CLEAR Screening to Arrive at PIT

Travelers flying out of Pittsburgh International Airport will soon have the chance to move faster through the TSA security checkpoint – without even having to dig into their wallets for a driver’s license every time they fly.

This summer, PIT will add a new priority screening lane thanks to a five-year agreement with CLEAR, whose biometric identification technology allows its members to proceed to the TSA checkpoint through a priority lane and without having to produce an ID.

“CLEAR is something passengers have been asking for, and we are thrilled to be able to provide this added customer service at PIT,” said Bryan Dietz, senior vice president, Air Service & Commercial Development.

Here’s how it works: Travelers who are 18 years or older with a valid government ID subscribe to CLEAR Plus, an opt-in membership service that costs $16 per month. When they fly out of an airport that is part of the CLEAR network, they verify their identity at a CLEAR kiosk through their eyes or fingers; no driver’s license or other form of ID is required though it is best to bring an ID in case additional verification is needed. A CLEAR associate then escorts them to the front of the TSA screening line.

To be clear – pardon the pun – the system does not allow members to bypass TSA screening, and unless they also have TSA PreCheck, they still must remove their shoes and belt. (Travelers can get both TSA PreCheck and membership in CLEAR Plus, to save even more time.)

CLEAR operates more than 120 priority screening lanes at 52 airports nationwide, including nine of PIT’s top 10 destinations. CLEAR already has over 10,000 members in the Pittsburgh metropolitan region and 15 million members across the country.

Discounted memberships are available for Delta Air Lines, United Airlines and American Express members. Newly enrolling active military, veterans and government officials are also eligible for discounted memberships, and additional family members can be added to an existing CLEAR Plus account for $60 per adult per year.

“We’re thrilled that Pittsburgh International Airport is partnering with CLEAR,” said Kasra Moshkani, CLEAR’s executive vice president of operations. “We look forward to joining the Pittsburgh community and working with the airport to bring our expedited verification lanes to Pittsburgh travelers.”

At PIT, the CLEAR program is expected to create 30 to 35 jobs. In addition, CLEAR will share 10 percent of its revenue with PIT over the course of the five-year deal, which is expected to generate $1.8 million, and be responsible for all capital costs required to get the system up and running.