Clear partnering with TSA, unveils new biometric 'e-gates' at 3 major airports
The security screening company Clear is officially unveiling new biometric e-gates at three new U.S. airports Tuesday in partnership with the Transportation Security Administration.
TPG got an exclusive first look at the new gates in action at Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport (OAK) during the testing phase earlier this year, which also included Oklahoma City's Will Rogers World Airport (OKC) and Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport (GSP) in South Carolina. Now, these gates are going into official service at these airports, plus three other major airports: Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA).
The new gates are already in place at ATL, debut next week at DCA and the week of Aug. 31 at SEA.
"We are proud to help make America's airports great ahead of the World Cup," Clear CEO Caryn Seidman Becker said. "The U.S. should be leading on security, hospitality, and the travel experience."
Clear says that the new e-gates should "help America's airports prepare for a huge influx of air travelers expected for the 2026 World Cup, plus the 'America 250' celebrations and the general, ongoing uptick in domestic travel."
If you have a membership in the expedited security program Clear Plus, you will be able to use the new gates at any of these airports.
The e-gates, in cooperation with the TSA's security system, will verify travelers' identities and security screening statuses in real time. This means travelers will no longer stop at a TSA podium and will instead go straight to physical screening after their identity is confirmed at the e-gate.
The TSA retains complete operational control: triggering gate access, conducting security vetting and enforcing government security requirements.
Eventually, these futuristic-looking gates will be able to scan passengers fully via biometrics, further automating the screening process. For now, they provide a shortcut to the luggage screening process in most cases.
When I tested the gates, I was able to scan my boarding pass and wait for a green light to go on and the glass doors to open. Then, I underwent biometric verification using my eyes.
In the new gates, travelers will be able to simply step toward the gates, which conduct real-time biometric verification, matching a traveler's face to their ID and boarding pass.
Clear and TSA agents will be there to assist passengers.
I also saw prototype e-gates at Clear's New York City headquarters. I learned that if someone doesn't have access (or a membership) via Clear or if there is a security issue, the gates can flag the issue to Clear or other airport employees.
"This is a major leap forward in modernizing and streamlining airport checkpoints, at zero cost to taxpayers," a spokesperson for Clear said.
The pilot program will launch at three more airports this month and expand to at least 30 more in the next year or so.
"With more than 20 million international visitors expected to fly to the U.S. for the tournament — and domestic travel surging through U.S. host cities — checkpoint infrastructure will face unprecedented pressure," Clear said in a statement.
I'm looking forward to seeing this high-tech feature at more airports.
Related reading:
TPG featured card
Rewards
| 2X miles | 2 miles per dollar on every purchase |
| 5X miles | 5 miles per dollar on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel |
| 10X miles | 10 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Business Travel |
Intro offer
Annual Fee
Recommended Credit
Why We Chose It
The Capital One Venture X Business Card has all the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has to offer and more. It offers an incredible welcome bonus and requires an equally impressive spend to qualify. In addition, the card comes with premium travel perks like annual travel credit. (Partner offer)Pros
- The Capital One Venture X business card has a very lucrative welcome offer.
- In addition, the card comes with many premium travel perks such as an annual $300 credit for bookings through Capital One Business Travel.
- Business owners are also able to add employee cards for free.
Cons
- The card requires significant spending to earn the welcome offer.
- Another drawback is that the annual travel credit can only be used on bookings made through Capital One Business Travel.
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus miles: 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200k miles when you spend $150k in the first 6 months
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, everywhere—with no limits or category restrictions
- Earn 10X miles on hotels and rental cars and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel
- With no preset spending limit, enjoy big purchasing power that adapts so you can spend more and earn more rewards
- Empower your teams to make business purchases while earning rewards on their transactions, with free employee and virtual cards. Plus, automatically sync your transaction data with your accounting software and pay your vendors with ease
- Redeem your miles on flights, hotels and more. Plus, transfer your miles to any of the 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Every year, you'll get 10,000 bonus miles after your account anniversary date. Plus, receive an annual $300 credit for bookings made through Capital One Business Travel
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®. Enjoy access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
- Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
- This is a pay-in-full card, so your balance is due in full every month
Rewards Rate
| 2X miles | 2 miles per dollar on every purchase |
| 5X miles | 5 miles per dollar on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel |
| 10X miles | 10 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Business Travel |
Intro Offer
Earn 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200K miles when you spend $150K in the first 6 monthsLIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus milesAnnual Fee
$395Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.740-850Excellent
Why We Chose It
The Capital One Venture X Business Card has all the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has to offer and more. It offers an incredible welcome bonus and requires an equally impressive spend to qualify. In addition, the card comes with premium travel perks like annual travel credit. (Partner offer)Pros
- The Capital One Venture X business card has a very lucrative welcome offer.
- In addition, the card comes with many premium travel perks such as an annual $300 credit for bookings through Capital One Business Travel.
- Business owners are also able to add employee cards for free.
Cons
- The card requires significant spending to earn the welcome offer.
- Another drawback is that the annual travel credit can only be used on bookings made through Capital One Business Travel.
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus miles: 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200k miles when you spend $150k in the first 6 months
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, everywhere—with no limits or category restrictions
- Earn 10X miles on hotels and rental cars and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel
- With no preset spending limit, enjoy big purchasing power that adapts so you can spend more and earn more rewards
- Empower your teams to make business purchases while earning rewards on their transactions, with free employee and virtual cards. Plus, automatically sync your transaction data with your accounting software and pay your vendors with ease
- Redeem your miles on flights, hotels and more. Plus, transfer your miles to any of the 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Every year, you'll get 10,000 bonus miles after your account anniversary date. Plus, receive an annual $300 credit for bookings made through Capital One Business Travel
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®. Enjoy access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
- Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
- This is a pay-in-full card, so your balance is due in full every month