more standing in lines waiting for an immigration officer to stamp your passport.
Amsterdam has about 25-30 kiosks where you slide in your passport, get your picture taken, and put down your finger prints. Then you go to the immigration line where you do it a second time and you are clear. What used to take 20-30 minutes took less than 5 min today.
If anyone is concerned about privacy of their image or finger prints, I’m sure Google has an answer.

So there’s no stamping of passports anymore? My last international trip was ten years ago to Brazil and they stamped.

 

[Chin Diesel]

So there’s no stamping of passports anymore? My last international trip was ten years ago to Brazil and they stamped.

For entering EU it looks like getting a passport stamped has gone the way of Syracuse hoops.

 

[CL82]

For entering EU it looks like getting a passport stamped has gone the way of Syracuse hoops.

Gratuitous shots at our Canadian friends will always get alike from me.

 

[CL82]

So there’s no stamping of passports anymore? My last international trip was ten years ago to Brazil and they stamped.

I know, right? I just got a new passport last year and snuck in a trip to Italy before the changeover.

 

[Windham4th]

Clear is Barry Bonds steroid of choice

 

[Windham4th]

Or was it Cream?

 

[bendm]

So pretty useless then. I don't spend more than about 4-5 minutes waiting to go through the TSA pre screening. The photo ID process makes it faster now.

You can still spend an hour in a precheck line depending on the airport

Isn't that what my TSA precheck does for me?

Clear lets you cut to the front of the precheck line

 

[temery]

They should have an Everclear line.

 

[HuskyHawk]

You can still spend an hour in a precheck line depending on the airport

Clear lets you cut to the front of the precheck line

Not any that I go to. I mostly fly out of Providence and the line is rarely more than 5 people. Even Logan's line usually no more than 10 minutes. Haven't waited much in Orlando or Tampa either. Savannah and Greenville are even quicker than Providence. I could see it for business travelers.

 

[alphasigko]

I signed up for CLEAR when it first appeared because I was flying out of the zoo airport Denver weekly for business. Back then, TSA would not require presentation of your ID, just your boarding pass, because CLEAR had verified my identity.

About 2 years ago, TSA started making me present my ID (sometimes along w/my boarding pass) after being cleared by CLEAR. So I started asking why am I paying $200+ for CLEAR to ensure I am who I say I am, and then have to do the same to the TSA attendant?

Since moving to Phoenix in 2021, where the TSA Pre lines are nowhere near as long as they are in Denver, I dropped CLEAR, and have never waited in a TSA Pre line longer than 10 minutes. IMO, certainly worth the savings of $200+ per year.

 

[bendm]

Not any that I go to. I mostly fly out of Providence and the line is rarely more than 5 people. Even Logan's line usually no more than 10 minutes. Haven't waited much in Orlando or Tampa either. Savannah and Greenville are even quicker than Providence. I could see it for business travelers.

Good for you I guess but that’s not the norm in Seattle, SF, LA, Denver, Chicago, Liberty/JFK, Atlanta…

 

[formerlurker]

There’s a lot.

Just the Resy, Uber and streaming statement credits are worth over $900

There was literally just an Amex Platinum card commercial on the Prime broadcast of Knicks/Hawks. Really well done add that mentions the lounge access and the Resy benefits you mentioned. Add was co-sponsored with the NBA itself. I definitely need to brush up on what I'm not taking advantage of.

 

[Fishy]

There was literally just an Amex Platinum card commercial on the Prime broadcast of Knicks/Hawks. Really well done add that mentions the lounge access and the Resy benefits you mentioned. Add was co-sponsored with the NBA itself. I definitely need to brush up on what I'm not taking advantage of.

It's like AAA...if you read everything you find you get a lot of stuff you didn't know about. Like, you get Resy and Uber credits or that AAA will come get you if you're out riding your bike and you get a flat tire.

 

[Alum86]

I had this happen like Shamon indicates. Got pulled aside at Bradley 2 weeks ago asking if we wanted to avoid the lines. It is a 2 week trial and they take your credit card. It is a frazzled experience and you really think it is like a mini time share experience. Make sure you cancel on the app if you do not want it. I did. No issue doing that. We travel only once a year or so the high cost is not worth it. If you travel a lot it may be good for you.

 

[Chin Diesel]

So there’s no stamping of passports anymore? My last international trip was ten years ago to Brazil and they stamped.

Yesterday, I traveled back to the states. Flew from one EU country in to Amsterdam to get back to the states. All I did in Amsterdam was walk up to a kiosk, slide my passport into it and it took a picture. Done. Less than a minute. No more passport stamps.

 

[HCCForever]

Yesterday, I traveled back to the states. Flew from one EU country in to Amsterdam to get back to the states. All I did in Amsterdam was walk up to a kiosk, slide my passport into it and it took a picture. Done. Less than a minute. No more passport stamps.

Thanks, it was nice while it lasted. Looking at past trips via my passport was a little walk down memory lane when I used to travel more internationally.

 

[Chin Diesel]

Thanks, it was nice while it lasted. Looking at past trips via my passport was a little walk down memory lane when I used to travel more internationally.

Yeah, I keep thinking there's a business opportunity to make souvenir passport looking books and stamps you could put in them as keepsakes.

 

[Chin Diesel]

Also, keep in mind, starting later this year, the ETIAS goes live. That will require US passport holders to register and pay a fee online prior to arrival.

I've had to do this in the past for a few other countries. No big deal, just one more logistical box to check off before international travel.

European Union - EES / ETIAS

travel-europe.europa.eu