Airport FastPass 'Clear' Shutting Down
from the not-so-speedy-any-more dept
I have some friends who have used Clear, the "verified passenger speedlane" for frequent travelers, that let you basically cut the security line. For the most part, they all loved it. Despite the fact that I do a lot of flying, it never really seemed worth it to me. Plus there were security questions, such as when a laptop containing applicant data got lost last year. Oops. In the end, though, I have to admit almost never seeing anyone making use of the Clear shortcut at the airport, suggesting the private company that operated it wasn't making very much money. That now seems confirmed, as apparently the program is shutting down.The company's founder, Stephen Brill, has already moved on to his next company -- a misguided attempt to make people pay for online news content. While Brill certainly has a big name reputation, it seems like he's had a lot of companies go sour in a row at this point. There was Brill's Content and then Contentville. Now there's Clear (whose official name was "Verified Identity Pass"). And the whole "iTunes for news" concept seems pretty questionable as well...
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Filed Under: airport security, clear, stephen brill
Companies: verified identify pass
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Recipe For Terrorism
Given that most people picked up for alleged terrorism offences have no previous criminal record, or indeed anything indicating a history of affiliation to known terrorist organizations, it seems that schemes like these are a great way for those planning nefarious acts to take the express route to their goals.
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Re: Recipe For Terrorism
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Re: Recipe For Terrorism
Drtaxsacto spouted:
Which doesn’t solve the problem. None of the 11/9 terrorists were travelling under any kind of false ID. They would have passed any biometric checks you can think of. That’s why this whole Clear program was a complete waste of time.
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Re: Re: Recipe For Terrorism
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Re: Recipe For Terrorism
Doc Holliday claimed:
If that’s true, then what exactly are they bypassing in the long lines? Clearly they are offering a way around the normal security checks, otherwise there is no point to the service.
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Re: Re: Recipe For Terrorism
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If I was in the guru business, I would think there was a trend there, either that or a strange run of startups in the buggy whip business.
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Clear will be missed
It was also doomed. You could tell that it was going to shut down. There were 3 Clear workers at each station and they spent most of their time just standing around. It was obviously loosing money in buckets. Given the high labor costs I have a hard time imagining that there was ever a realistic business plan.
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Clear was worth it...
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Worked for Clear
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Re: suzuki grand vitara
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Clear was a great idea... but not in LAX
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Ode to My Clear Card Friends...
Plus, when I missed the flight, I'd wave it around with my 1st class ticket, platinum card, and passport, saying I couldn't walk to the counter on time, while omitting the blatantly fact I was at the Airport Bar, and thinking no one could smell the cheap brandy on my breath. Yes, it really was a dick move, but almost assured me someone else would get bumped for me.
Ah yes.
I am that guy. The dick with one with the Clear Card.
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Clear Path
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I like the employee lane myself :)
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Go to the Clear VCs and let them know you are upset
Spark Capital
137 Newbury St.
8th Floor
Boston, MA 02116
Phone: 617.830.2000
Fax: 617.830.2001
http://www.sparkcapital.com/contact/
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Will be missed
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Great idea - bad timing and bad pricing
Brill's mistake was getting too big too fast without doing test-measure-scale market research. I would target, price and grow it differently. Generally, people get to airport on time and have time to stand in line. Market niche here is people who are habitually late or accidentally late. Would you rather miss a plane or pay a small $3-$6 fee to make it? I would pay.
Also, I would have a small joining fee to cover the membership costs and open service in the busiest airports first. The main idea here would be to have users pay per single trip only - you want to use the service cause you late at the airport - quickly sweep your card and pay one time fee, real time testing is needed to find the best price.
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Share the observations that it was under used...
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Additional note
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Membership fee refunds
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Re: Membership fee refunds
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Clear will be missed at MCO
Only fast way throught security was Clear.
Airlines and Airport officials will have to do something about it.
High Season in Orlando means up to one hour wait.
Clear will be missed in Orlando.
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Re: Clear will be missed at MCO
Many people myself included could give a rats flying @*#% if you fly 20k miles a year. Stand in line like the rest of us you stuck up snob.
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Clear comments
To those who thought it was too expensive, I guess its all relative, if you travel a lot for business, the convenience was so worth the money and it pays for itself very quickly. If it seemed to much, then perhaps your time to value is just different then mine.
And for those who resented the Clear program because we got through in front of you when you were waiting in line for an hour..try flying 100K a year..spend that much time on the road ..then see if you complain when you have to wait for evey tourist idiot that can't figure out how to go through airport security ..
I just hope someone funds a similar program so I don't have to wait in line with "The Griswalds" every week.
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VIP
Good riddance.
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Airport make-work projects
Of course, that presumes that fear mongering goes out of style with our elected officials, and I don't see that happening in a hurry.
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