OAG Travel News

Verified Identity Pass, a company that promised to speed passengers through airport security checkpoints for an annual fee, has shut down, leaving some frequent fliers looking for options to avoid long screening lines.

The company said it wasn't able to negotiate a deal with its creditors, and its Clear service stopped operations abruptly late Monday.

Clear was founded in 2003 by Steven Brill, the businessman behind media ventures such as CourtTV and American Lawyer magazine. It originated with a program set up by the Transportation Security Administration called Registered Traveler, intended to shrink swollen security lines in the wake of 9-11. Clear operated at about 20 airports.

The TSA tried to balance the desire to cut wait times and ease travelers' stress with the importance of ensuring proper screening, it still required travelers to go through the same security procedures as everyone else in line.

Now that the service is defunct, some wonder what will happen to all the personal information held by Verified.

The company's Clear service required passengers' fingerprints, as well as iris scans and other identifying traits.

Last year, the TSA suspended the Clear program temporarily after a laptop containing pre-enrollment records of about 33,000 customers was lost at San Francisco International Airport.

TSA requires Registered Traveler service providers, including Clear, to encrypt files containing participants' sensitive personal information.

Air Transport Association spokesman David Castelveter said the trade group didn't see the benefit in Clear and similar services.

"It provided no security benefit, and it charged you for what the TSA and the airlines gave you at no cost," he said.

Most airlines have shorter lines or special services for their elite frequent fliers, while the TSA also provides some measures of its own at certain airports to speed security checks.

"The whole process today has greatly improved since 9-11," Castelveter said. "It has been streamlined, there are better checkpoints and travelers are just more savvy these days."

But some frequent fliers say the service helped them to save a great deal of time.

At Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport Tuesday morning, frequent flier Louis Wall said he enjoyed the relatively hassle-free process of going through the Clear lanes at the airport.

Wall, 56, said he got an e-mail from the company Monday night saying they were ending operations.

"I am sorry to see it go, I've enjoyed the Clear lanes and was planning to renew it," he said. "Whatever you can do as a traveler to take the hassle out is worth it. I hope that someone else will come a long and pick up the service."

Loren Volk, an Atlanta-based consultant, also said he will miss the service. He's been a member for two months.

"I've had two hip replacements and I like being able to go through fast," the 62-year-old said. When asked if he expected to be refunded his membership fee, he replied "I'm not counting on it."

Volk said falling back on elite frequent flier status or other benefits isn't an option for him.

"I quit those when I got the Clear card," he said.

Source: Newsday.com