Clear by reserve is it as easy as it seems

[Dznypal]

unfortunately our great trip is winding down. Looks like it will be easier getting home then trying to get out of MKE

So now i have questions on the clear by reserve

Our flight is 105pm on tues
Our car service is picking us up at 1035am
Thinking about half hr to get to the airport
Just wondering then what time would be good to reserve
Or do they give you a list of times and you pick from that

Also what happens if you just happen to get tsa pre
I know you can obviously use one can you pick which one you use
Can the reserve be cancelled or do you just not go through the shortest line

Any other tips woukd be great.
Sorry for all the questions. This trip had a lot of firsts
Sorry one more question
I thought this service wascfree
But reading some frequently asked questions it said it was 189$ per year.
Is the like first one is free

 

[sam_gordon]

unfortunately our great trip is winding down. Looks like it will be easier getting home then trying to get out of MKE

So now i have questions on the clear by reserve

Our flight is 105pm on tues
Our car service is picking us up at 1035am
Thinking about half hr to get to the airport
Just wondering then what time would be good to reserve
Or do they give you a list of times and you pick from that

Also what happens if you just happen to get tsa pre
I know you can obviously use one can you pick which one you use
Can the reserve be cancelled or do you just not go through the shortest line

Any other tips woukd be great.
Sorry for all the questions. This trip had a lot of firsts
Sorry one more question
I thought this service wascfree
But reading some frequently asked questions it said it was 189$ per year.
Is the like first one is free

Last question first... https://www.clearme.com/support/how-is-reserve-powered-by-clear-different-from-the-clear-plus-lane "Clear Reserve" is different than "Clear". "Clear Reserve" is free. "Clear" is $189.

Here's the website to reserve your spot... https://mco.whyline.com/new?organization=620bf3fb68b5dd0047f6f020&place=620bf838ff11d36c7d566399. I would reserve around 11:30, 11:20 if you don't have bags to check. I agree about a 30 minute drive to the airport, but just in case the car service is late or there's an issue on the drive. If you get there early, browse the shops or just sit and relax before going to security. Just my opinion.

 

[Dznypal]

Thanks again for your help
I didn’t realize there were 2 different clears
Great opinion. I think we’ll try for 1130

 

[EACarlson]

IIRC you're flying Southwest. Standing at the Disney store looking at the Hyatt. The lanes all the way to the left are Clear+Pre, Then Pre, Reserve by Clear I'm pretty sure is what is between the escalators that go up to the Hyatt right in the middle, then it's Clear+ Standard and finally Standard all the way on the right.

If you get Pre, I'd go with Pre over Reserve every time. Don't take shoes off, don't take anything out of your bag and go through the metal detector rather than the Nudie Scope. I've never spent more than 15 minutes in line at MCO with Pre.

Clear+ is what is $189 a year. Some people find value in it, I did not. You generally don't need ID and in some places you skip straight to the front of the security line with it.

 

[Jimsig]

Clear+ is what is $189 a year. Some people find value in it, I did not. You generally don't need ID and in some places you skip straight to the front of the security line with it.

I get it for free through my Amex card, which is a nice perk, but I haven't used it enough to figure out of it has any value to me. I also have Pre-Check. Each time I was only able to use it ow as either it was a ow flight or one of the airports/airlines didn't have it. JB in BOS doesn't have it for example.

First time I used it I had to sign up so that slowed me up a few min then brought right to front of Pre-Check.

Second time it would find me but wasn't "clearing" me as it seemed to be a problem with the machines at the time, the brought me to the front of Pre-Check in front of a few people and Pre-Check cleared me.

Third time no issues brought right to front of Pre-Check.

Fourth time had to upgrade to their new standard so that took a few min but once done brought right to front of Pre-Check.

I'm up for renewal in about 2 months so I will renew as it's free. I wouldn't pay for it though.

 

[Lewisc]

I work backwards. Yout flught is 1:05. Boarding will probably start around 12:30. Pax who preboard or have A BP should be at the gate by 12:30. I'd allow 45 minutes to find my way to clear, get through security and find my way to the gate. 11:30 is more then reasonable.

 

[john7994]

Having Clear and TSA Precheck … I tend to scan which is the shortest line - sometimes I even just opt for the Airline priority boarding lane depending on day/time of flight - I have been in situations at different airports where the non TSA Precheck appears to be shorter than going through Clear or TSA Pre-Check

 

[lowlight]

Clear+ is not worth it, in my opinion. Having used it 4 times, we got “selected for a random enhanced screening” twice and had to bust out our ID’s, which was more annoying than knowing we would have to do it in advance and having them ready. Precheck is great, but is very busy now that everyone does it, and Clear doesn’t really take you to the front of the line, at least at MCO Terminal C it takes you to the middle-ish.

 

[gottalovepluto]

Clear+ is what is $189 a year. Some people find value in it, I did not…

I think if people using it at airports were surveyed 90% are getting it from Amex and would never pay out of pocket just for a clear membership. Only people I’ve ever seen say it was worth money are repeated visitors to select venues with Clear (like sports stadiums).

Having Clear and TSA Precheck … I tend to scan which is the shortest line - sometimes I even just opt for the Airline priority boarding lane depending on day/time of flight - I have been in situations at different airports where the non TSA Precheck appears to be shorter than going through Clear or TSA Pre-Check

I pick between clear or the normal ID line based on which is shorter but always use TSA Pre. I ain’t taking my shoes off lol.

The picking part became a thing to me since the ID checks are so common. Since Clear got in serious trouble for letting someone through who they shouldn’t have, their punishment is lots more random ID checks of their guests to the point where it seems to happen 50%+ of the time now

… Clear doesn’t really take you to the front of the line, at least at MCO Terminal C it takes you to the middle-ish.

this makes no sense. Clear takes you to the front of the ID check line, it’s never gone any further. You have to go to the front because you have to be escorted all the way to the TSA agent by the Clear agent, you can’t just be dumped by the Clear agent halfway through the ID line.

 

[Jimsig]

Clear+ is not worth it, in my opinion. Having used it 4 times, we got “selected for a random enhanced screening” twice and had to bust out our ID’s, which was more annoying than knowing we would have to do it in advance and having them ready. Precheck is great, but is very busy now that everyone does it, and Clear doesn’t really take you to the front of the line, at least at MCO Terminal C it takes you to the middle-ish.

this makes no sense. Clear takes you to the front of the ID check line, it’s never gone any further. You have to go to the front because you have to be escorted all the way to the TSA agent by the Clear agent, you can’t just be dumped by the Clear agent halfway through the ID line.

The times I have used it at Term C at MCO it's always been to the front of the TSA ID line as the Clear agent is telling TSA you have been 'cleared" for security. If they dumped you before that you would need to show your ID etc. which defeats the purpose of Clear. Now you still may have to wait in line for the metal detectors/X-ray machines post TSA ID check but that's different.

 

[lowlight]

Yes, I explained it poorly. You are correct that it is technically the front of the ID check line, but at my home airport that meant literally to the baggage screener, whereas at Terminal C it was still a 10 minute and 20+ person wait from where the lines converge to the screening station. I’ve only used it 4 times so I’m not sure how common the random ID check is, but I’m 2 for 4 and that’s at least 50 percent of the reason I got Clead, to not have to fumble with IDs with a bunch of children and bags.

 

[EACarlson]

Yes, I explained it poorly. You are correct that it is technically the front of the ID check line, but at my home airport that meant literally to the baggage screener, whereas at Terminal C it was still a 10 minute and 20+ person wait from where the lines converge to the screening station. I’ve only used it 4 times so I’m not sure how common the random ID check is, but I’m 2 for 4 and that’s at least 50 percent of the reason I got Clead, to not have to fumble with IDs with a bunch of children and bags.

right now that is about normal. Supposedly the "upgrade" that everyone has to go through is going to reduce that number.
I would expect that AMEX will drop the benefit from the Plat as soon as the contract is up. Whatever the amount that CLEAR is being paid by AMEX for it, it's too much. Not many people will be closing their Plats because there is no CLEAR benefit.

 

[Dznypal]

Thanks for the added advice if we should happen to get pre tsa
I was afraid that once we signed up for clear we’d have to go that way.
It looks like we’re set from gates B side gates 70 /129. B side of check point
So that’s done

 

[lowlight]

right now that is about normal. Supposedly the "upgrade" that everyone has to go through is going to reduce that number.
I would expect that AMEX will drop the benefit from the Plat as soon as the contract is up. Whatever the amount that CLEAR is being paid by AMEX for it, it's too much. Not many people will be closing their Plats because there is no CLEAR benefit.

Off topic, but with the lounge changes and poor perks, Amex Plat is gonna have a rough time. If they got rid of Clear, they’d have little left to differentiate them between Venture X or CSR. They are offering retention credits for those calling to cancel.

 

[EACarlson]

Actual perks on the Plat are better than the VX or CSR, VX is getting rid of the Hertz status and their acquisition costs are through the roof. There is going to be a big change there sooner rather than later. CSR has been a loss leader for Chase for years, they've already gotten rid of any outsized SUB and are inching closer each year to being irrelevant. I hate the way that the Plat has become a coupon book, especially over the last 5 years, but it does still hold value for the customers that AMEX is looking for.

 

[Dznypal]

Clear didn’t work the way we were hoping. When they tried to verify it came up not a member
I never saw any place where it said to sign up to be a member. Just asked for the travel info
Maybe next time it will work better
We just wanted the free clear.

 

[SirDuff]

Clear didn’t work the way we were hoping. When they tried to verify it came up not a member
I never saw any place where it said to sign up to be a member. Just asked for the travel info
Maybe next time it will work better
We just wanted the free clear.

You seem to have not been looking in the right place. Sounds like you were looking at the paid version (hence needing a membership and you cannot just sign yourself up).

 

[sam_gordon]

You seem to have been looking in the right place. Sounds like you were looking at the paid version (hence needing a membership and you cannot just sign yourself up).

Did you mean NOT looking in the right place? OP, did you ask anyone at MCO where to go?

 

[SirDuff]

Did you mean NOT looking in the right place? OP, did you ask anyone at MCO where to go?

Yes - sorry. I'll fix.

 

[Dznypal]

Yes the people in the clear line directed us down the way saying we were in the plus line. So we went farther down where she told us. That’s where the machine tries to verify you either by finger prints or by eyes. Each time it came up not a member. So we we’re directed to the regular security line
I went into clear by reserve and the page that came up said reserve a spot for free and just asked basic questions like where you were leaving from going to flight info and email and then pick a time.
Not sure what happened seems like it could be a good system. Wish I knew where we went wrong